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

• How to make plastic milk jug butterflies (or other shapes)
• Trashmagination Episode 1 about creative reuse of plastic milk jugs
• Trashmagination’s igloo made from plastic milk jugs (the Jugloo)

Activity #2: Wall Hooks from Trophies

• Episode 4 about creative reuse of trophies
• Design Sponge blog showing how to make the wall hooks from trophies

Activity #3: Wine Cork Mat

• Episode 6 of Trashmagination about creative reuse of wine corks
• How I made my wine cork bath mat

Activity #4: Sock Doughnuts

• Episode 9 of Trashmagination about creative reuse of mismatched socks

Activity #5: Sit-Upon from Flexible Food Packaging

• Episode 15 of Trashmagination about creative reuse of flexible food packaging

Activity #6: Nail-and-String Art

• Episode 21 of Trashmagination about creative reuse of scrap wood

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

• Episode 22 of Trashmagination about creative reuse of crayons and markers

Activity #8: Taking Apart Broken Appliances

• Episode 24 of Trashmagination about organizing take-apart events
• How my family disassembled our broken treadmill

Activity #9: Dollhouse Furniture from Recycled Materials

• Episode 34 of Trashmagination about dollhouse furniture

Activity #10: Monsters from Recycled Materials

• Episode 37 of Trashmagination about the time I taught high school students how to make monsters from recycled materials as part of their unit on Frankenstein

Activity #11: Pet Toys from Toilet Paper Rolls

• Episode 38 of Trashmagination about making pet accessories and toys from recycled materials

Activity #12: Personal Hygiene with Recycled T-Shirts

• Episode 41 of Trashmagination about creative reuse of t-shirts
• Tapestry weaving with t-shirt yarn
• Rug hooking with t-shirt yarn

Activity #13: Miniature Paintings on Dried Tea Bags

• Episode 43 of Trashmagination about creative reuse of tea bags
• Tiny Art Show on Instagram

Activity #14: Shrinky Dink Art from Clamshell Packaging

• Episode 51 of Trashmagination about creative reuse of plastic clamshell packaging

Activity #15: Educational Games with Plastic Bread Tags

• Episode 52 about creative reuse of plastic bread tags

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

• Episode 53 about creative reuse of wooden clementine boxes

Activity #17: Fidget Quilts or Crocheted Plastic Mats

• Episode 72 about community service and creative reuse

Activity #18: Orange Peel Roses and Banana Peel Bacon

• Episode 74 about creative reuse of fruit and vegetable peelings

Activity #19: Painting with Expired Cosmetics

• Episode 77 about creative reuse of expired cosmetics

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

• Episode 80 about creative reuse of tennis balls and racquets

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.

• Episode 83 of Trashmagination about creative reuse of egg shells and cartons

Activity #22: Tissue Paper Crafts

• Episode 94 of Trashmagination about creative reuse of tissue paper

Show Details

• Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse activities while social distancing
• The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade