Look! We're Learning!

Early Learning. Happy Teaching.

  • Shop
  • Printables
  • Homeschool
  • Crafts
  • Parenting
  • Blog

Over 25 Easy Recycled Craft Ideas for Kids to Make

January 25, 2022 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Sharing is caring!

11 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

We all want to do what we can to make our planet safer for future generations.

And one of the easiest things we can do now is to recycle materials we no longer need. Every time we reuse something, we save it from the landfill for a bit longer.

And that’s always a good thing.

Today I’m sharing over 25 easy recycled craft ideas for kids to make!

Over 25 Recycled Crafts for Kids

These are fantastic for in-class projects or parents who want to make crafts with their kids at home!

And they all make use of materials that can be reused, so they’re a wonderful introduction to the idea of recycling and repurposing too.

Read on to see the full list.

And be sure to take a look at our Coffee Filter Earth Craft if you’re looking for more Earth Day ideas!

Make the most of your recyclables with this list of fun recycled crafts for kids to create!

What You Need to Try These Easy Recycled Craft Ideas for Kids

Most of these crafts use materials you likely already have, such as paper towel and tissue paper rolls.

Here are some other recycled materials that are good for making recycled crafts:

  • Empty plastic bottles
  • Cardboard (whole or scrap)
  • Compact discs
  • Shoeboxes

In most cases, as long as the recycled material is clean, you can use it as a base for a craft project.

Fun Recycled Crafts for Kids to Make

How to Use Recycled Craft Ideas with Students

Many of these recycled crafts feature animals, so they’d make a great project for a science unit such as zoo animals, the forest, or winter.

You can also use any of these as a craft project for an Earth Day or a recycling unit. Invite your students to save recyclables from home and bring them in to participate!

Recycled Crafts Books for Kids

Would you like even more ways to make use of recycled materials with young learners?

Here are a few books with plenty of kids’ crafts that use recyclables too! (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

  • Cardboard Creations: Open-Ended Exploration with Recycled Materials
  • Fun and Easy Crafting with Recycled Materials: 60 Cool Projects that Reimagine Paper Rolls, Egg Cartons, Jars and More
  • Low-Mess Crafts for Kids: 72 Projects to Create Your Own Magical Worlds
  • Cardboard Creations for Kids: 50 Fun and Inventive Crafts Using Recycled Materials

Get a look at the full list of easy recycled crafts below!

Over 25 Easy Recycled Craft Ideas for Kids to Make

Try some of these easy recycled craft ideas for kids to make! There are crafts here that work for all seasons and for kids of all ages!

1

Easy Toilet Paper Roll Ladybug Craft for Kids

Make up a quick spring animal craft with this fun toilet paper roll ladybug craft! The wings actually move!

2

Watercolor & Recycled Newspaper Flower Craft

Photo Credit: whereimaginationgrows.com

Gather up pieces of newspaper and watercolor paints to create these paper flowers!

3

DIY Recycled Plastic Bottle Poppy Craft

Photo Credit: www.muminthemadhouse.com

Turn bottles into flowers with this plastic bottle poppy craft!

4

Earth Day Recyclable Necklace Craft

Photo Credit: littlebinsforlittlehands.com

This earth-themed necklace craft is perfect for Earth Day!

5

Kids Craft: Recycled Tin Can Windsocks

Photo Credit: www.happinessishomemade.net

Hang these recycled tin can windsocks on the front porch!

6

Recycled Bubble Wrap Tree Craft

Photo Credit: raisinglittlesuperheroes.com

Use the bubble wrap from your packages to make this tree craft!

7

Easy Fall Snow Globe Craft for Kids

Have an old baby food jar lying around? Turn it into a fall snow globe!

8

Moving Windmill Recycled Craft

Photo Credit: emmaowl.com

Use plastic cups to make these windmills that actually turn!

9

Easy Paper Bag Fox Craft for Kids

Make a paper bag fox (and forest friends)!

10

Recycled Cardboard Rainbow Craft

Photo Credit: www.stillplayingschool.com

Use old cardboard to make a recycled rainbow!

11

Easy Paper Roll Rocket Craft for Kids

Make a set of rockets out of paper towel rolls!

12

Recycled CD Flamingo Kids Craft

Photo Credit: www.iheartartsncrafts.com

Use an old CD to create a flamingo with kids!

13

Easy Toilet Paper Roll Snowman Craft for Kids

Empty paper rolls make perfect winter snowmen (and snowwomen)!

14

Recycled Apple Craft

Photo Credit: www.notimeforflashcards.com

Make a simple apple craft with cardboard and paint!

15

Easy Toilet Paper Roll Fox Craft for Kids

Make an adorable fox out of an empty toilet paper roll!

16

Weaving for Kids- a Recycled Plastic Bottle Craft

Photo Credit: www.kitchentableclassroom.com

Ever heard of t-shirt yarn? Cut up a few old shirts to make this yarn-woven craft!

17

Easy Toilet Paper Roll Owl Craft for Kids

Use old toilet paper rolls to make a family of cute owls!

18

Colorful Butterfly Craft

Photo Credit: theresjustonemommy.com

Magazine pages make perfect butterfly wings in this recycled craft!

19

Easy Lion Toilet Paper Roll Craft for Kids

This toilet paper roll lion craft is so cute for a zoo unit!

20

Farm Shoebox Diorama Craft

Head down to the farm with this easy shoebox farm diorama!

21

Engineering 201: DIY Recycled Suspension Bridge

Photo Credit: leftbraincraftbrain.com

Take spare cardboard and turn it into a STEM activity with this recycled suspension bridge project!

22

Easy Toilet Roll Butterfly Craft for Kids

Colorful coffee filters and empty paper rolls are all you need for these cute butterflies!

23

Easy Toilet Paper Roll Chick Craft for Kids

Make up this simple toilet paper roll chick craft for a spring or farm animal craft with young learners!

24

Bumble Bee Craft for Kids Using Recycled Materials

Photo Credit: buggyandbuddy.com

Make adorable bumblebees with just a few recycled materials!

25

Super Cute Printable Farm Paper Bag Puppets

Make a set of barnyard animals from brown paper bags!

26

Beach Shoebox Diorama Craft

Take a trip to the beach with this easy recycled shoebox beach diorama craft!

Try these simple craft ideas for kids too!

Get some early math practice with little ones and make this simple shape train craft!
Make this fun and easy origami pig bookmark craft as a fall art project!
This fun paper pirate ship craft is a perfect activity for a pirate unit!

Filed Under: Crafts Tagged With: crafts, crafts for kids

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hi! I'm Selena, a veteran teacher and homeschool mom to four. I'm so glad you're here!
About Me Contact Terms of Use Privacy Policy Places I Share
Facebook Pinterest Instagram
Homeschool Printables Unit Studies Shop the Store
Copyright ©2025, Look! We're Learning!. All Rights Reserved. Design by Pixel Me Designs
11 shares