Artist Residences at Landfills
If you want unlimited art supplies, one option is to do an artist residency at a landfill or transfer station.
Egg Shells and Egg Cartons Creative Reuse
Many artists work with egg shells and egg cartons. Get inspired to make art and craft from these easy-to-find materials!
Books Creative Reuse
If you have books that no one wants to read anymore – such as out-of-date reference or text books – what can you make with them?
Recycled Art Sculpture Trails
Would you like to attract people to your town to enjoy nature and art? You could organize a recycled art sculpture trail.
Tennis Balls and Rackets Creative Reuse
Each year, 325 million tennis balls are made in the world, but there are many ways to creatively reuse tennis balls and rackets – so get started today!
Rope Creative Reuse
From shopping bag handles to fishing gear, there is a lot of rope that can be creatively reused!
Igloo from Plastic Jugs
We built an igloo from plastic jugs for Maker Faire NoVa and we used a method no one had used before (zip ties!)
Cosmetics Creative Reuse
Since most cosmetics are sold in plastic packaging and contain toxic chemicals, they can be challenging to creatively reuse, so get ideas for what to do with your expired cosmetics.
Bubble Wrap Creative Reuse
Do you have piles of bubble wrap due to online shopping? Check out what some artists make with bubble wrap!
Skateboard Creative Reuse
You likely have a pile of broken skateboards if you love skateboarding but the good news is that many artists creatively reuse skateboards to make awesome stuff. And if you are into woodworking, get inspired to source material from the skate park.
Fruit and Vegetable Peel Creative Reuse
Composting is a great way to dispose of fruit and vegetable peels, but here are lots of ways you can creatively reuse peels as food, cleaners, crafts and more.
TED Talks about Creative Reuse
Making toys from trash. Building homes from trash. Weaving art from trash. Next-level creative reuse in Egypt and Japan. These are the topics of my five favorite TED Talks about creative reuse.
Community Service Through Creative Reuse
Find out how you can build stronger community while also creatively reusing trash. It’s like a 2-for-1 good deed!
Plastic Mardi Gras Beads
Plastic Mardi Gras beads create tons of litter and contain toxic chemicals such as lead – so get ideas on making your own non-toxic Mardi Gras bead necklaces.
Coffee Grounds, Pods and Capsules Recycling
If you like coffee made from K-Cups or Nespresso pods, this episode will inspire you to not only recycle them, but make them into beautiful and useful items. Plus your coffee grounds can be used for much more than just compost.
Dish & Pottery Creative Reuse
If you are cleaning out your unwanted or chipped dishes, inspired by the show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, get lots of ideas of what to do with ceramic, porcelain, clay or glass dishes.
Bojagi or Pojagi – Korean Patchwork
Bojagi are Korean wrapping cloths and they are a great way to creatively reuse fabric remnants in more delicate fabrics like silk, ramie and organza.
Inner Tubes Creative Reuse
Some artisans call inner tubes vegan leather because they can be cut and sewn together like leather, so come get ideas for what you can do with recycled inner tubes.
Holiday & Greeting Card Reuse
You put most holiday or greeting cards in paper recycling, but some require more creative reuse. Get tips on where you can send used holiday and greeting cards to help others, or get inspired to make holiday decorations from them.
Sweaters, Wool and Yarn – Creative Reuse
From shrunken felted sweaters to tiny balls of leftover yarn, get ideas for ways to creatively reuse your sweaters, wool and yarn.
Memory Keepsakes
Memory keepsakes are items made from clothing when someone passes away.
Gift Wrapping from Recycled Materials
Many people wrap gifts in brown paper bags or fabric, but that is only the start of ways you can wrap gifts without creating trash.
Make a Reusable Gift Tag and Bow
Make a beautiful and reusable gift tag and bow from recycled plastic materials to reduce holiday packaging waste.
Halloween Decorations from Recycled Materials
Avoid buying more plastic and make spooky decorations from recycled materials this Halloween!
Minimalism and Creative Reuse
Get strategies to help you achieve your goals of minimalism AND creative reuse!