Recycled Crafts

Creative DIY Projects That Turn Trash Into Treasure

Christmas Joy wood blocks embellished with buttons and beads

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Nothing adds more fun to painted wood than buttons, beads, sequins and half pearl dots from Buttons Galore and More!

They are perfect for adding details to projects of all sorts materials. In this case I painted wood blocks, letters and a Christmas tree with a variety of Folk Art paint.

When the paint was dry I played with all sorts of red, green and white buttons in a variety of sizes on the blocks.  I landed on placing tiny white buttons on the corners of the little wood squares. For the large wood block I placed larger green buttons in each corner.

To embellish the tree I placed a red half pearl dot on each scallop of the tree edge.

Buttons Galore and More makes tons of shaped buttons like the star I used top top off the tree.

The “O” of the word joy is actually an ornament shape. I blinged that up by coating it with a layer of glue and sprinkling tiny green seed beads.

Again I used the fun half pearls to embellish the band of the ornament this time green ones.

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Recycled Paper Cylinder Face Art – A Colorful Win for All Ages

I recently stumbled across this super creative project on Instructables – “Face With Recycled Paper Cylinders” – and I had to share it with you all because it’s just the kind of craft that checks all my favorite boxes: recycled materials, hands-on creativity, and fun for literally any age.

The idea is simple but genius—roll strips of recycled paper (think junk mail, old magazines, leftover printer paper) into cylinders, then arrange and glue them to form a unique abstract face. You can make it funky, realistic, Picasso-inspired—whatever your mood or style dictates!

What I really love is the blend of eco-conscious crafting with true artistic expression. This isn’t just another kids’ project—it’s something you could easily do with a group of little ones, a classroom full of teens, or even as an adult art therapy or weekend wind-down activity. It’s super relaxing and surprisingly satisfying seeing all those paper rolls come together to form something new and expressive.

The tutorial itself is easy to follow, with plenty of visuals to guide you along the way. You don’t need any fancy materials—just glue, paper, scissors, and a board or piece of cardboard to serve as your canvas.

I also appreciate how this project leaves so much room for personalization. Want to make it into a full face? Go for it. Prefer to focus on a single eye or mouth? Totally works. You can even play with color schemes by choosing papers with a certain palette, or painting over them once they’re rolled.

In short: this is a total keeper for anyone who loves crafting with purpose. It’s the kind of project that sparks creativity while gently reinforcing the idea that beautiful things can come from what we usually throw away.

Highly recommend giving it a go—solo or with a group. And if you try it, tag me or drop a pic—I’d love to see your recycled masterpiece!