Build an Igloo from Plastic Milk Jugs
This video tells the story of how my family built an igloo for a Maker Faire in 2019 from about 400 plastic milk jugs.
Recycled CD Seashell Ornament
What makes this ornament even more fun is that it contains a recycled CD to give it shape!
How to Make Bags from Recycled Food Packaging
In this tutorial, I share how to make fun bags from plastic packaging such as frozen strawberry bags, dried fruit and nut bags, juice pouches and more.
Plastic Tubs Creative Reuse
Laundry soap and cooking oil come in heavy-duty plastic tubs or jugs that are tough to recycle – but you can creative reuse them at home and to make art.
Hangers Creative Reuse
Plastic, metal and wooden hangers can all be creatively reused to make furniture, costumes and other art.
Umbrellas Creative Reuse
You can make so many useful items from a broken umbrella, using just the fabric, just the frame, or both!
Dried Paint, Brushes, Cans Creative Reuse
Many paints are made with plastic so let’s find way to reduce our impact, and learn about ways to creatively reuse paint, brushes, graffiti, spray paint cans and more.
Yoga Mats Creative Reuse
Get lots of ideas for how to use your old yoga mats, plus learn about a type of yoga mat made from recycled neoprene wetsuits!
8 Items You Might Not Creative Reuse
Trashmagination is all about encouraging you to creatively reuse found items and recyclables to make art. However, some materials can be hazardous to your health if you don’t take precautions when working with them.
Hair and Pet Fur Creative Reuse
Can you creatively reuse natural or synthetic hair?
DIY Plastic Recycling
Designers around the world are building machines that allow people to DIY their plastic recycling.
Inflatable Floats and Decorations Creative Reuse
Inflatables made from vinyl, rubber and nylon are very difficult to recycle but they are extremely popular during hot summer months and as holiday decorations.
Buttons Creative Reuse
Learn about the incredible ways artists work with buttons and get ideas for creatively reusing your own buttons.
Polystyrene Foam or Styrofoam
Polystyrene foam (more commonly called styrofoam) is notoriously difficult to recycle and awful for the environment, but you can avoid it and reuse it with creative thinking.
Insects and Creative Reuse Art
Creative reuse artists make insect sculptures from recycled materials, while others actually work with live insects to make art.
Robot Sculptures from Recycled Materials
Folk artists around the world make robots from recycled materials – and you can too!
Plastic Toys Creative Reuse
Get ideas for ways you can divert plastic toys from landfill – either to more children, to artists or to be made into plastic furniture.
Sayaka Ganz, Plasticware Artist
Sayaka Ganz makes giant wildlife sculptures from plastic spatulas, hangers, toys and lots of other plastic items, and she’s one of my top 5 favorite creative reuse artists in the world.
Artist Residences at Landfills
If you want unlimited art supplies, one option is to do an artist residency at a landfill or transfer station.
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!