I love to recycle!!

And Amber came up the the perfect challenge this school holiday!  Our city show, The Ekka is coming to town and Amber has been given the challenge at school to create a card out of entirely old things, nothing new.  So we decided to scout around the house for things that we could make into a card!

We used: A McDonalds Happy Meal box, a marshmallow packet, shells, a beer bottle top, foam, bubble wrap, patty pans, maps, old book pages, a coke can, torn cardboard, sand and the Dymo labeller!

First we had to create a card from the Happy Meal Box - it gives a slightly off rectangle shape.  We then glued on some of the map and some torn pages of the book.  Amber then tore up some cardboard exposing the corrugated part underneath while I cut up and ruffled the marshmallow wrapper.  They were then glued down to the card.  We cut the foam into strips and found that some of it had a stickiness to it from it's packaging.  So we glued the ends of the strips together and realized that it looked like rain drops or petals.  We went with petals and used the bottle top as a center.  Amber then rolled the yellow patty pan and popped it in the middle.  We later hot glue gunned it in place and added stickles.  As for the coke can.  I did the cutting as I was terrified Amber would get sliced up.  We gave the can a good clean then used some tin snips and cut a nice long strip (removing the top and bottom of the can).  Then Amber chose some dies and she ran the can through the Cuttlebug.  The can went through reasonably well, it sort of embossed the middle of the sand dollar and shell!  So we added them and some sand and the theme of our card became the beach!
Here are our materials before we got started!  It's amazing what you find in your recycle bin!
Here's a closeup of the flower.  We cut a circle from the bubble wrap and then pinched and pulled the edges to make it frey and warp a little.  It all glued together really easily.
The Cuttlebug helped to iron out the aluminum so it was nice and flat - something I'll definitely remember if I do this technique again!  We used 3D foam dots to lift each piece.

So, what have you made that's been recycled?  Leave me a message so that I can come and see and be inspired!

3 comments

Kylie said...

this is awesome, I wish you had written this blog entry when I was needing ideas for recycled ATC's. You have done a brilliant job!

Anonymous said...

I too love to recycle! Great use of found objects. It is full of texture and visual interests.

Karen said...

This card turned out so cute!! I love LOVE the coke can idea! Check out my blog because I have nominated you for an award!!