Recycled Materials – Wineberry Wood Press

13Aug 2023 by catbird No Comments

Solar Balloons

Craft Project, Learning, Play, Recycled Materials, Summer

We always struggle a bit with the dog days of summer-- its hot and humid and no one really wants to do anything. That coupled with the sinking "summer is ending soon" feeling that I always get this time of year always seems to make me cranky in august. So instead of sitting around we decided to break out some simple projects that benefit from sweltering heat- the first of which was this solar balloon. What is a solar balloon anyway? "A solar balloon is a balloon that gains buoyancy when the air inside is heated by solar radiation, usually with the help of black or dark balloon material. The heated air inside the solar balloon expands and has lower density than the surrounding air. As such, a solar balloon is similar to a hot air balloon. Usage…

16Jun 2023 by catbird No Comments

Plarn Sun Catchers

Craft Project, Nature Art, Play, Recycled Materials, Summer Portfolio, Summer Solstice

I am always trying to think of new ways to make sun catchers this time of year- it's the perfect easy craft to celebrate the sun. I also try and stay away from the contact paper method and excessive waste plastic (no shade though we've all been there.) This is one of my favorite sun catchers to date-- it's simple enough for littles and engaging enough, well for adults honestly. It makes use of waste plastic in the form of those terrible plastic grocery bags that just never seem to go away. (My county has banned them and yet they are still everywhere?) You first cut the bags into strips and make a type of yarn (plastic + yarn = plarn) and then weave them around sticks. It's a very…

19Apr 2023 by catbird No Comments

Recycled Bottle Chandelier

Craft Project, Earth Day, Play, Recycled Materials

I generally refuse to buy plastic bottles and try to never buy water in plastic bottle, but every now and then it's unavoidable. Because I know that I'll end up with some every now and then (and will have tons after a clean up!) I am always on the lookout for interesting ways to reuse them. This chandelier is one of my very favorites! It's simple, easy to make and looks stunning. It's also a great project for a group if you have a class, coop or family gathering or some sort. Everyone can decorate a bottle or two and then they all come together to make something greater than the sum its parts. painted bottles ready to be hung the bicycle wheel frame Recycled Bottle Chandelier You can use…

16Apr 2023 by catbird 1 Comment

Recycling Bin Drawing Machines

Craft Project, Earth Day, Learning, Play, Recycled Materials

This is a great clean out the recycling bin type of project- you can use just about anything. The only thing you really need are dollar store electric toothbrushes, and if you plan ahead you could use an old electric toothbrush that really was destined for the trash. The toothbrushes are a simple way to get a motor for your drawing machine. If you are working with older children, you can also build more complex motors from electrical components, but the toothbrush does the job nicely. So what is a drawing machine and why would you want to build one? In contemporary art, a drawing machine is defined as any sort of apparatus that assists or replaces a human in drawing. Artists have lots of reason for making drawing machines,…

14Apr 2023 by catbird 2 Comments

Tube Knitting with Plarn

Craft Project, Earth Day, Learning, Nature Art, Play, Recycled Materials

What you ask is plarn? It's a combination of the words yarn and plastic, so it's essentially "yarn" made from discarded plastic grocery bags. Those plastic grocery bags are a scourge on the environment, they always seem to find their way into woods and waterways, where they are often mistaken for food by wildlife. One of the things we like to do to celebrate Earth Day is to make use of materials that are traditionally discarded and/or littering natural areas. This can be from trash collected during clean ups (my first first public sculpture when I was in high school were giant trees made from trash collected during a big clean up!) or trash from your home and school that you can divert from the landfill and make something useful…

14Apr 2023 by catbird No Comments

Plogging Hike

Earth Day, Hike Ideas, Learning, Play, Recycled Materials

I swear all of my Earth Day posts aren't going to have funny words in them... but here's another one! Plogging is a combination of jogging and picking up litter, it was originally coined in Sweden (merging the Swedish verbs plocka upp (pick up) and jogga (jog). In our case its really more hiking than jogging, but I 'm not sure piking has the same ring to it. Sadly this is a tremendously easy hike to do-- there is litter nearly everywhere we hike. The only trick is to remember to bring a bag to collect litter in, and possibly some gloves so no one is touching trash directly. I didn't used to be squeamish about it, but covid and the proliferation of discarded face masks in public parks has…

26Mar 2023 by catbird No Comments

Pond Viewer

Craft Project, Earth Day, Learning, Recycled Materials, Spring Equinox

This is a super simple project that makes exploring a pond (or vernal pool) even more exciting. My seven year old could not put this down on the way to the pond-- he was so excited. It uses repurposed materials which is always a nice bonus. It will help you see underwater a little more clearly! Recycled Pond Viewer This just uses a handful of materials that you probably already have and take a few minutes to put together! You don't want to substitute cling film for the freezer bag-- it won't hold up to the water pressure. To use the viewer push it below the water level and try and stay as still as possible. Eventually creatures will feel comfortable swimming under your viewer! Materials: half gallon milk or…

22Mar 2023 by catbird 1 Comment

Recycled Can Garden Markers

Craft Project, Earth Day, Garden, Recycled Materials, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice

Here is a fun and easy way to make plant markers for your garden out of recycled materials. I use really utilitarian markers for the most part, but my kids always want to make some for their garden and I have been trying to think of a way to make markers that are both beautiful to look at and simple to make. These check all the boxes, they are simple enough for kids to make, they look amazing--almost like enamel I think--and they use repurposed seltzer cans. Kids don't need to be able to write letters to make them, although they work with words as well. (You just have to write them backwards... more on that below.) This is a great project for early spring when there is lots of…

Category: Recycled Materials