Juice Carton Photo and Card Display

Supplies:
recyclable orange juice carton

decorative paper

cards

photos

Tools:
scissors
ruler
hot glue gun and glue sticks

1) Cut off top of juice carton and discard.

2) Measure up about 3 inches from the bottom and mark around perimeter of carton.

3) Cut approximately 1/2" vertical strips all around carton, making sure not to cut past 3" marked line.

4) Using the hot glue gun, carefully roll over each strip and glue securely to the bottom of the carton.

5) Using decorative paper, cut four pieces to fit at corners of carton and glue in place.

6) Fill the center with ribbon, flowers, or whatever and slide photos and cards into the slits around the carton.

Tip: Make an awesome centerpiece using flowers and black and white photos.

craft skill level: 3 out of 5

Cereal Box Check Book Cover

Supplies:

recyclable cereal box

check book and check register

Tools:

scissors

yard stick or ruler

paper scorer

x-zacto knife

hot glue gun and glue sticks

1) Flatten cereal box by opening up along glued down seams.

2) Cut off front face side and discard rest or save for another project.

3) Measure a mark a 10 1/2" by 6 3/4" rectangle. Cut excess and discard.

4) Measure and mark at 2" in on both ends of 10 1/2" side. Measure and mark at halfway of 10 1/2".

5) Draw a small rectangle for a tab and using x-zacto knife, very carefully cut along three sides. Using the ruler, line up other end and again carefully using x-zacto knife cut a corresponding slit.

6) Using scorer score along the 2" marked lines and halfway point. Fold in at the three lines.

7) Using the hot glue gun, carefully glue in both 2" flaps only at the very outside edges, not along the length (you need to leave that part unglued in order to slide in check book and register).

8) Put in check book and close using tab closure.

Tip:Use the box inside out to make a simpler looking check book cover. Try different closure ideas (snap, adhesive velcro).

craft skill level: 3 out of 5

French Toast Box Magazine Organizer

Supplies:
recyclable french toast box
magazines

Tools:
hot glue gun and glue sticks

1) Flatten french toast box by opening up along glued down seams.

2) Using a hot glue gun, carefully glue box back together inside out. Glue bottom flaps, and then both side flaps.

3) Glue top flaps into the inside of the box.

4) Put magazines inside.

Tip: Take multiple boxes to make multiple magazine organizers. Tie multiple boxes around perimeter with a ribbon to hold them all together.

craft skill level: 1 out of 5

Why I Can't Just Put Out A Blue Recycling Bin

You may need the back story as to why I simply can't take my milk jugs, juice cartons, cereal boxes, sauce jars, and soup cans to the recycling center.

I, shockingly enough, do not live in a big city. I live in a town many people may have never even been to. For an area generalization, I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Where I live, recycling is not a "pick-up your bin on Tuesday" type of happening. Recycling is an option, where, if you choose to participate, you take all your separated items to a transfer station. Not such a crazy thing, I know, but what do you do when said transfer station decides to no longer accept recyclables.

Rather than drive over to Wisconsin and pretend to be a citizen in a town that may have a recycling drop off program, I decided to do what any normal, sane person would do. I will craft.

My goal is to reuse as many and as much of recyclable items as I can ( I'm thinking, roughly, one craft a day), and transform them into usable, hopefully visually appealing items. Some items may be something like, "Oh, I've seen that before." Some items may be, "Hey, I've done that before." But it'd kinda be special for both you and me if I come up with something not so ordinary, but very special. Get your scissors ready. Here's to crafting with purpose.