When you hear about recycling projects, most people’s minds jump to the simple projects we did in elementary school, milk carton bird feeders and plastic bottle pencil cups. The possibilities may seem limited when brainstorming cool DIY recycling projects, but in actuality there are endless amounts of projects that you can partake in. The best part is, you can make something really cool and reduce the amount of waste you create all at the same time.

   For the artists at UC High, there are many benefits to recycling projects. Many helpful trinkets can be made out of simple items found around the house. You can make organizers for your brushes, pens and markers by using empty bottles, cans and even empty toilet paper rolls. Simply cut off the tops, decorate them with whatever paint, stickers, paper or designs that fit you and arrange them in an old shoebox to create a caddy for your expensive art supplies (craftionary.com). And while these projects may be appealing to artists, they can work for anyone. Repurposed containers can just as easily hold all your school supplies, jewelry, even organize your video game collection if you get creative enough!

    Another DIY recycling project you might not consider right away is making cute picture frames from recycled products. You can find cheap wooden picture frames at places like Michael’s or Target or even at your local dollar store. One idea is to take old corks from wine bottles and slicing them into thin slivers. You can then paint them and glue them to the picture frame to add a colorful, recycled, pop to the decor on your desk or in your living room (allyou.com). You can find many small items around your house to decorate  a picture frame. Other materials that could be fun to use are bottle caps or old buttons. Why go all the way to the store to buy a new plastic or wooden picture frame, when you could make a cute frame right at home for little to no cost? Look for scraps in your garage or in mom’s craft box. Not only do you save time and money, you also put to use something that could have just as easily been thrown away.

   Creating recycled crafts can be fun, but if you want to up your green game, then you can try to tackle starting your own garden using all recyclable products. Plastic bottles and jugs can easily be converted into trowels with a pair of scissors and a bag of soil. By poking holes through the lid of a container you can repurpose a bottle and convert it into a watering can. And almost anything can become a flower pot with enough wishful thinking; old tires, worn out shoes or boots, broken down pieces of furniture like chairs and end tables — all can be repurposed to grow foliage (designrulz.com).

   It’s easy to throw all your old junk out without a second thought, but with a creative and environmentally-friendly mind, you are bound to find a re-purpose for it all. Whether that purpose be served as a gardening tool, a storage container, or some other wildly imaginative thing, at the end of the day, creating useful items from recyclable goods is a green way to go.