Recycled Crafts

Creative DIY Projects That Turn Trash Into Treasure

Thrifty Napkins

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Have you ever tallied up how much money you spend on items like paper towels, paper napkins and Kleenex in one year? In our house, while we try really hard to recycle and reuse as much as we can, we’re still stuck in the loop of paper towels and tons of Kleenex.

Messy Thrilling Life has a great tutorial for making reusable napkins and towels out of scrap materials. She used some old pajama pants, and I’m assuming most of us have a stash of old clothes or unused fabrics laying around the house we can use in much the same manner.

I may not be at the point yet where I’m going to use hankerchiefs, I’m definitely on board for making reusable napkins for our table and cleanup stash.

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Comments

  1. I’ve made hankies out of soft, discarded pajamas. (too many worn spots in the pj’s to repair them.) I only use these hankies at home. I’ve made them small- basically a single use hankie. I just toss them in the laundry. I RARELY purchase kleenex. I just have them on hand for guests. I think I’m now inspired to make some flannel handkerchiefs as gifts!

Have you read?

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!