Repurpose These Household Items to Make Easy Toddler Crafts

Easy household crafts don’t have to be hard, especially if you’re looking for crafts with common household items. You’ll totally want to repurpose these household items once you see how creative you can be with them!

This blog post was sponsored by Mattel but all opinions are my own.

Easy household crafts don't have to be hard, especially if you're looking for crafts with common household items. You'll totally want to repurpose these household items once you see how creative you can be with them! #ad #AllAboardForGlobalGoals #ToddlerCrafts #Upcycling #Repurpose #ReduceReuseRecycle #UpcycledCrafts There are hundreds of values that I want to teach Lily as she grows older. Generosity, gratitude, respect, perseverance, honesty, forgiveness, compassion, responsibility, humility, creativity…. the list is endless. My hope is that we give her the knowledge to become a well-rounded individual that contributes good to our society.

One of the ways we are doing that is teaching her about environmental responsibility and sustainability.

We teach her what gets thrown away versus what gets recycled. She’s been to our town dump to see what happens to the things we throw away. We’ve donated toys and purchased secondhand and shared why this might be a better option than buying new.

We’ve also created crafts with common household items with her. Repurposing household items is a great way to:

  • Teach your child about their environmental impact
  • Reduce your carbon footprint
  • Reduce the amount of waste that goes to a landfill
  • Encourage imagination and creativity (for you and your child!)
  • Bond over an experience that’s good for you and the environment

If you’re looking to help teach your child responsible consumption and production, you won’t want to miss the latest partnership between Thomas & FriendsTM and the United Nations! They’re teaming up to inspire families to start conversations and learn more about sustainable development. You can find all kinds of fantastic videos that cover a variety of topics from sustainable forest to sustainable cities, gender equality to quality education and more. There are so many cool things to make with household items as long as you start saving them. So check out the list below of my favorite common household items to repurpose into awesome crafts with your kids.

Toilet Paper Rolls and Paper Towel Rolls

Toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls are great for making animals. Some fun ones to try making include:

  • Fish
  • Bats
  • Unicorns
  • Reindeer
  • Bugs
  • Jelly Fish
  • Octopus
  • Butterflies

Bracelets and wreaths are fun projects to make with toilet paper rolls as well. You can also try making these DIY fire starters.

Glass Jars

Glass jars are some of my favorite ways to create crafts from common household items. Spaghetti jars, mason jars, pickle jars, jelly jars – all of them have SO many uses. You can make:

And so much more. Be sure to save jars of all sizes to make these easy household crafts. Wash them thoroughly before use and remove the sticker to make it easier to decorate.

Tin Cans

Tin cans are another great option for repurposing household items. Just be careful to ensure that there aren’t any sharp edges before you start to create. Paint cans are a fun can to repurpose for larger projects as well. You can make things like:

  • Vases
  • Bird Feeders
  • Utensil/Marker Caddies
  • Drink Holders
  • Containers for Herb Gardens
  • Luminaries
  • Candles
  • Animals
  • Organizers

Plastic Bottles

Plastic bottles come in a variety of shapes and sizes like glass jars, making them a great item for upcycled crafts. You can use soda bottles, medicine bottles, juice bottles, milk bottles, etc. And then you can make things like:

  • Planters
  • Animals
  • Sensory Jars
  • Bowling Pins
  • Luminaries
  • Piggy Banks

Be sure to keep the lids, too! Plastic lids work well for sorting projects, accessories, facial features, and more for your craft projects. Keep them all together in a bin or box (upcycled, if possible!) and then browse for the perfect lid to add to your DIY project the next time you’re crafting!

Cardboard and Boxes

From big boxes that you can build a playhouse from to scraps of cardboard that can be shaped into tiny ornaments, cardboard is a versatile household item that’s great for crafting items that would otherwise be recycled. Make things like:

  • Playhouses
  • Dividers
  • Organizers
  • Ornaments
  • Animals
  • Puppets
  • Pretend Food
  • Painting Canvas
  • Play Food

You can also make some awesome things with egg cartons, paper bags, cereal liner bags, fabric scraps, buttons, and fruit containers. There’s plenty of things I’m sure I didn’t mention, too – you just have to use your imagination! Don’t forget to check out these videos to help teach your children how they can make the planet a better place well beyond recycling and upcycling.