Recycled Crafts

Creative DIY Projects That Turn Trash Into Treasure

Make Your Own Farm Animals and More: 35 projects for kids using everyday cardboard packaging

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If you’re looking for a delightful and eco-friendly crafting adventure for kids, Make Your Own Farm Animals and More by Tracey Radford is a fantastic choice. This book offers 35 creative projects that transform everyday cardboard packaging into charming farm animals and scenery, making it perfect for young crafters and their families.

Tracey Radford, also known for her work on , brings her signature style to this collection, providing clear, step-by-step instructions accompanied by helpful tips. The projects are designed to be accessible, requiring only common household items like egg cartons, cereal boxes, and cardboard tubes. Children can create a variety of farm animals, including cows, horses, pigs, and even a tractor, fostering both creativity and sustainability.

Reviewers have praised the book for its engaging content and ease of use. One reader noted, “The instructions are very easy to follow and the wonderful photographs help even the worst crafter!” Another mentioned, “Inexpensive to make with such clever use of otherwise discarded household items, this is a must for children’s parties, projects, and holiday times.”

Overall, Make Your Own Farm Animals and More is a wonderful resource for parents and educators seeking fun, sustainable craft projects. It’s an excellent way to engage children in hands-on activities that promote recycling and imaginative play.

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Comments

  5. Absolutely adorable! This fits my daughter’s twin obsessions with animals and cardboard boxes perfectly! 🙂

  7. What a cool book. I work at a library and that would be a fun project for kids to do after a farm themed storytime!

  9. My 4 year old granddaughter and I could create a whole barnyard of animals with this fun book! Fingers crossed and thanks for the chance to win this book!

  11. As a former elementary art teacher all I can say is this book looks great, wish I had it sooner’

  13. Oh I love the looks of this book. Lots of great projects for the grandkids. I love …..the tractor.

  15. What a great book, looks like so much fun. My nephew would love to make all those animals. Thank you.

  16. This book is just darling. I would make the projects and put them in my grandma hope chest for when I finally have grandchildren,

  21. Looks like a fun book. My grandson loves animals and would have a ball making and playing with these animals!

Have you read?

Time Flies — And Sometimes It Has Wings Made of Vintage Paper and Buttons

Have you ever been to the cuckoo clock shop at Tamborine Mountain? It’s like stepping into another world — a charming, ticking wonderland filled with thousands (yes, literally thousands) of clocks. Some are grand and ornate, others tiny and tucked away like secrets waiting to be discovered. I remember walking through the shop with my kids, completely enchanted by the whirring gears, dancing figurines, and the joyful chorus of chimes. It was one of those places where time feels like it both stops and flies.

That same feeling came flooding back when I stumbled across this adorable craft project from Teawagon Tales called Time Flies. In true vintage style, it’s a whimsical little DIY that combines scraps of fabric, old paper, buttons, and clock faces into sweet butterfly-like creations — a beautiful mashup of memory, imagination, and just plain cuteness.

It reminded me that crafting is a little like walking through that clock shop. Each piece holds a story, a tick of nostalgia, and the joy of noticing small details. You don’t need much — just some leftover fabric, maybe an old book page or two, and a few bits from your button tin. And suddenly you’re creating something that feels like it fluttered out of a fairytale.

So if you’ve got a stash of pretty paper or vintage bits and bobs you’ve been saving for “something special,” this might be the perfect project to give them new life.

Take a look at the full tutorial and soak up some serious inspiration:
Time Flies – Teawagon Tales

And if you ever find yourself near Tamborine Mountain, do yourself a favour — pop into that cuckoo clock shop. It’s pure magic for anyone who knows that time isn’t just measured in minutes, but in memories.