Butterfly made from a recycled plastic water jug

Social Distancing: 20 Creative Reuse Activities to Do at Home

If you are staying close to home due to social distancing, you can do these creative reuse activities with items that you likely already have at home so you don’t need to go to the store.

You can listen to my original podcast episode about this from March 2020 in this YouTube video:

Activity #1 – Plastic Milk Jug Suncatchers

Butterfly made from a recycled plastic water jug
Butterfly made from a recycled plastic water jug

Activity #2: Wall Hooks from Trophies

Plastic cap trophies
Plastic cap trophies

Activity #3: Wine Cork Mat

Gluing corks on my wine cork mat
Gluing corks on my wine cork mat

Activity #4: Sock Doughnuts

Jellyfish legs cut from old socks (and undies)
Jellyfish legs cut from old socks (and undies) – these could be used for rug hooking also

Activity #5: Sit-Upon from Flexible Food Packaging

Sit-upon sewn from recycled raisin bags
Sit-upon sewn from recycled raisin bags

Activity #6: Nail-and-String Art

Thread-and-nail skull decorations inspired by the blog A Beautiful Mess
Thread-and-nail skull decorations inspired by the blog A Beautiful Mess

Activity #7: Secret Messages with White Crayons and Homemade Watercolor Paint

Bracelet made from marker caps
Bracelet made from marker caps

Activity #8: Taking Apart Broken Appliances

Looking at the motherboard of the treadmill
Looking at the motherboard of the treadmill

Activity #9: Dollhouse Furniture from Recycled Materials

Crocheted doll beds from plastic dish soap containers
Crocheted doll beds from plastic dish soap containers

Activity #10: Monsters from Recycled Materials

Book of Monsters craft designed by ikatbag
Book of Monsters craft designed by ikatbag

Activity #11: Pet Toys from Toilet Paper Rolls

Nicole Betters mice cat toys crocheted from plastic bags - franssimsstuff
Nicole Betters mice cat toys crocheted from plastic bags

Activity #12: Personal Hygiene with Recycled T-Shirts

Recycled t-shirt mug rug
Recycled t-shirt mug rug

Activity #13: Miniature Paintings on Dried Tea Bags

Painted teabag by the Original T-Bag Designs done in South Africa (purchased in 2003)
Painted teabag by the Original T-Bag Designs done in South Africa (purchased in 2003)

Activity #14: Shrinky Dink Art from Clamshell Packaging

Plastic cap octopus "kit"
The plastic cap octopus “kit” that I made for my nephew from a recycled spinach container

Activity #15: Educational Games with Plastic Bread Tags

Rainbow-colored bread tags or clips
Rainbow-colored bread tags or clips

Activity #16: Lenticular Photo Display from Recycled Wooden Clementine Boxes

Lenticular photo display made from clementine box triangles by Trashmagination
Lenticular photo display made from clementine box triangles by Trashmagination

Activity #17: Fidget Quilts or Crocheted Plastic Mats

Tyler's quilt before mailing it to Scotland
This is not a fidget quilt but it is a lap-sized quilt I made for my nephew and I hope to make fidget quilts soon!

Activity #18: Orange Peel Roses and Banana Peel Bacon

Pineapple peel mask by Trashmagination
Pineapple peel mask made and modeled by my husband

Activity #19: Painting with Expired Cosmetics

Period After Opening Symbol - how many months to keep cosmetics after opening the package
Period After Opening Symbol – how many months to keep cosmetics after opening the package

Activity #20: Defunct Tennis Ball Games or Cross-Stitch Tennis Racket

A Cub Scout works to knock down an aluminum can with a tennis ball attached to a string on his back in the game Bottoms Up

Activity #21: Egg Shell Sidewalk Chalk

Oops! I thought I put in 20 activities in this podcast episode but I actually put in 22! I got the numbering system messed up in my document. So here are your bonus activities.

Painting with Quail Eggshell Vase by Mirjam Storm van Leeuwen
Painting with Quail Eggshell Vase by Mirjam Storm van Leeuwen

Activity #22: Tissue Paper Crafts

"Lanterns" from recycled Crystal Light Containers and Tissue Paper Inspired by Paul Klee
“Lanterns” from recycled Crystal Light Containers and Tissue Paper Inspired by Paul Klee – designed by Trashmagination

Show Details