15 Easy Kids’ Crafts Using Things You’d Normally Throw Away

Before you throw something away, there is one surprisingly useful question to ask:

Could this become a toy first?

An empty egg carton can become a caterpillar. A toilet-paper roll can become binoculars. A milk carton can become a house. And a cardboard box can apparently become almost anything if you ask a four-year-old.

The best part? You probably already have most of the materials at home.

Here are 15 easy craft ideas for kids using things you would normally recycle or throw away — with simple materials, minimal preparation and safety notes where they matter.

01Before you start: a few safety rules

Most recycled craft materials are perfectly useful, but not everything belongs in a child's craft box.

Avoid:

• sharp metal cans or lids
• broken glass
• damaged plastic with sharp edges
• heavily greasy food packaging
• containers that previously held cleaning products, chemicals or medicines
• tiny loose parts for children who still put objects in their mouths

Wash and dry food containers thoroughly before using them. For younger children, an adult should handle scissors, hot glue, craft knives and any glass items.

And if something looks sharp, cracked or questionable? Recycle it. Craft time is not worth an emergency-room visit.

01Egg Carton Caterpillars

You need:

• empty egg carton
• child-safe paint or crayons
• pipe cleaners or paper strips
• glue
• optional googly eyes

Cut one long row from the egg carton. Let your child paint each section a different colour and add a face. Older children can add little antennae.

Safety note: If using pipe cleaners, bend the ends inward so there are no sharp tips.

02Toilet Roll Binoculars

You need:

• 2 empty toilet-paper rolls
• tape or glue
• crayons, stickers or paint
• string, optional

Stick the two rolls together and decorate them. Then go on a “safari” around the house, balcony or park.

Look for birds, red cars, dogs, something yellow, something tiny.

Safety note: If adding string, keep it short and use only with supervision. Avoid long cords around young children.

03Kitchen Roll Marble Run

You need:

• empty kitchen-paper rolls
• tape
• cardboard
• large pom-poms or balls

Cut the tubes lengthwise or leave them whole and tape them to a wall or large cardboard sheet to create ramps. Then test different routes.

04Milk Carton Houses

You need:

• clean, dry milk or juice carton
• paper
• child-safe glue
• markers or paint
• stickers

Cover the carton with paper and turn it into a house, a shop, a fire station, a castle or an animal home. Cut windows and doors before giving it to your child if needed.

Safety note: An adult should do any cutting that requires strong scissors or a craft knife.

05Yogurt Cup Mini Planters

You need:

• clean yogurt cups
• soil
• seeds
• markers or stickers

Decorate the cups, add soil and plant something easy such as herbs. It becomes both a craft and a small science project — children can watch the plant change every day.

Safety note: Make a small drainage hole yourself if needed. Adults should handle any sharp tool.

06Pizza Box Drawing Studio

You need:

• clean pizza box
• paper
• crayons
• stickers
• washable paint

A pizza box makes a surprisingly good portable art station. Open it flat and use it as a large drawing surface, or place paper inside and keep crayons and stickers in the box.

07Cardboard Box Car

You need:

• medium cardboard box
• paper plates or cardboard circles
• tape
• crayons or paint

Cut the top so your child can sit inside. Add wheels, lights and a steering wheel. Suddenly you have a car, a bus, a fire engine or a spaceship — depending on today's requirements.

Safety note: Remove staples, packing tape loops and any sharp cardboard edges first.

08Shoebox Dollhouse Room

You need:

• shoebox
• paper scraps
• old magazines
• glue
• crayons
• small toys

Turn the inside of a shoebox into a bedroom, kitchen, shop or tiny school. Use magazine pictures for wallpaper and small cardboard scraps for furniture. This is especially good for children who enjoy small-world play.

09Magazine Collage

You need:

• old magazines or catalogues
• child-safe scissors
• glue stick
• paper or cardboard

Choose a theme: animals, food, things that are blue, dream holiday, funny faces, or things beginning with a certain letter. Cut and stick. Simple, cheap and surprisingly absorbing.

Safety note: Use age-appropriate scissors and supervise younger children.

10Jar Treasure Display

You need:

• clean glass jar with lid
• shells, stones, leaves or other larger treasures
• ribbon or stickers

Children love collecting things. Instead of discovering sixteen stones in coat pockets later, give them a jar for their favourites. They can decorate the jar and create a small “museum”.

Safety note: Glass jars are best for older children and should be used with adult supervision. For younger children, use a clear plastic container instead.

11Bottle-Cap Colour Sorting

You need:

• large plastic bottle caps
• bowls or muffin tray
• coloured paper

Sort the caps by colour, size or pattern. Older children can use them for simple counting or matching games.

12Paper Bag Puppets

You need:

• paper bags
• crayons
• paper scraps
• child-safe glue
• yarn, optional

Turn a paper bag into a bear, a monster, a cat, a dinosaur or a completely imaginary creature. Then put on a puppet show. No theatre ticket required.

13Cereal Box Puzzle

You need:

• empty cereal box
• scissors
• optional marker

Cut the front picture from the cereal box, then cut it into large puzzle pieces. For younger children, make only 4–6 pieces. For older children, make it harder.

Safety note: An adult should cut thick cardboard when necessary.

14Cardboard Tube Rocket

You need:

• toilet-paper roll
• coloured paper
• tape or glue
• crayons
• paper triangles for fins

Cover the tube, add a paper cone and fins, and decorate. Countdown: 3... 2... 1...

Then discover how many times a cardboard rocket can crash into the sofa before anyone gets bored. Usually more than expected.

15Recycled Treasure Box

You need:

• shoebox or small cardboard box
• wrapping-paper scraps
• stickers
• crayons
• glue

Let your child decorate their own box for drawings, small toys, stones, birthday cards and mysterious objects parents are apparently not allowed to throw away.

This one is especially useful because the finished craft actually stores things. A rare parenting victory.

17What should you save for crafts?

You do not need a cupboard full of rubbish. A small box is enough.

Good things to keep:

• egg cartons
• toilet and kitchen-paper rolls
• shoeboxes
• cereal boxes
• clean milk cartons
• clean yogurt pots
• paper bags
• magazines
• small cardboard boxes

Once the craft box is full, stop saving things until some have been used. Otherwise “sustainable crafting” can very quickly become “why do we own 37 toilet rolls?”

18What should you recycle immediately?

Some things are simply better recycled. Skip sharp cans, chipped glass, cracked containers, dirty food packaging, mouldy cardboard, chemical containers, and very small items if you have young children.

The goal is creative reuse, not keeping every piece of packaging that enters your home.

19A simple rule

Before recycling something clean and safe, ask:

Could my child build, paint, sort or imagine something with this?

If yes, keep one or two. If not, recycle it.

You do not need expensive craft kits to create an interesting afternoon. Sometimes all you need is an empty box, some crayons and a child who has already decided that the box is actually a spaceship.

Looking for more things to do together? Browse kids’ activities near you or find an open preschool to visit together.

*Always choose craft materials that are clean, intact and appropriate for your child's age. Young children should be supervised closely, especially when scissors, small parts, cords or glass are involved.*