Need a break from spending $87 at the craft store just so your kid can lose interest in five minutes? We’ve rounded up 51 creative, chaos-friendly recycled craft ideas that use stuff you already have—like toilet paper rolls, cereal boxes, and your last shred of patience. Less waste, more fun, zero glitter trauma (well… almost).
Comic Book Pages Photo Frame, Sum of Their Stories
Sock Hobby Horse, Red Ted Art
Egg Carton Fairy Lights, Red Ted Art
Peanut Shell Finger Puppets, Red Ted Art
Upcycle T-Shirt Dress, I Am Momma Hear Me Roar
T-Shirt Shag Rug, Molly Kay Stolz
Plastic Bag Jewelry Beads, Planet Forward
Newspaper and Button Tree Art, The Ruested Chain
Treasure Chest, EverythingMom
Recycled Packaging Gift Bag, Sew Many Ways
Packing Peanut Animal Sculptures, Mommy Poppins
Paper LadyBug, EverythingMom
Toilet Paper Roll Noisemaker, Make and Takes
Paper Bag Kites, EverythingMom
Chip Bag Pinata, Pink Stripey Socks
DIY Play Dough, EverythingMom
Button Bracelet, Planet Pals
T-Shirt Upcycled Kid’s Shorts, I Am Momma Hear Me Roar
Butterfly Clothespins, EverythingMom
Spring Flower Paper Craft, EverythingMom
Hanging Votive Candle Jar, Ruban Cassette
Coffee Can Drum, Bloeesem Kids
Recycled Rice Bag Tote, Crafty Enough
Coffee Can Windsock, Crafty Welder Chick
Toilet Paper Roll Napkin Rings, Making Friends
Sweater Pillow, Pane, Amore e Creativita
Wooden Play Wand, EverythingMom
Upcycle Leather Cell Phone Wristlet, Crafty Staci
Ice Cream Stick Puppets, Cards and School Projects
Tin Can Musical Windchimes, Hands On As We Grow
Melted Crayon Rocks, EverythingMom
Toilet Paper Bird Feeders, EverythingMom
Recycled Milk Carton Truck, Origamimommy
Milk Carton Weaving, Pink and Green Mamma
Wine Cork Stamps, Sweet Spot Cards
Leaf Pastels, EverythingMom
T-shirt Mesh Bag, Delia Creates
Caterpillar Paper Craft, EverythingMom
Tie Snakes, Allie Belle Designs
Alphabet Animal Bottle Top Magnets, Danielle’s Place
Cardboard Box Space Shuttle, Mama Smiles
Dyed Button Bracelet, Rit
Garden Rocks, EverythingMom
DIY Key Windchime, Mr Kate
Tissue Box Dinosaur Feet, Momma Melly
Crystal Light Container Night Light, Craft Jr
Recycled Calendar Block Puzzles, Pink and Green Mamma
Plastic Bag Cheerleader Pom Poms, Craftastica
Plastic Container Shrinkey Jewelry, Rust and Sunshine
Watermelon Popsicle Paper Craft, EverythingMom
PET Bottle Art Bowl Container, Industructables
Comic Strip Bangles, Oh Rubbish
Glass Jar Photo Frames, Photojojo
Next time your kid says, “I’m bored,” skip the toy aisle and hit the recycling bin instead. These recycled craft ideas prove you don’t need fancy supplies to make something awesome—just a little imagination and maybe some glue that hopefully stays off your furniture.
Tried one of these crafts? Snap a pic, share it in the comments, or pin your favorites to come back to later. We’d love to see your recycled masterpieces!
More Posts You Might Be Interested in:
- 10 Best Baby Bouncers of 2025 (Researched & Parent-Approved)
- Trash to Craft: 51 Genius Recycled Craft Ideas for Kids
- 4 Behavior Modification Techniques That Actually Work (with a Free Printable for Parents)
- 75+ Beautiful Baby Names Meaning Water for Boys, Girls & Gender-Neutral Options
- 100+ April Riddles for Kids That’ll Keep Everyone Guessing (and Laughing!)