Recycled Materials Art Projects for Kids: 20 Ideas Using What You Already Have

We have a confession. Our craft cupboard is overflowing, but our best art projects almost never come from the fancy supplies we bought. They come from the recycling bin. The cardboard box that held last week's delivery. The egg carton from Sunday's breakfast. The plastic bottle our kid insisted on saving because it was "the perfect shape for a rocket."

Recycled materials art is more than a budget-friendly alternative to store-bought craft kits. It teaches our kids something we believe matters deeply: that creativity does not require consumption. That the most interesting materials are often the ones other people throw away. That a toilet paper roll and some paint can become anything a child can imagine.

We have been collecting recyclables for art projects for years now, and what follows are the 20 projects our family comes back to again and again. They are organized by material type so you can scan for whatever you have on hand right now. No special trips to the craft store required.

Why Recycled Art Matters

Before we dive into specific projects, it is worth pausing on why recycled art is so valuable beyond the obvious cost savings.

It builds creative problem-solving. When a child looks at a cardboard tube and sees a telescope, a castle turret, a tree trunk, or a tunnel, they are practicing divergent thinking — the ability to see multiple possibilities in a single object. This is the foundation of innovation and creative confidence.

It teaches environmental stewardship. Children who regularly transform "trash" into treasured art develop an intuitive understanding that materials have value beyond their original purpose. This mindset carries into adulthood as sustainability habits.

It removes the pressure of expensive supplies. There is something wonderfully freeing about working with materials that cost nothing. Kids are less afraid to experiment, mess up, and start over when the materials came from the recycling bin rather than the art supply store.

It is always available. You will never run out of cardboard. The supply replenishes itself every time you unpack groceries or open a delivery. This means art can happen spontaneously, without planning or shopping.

If you enjoy working with found and open-ended materials, you will also love our guide to loose parts play ideas, which takes this same philosophy into the world of open-ended play.

Cardboard Projects

Cardboard is the undisputed champion of recycled art materials. It is sturdy, paintable, cuttable, and available in an almost infinite supply. We save everything from cereal boxes to shipping cartons.

1. Cardboard Box Robot

Ages: 3+ Materials: Assorted boxes (one large for the body, one smaller for the head), toilet paper rolls for arms, bottle caps for buttons, aluminum foil, paint, glue.

Let the child decide what their robot looks like. Stack and tape boxes together for the body structure. Attach toilet paper roll arms. Glue on bottle caps, jar lids, and old buttons for control panels. Wrap sections in aluminum foil for a metallic look. Paint the rest in silver, gray, or whatever wild color your child chooses. This project can take an entire afternoon and results in a creation kids are genuinely proud of.

2. Cardboard Castle

Ages: 4+ Materials: Large cardboard boxes, cardboard tubes for turrets, scissors (adult help for younger kids), paint, markers, tape.

Cut a large box to create walls with battlements along the top edge. Attach cardboard tube turrets at the corners. Cut a drawbridge door that folds down. Paint the whole structure with stone-gray paint or let children draw individual stones with markers. Add flags made from paper and toothpicks. This castle becomes a play prop that lasts for weeks.

3. Cardboard Marble Run

Ages: 5+ Materials: A large flat piece of cardboard for the base, cardboard tubes cut in half lengthwise, small boxes, tape, scissors, marbles.

Prop the base cardboard at an angle against a wall. Tape half-tubes and small box sections at various angles to create a path for marbles to travel down. The engineering challenge here is real — children test, adjust, and redesign until the marble makes it from top to bottom. This is where art meets physics.

4. Cardboard Masks

Ages: 3+ Materials: Cereal boxes or flat cardboard, scissors, paint, markers, feathers, yarn, fabric scraps, glue, elastic string.

Cut a basic face shape from flat cardboard. Cut out eye holes (an adult job for younger kids). From here, the child takes over — painting, adding yarn hair, feather headdresses, fabric collars, bottle cap noses, whatever their imagination demands. Punch holes on the sides and thread elastic string to wear the mask. These are wonderful for dramatic play and storytelling.

5. Cardboard Loom

Ages: 5+ Materials: A sturdy piece of cardboard, yarn, scissors, a large plastic needle or tape.

Cut small notches along the top and bottom edges of the cardboard, about half an inch apart. Wrap yarn through the notches to create the warp threads. Use a large plastic needle or simply tape the yarn end to weave over and under the warp threads. This project bridges recycled art and fiber arts beautifully. For more weaving and textile ideas, check out our post on process art ideas for toddlers.

Plastic Bottle Projects

Plastic bottles are another material we always have on hand. Rather than tossing them straight into recycling, we set aside the interesting shapes for art projects.

6. Bottle Planters

Ages: 4+ Materials: Plastic bottles, scissors or craft knife (adult use), paint, soil, small plants or seeds.

Cut a bottle in half horizontally. The bottom half becomes the planter. Poke drainage holes in the bottom with a nail. Let children paint the outside — animal faces, abstract designs, patterns. Fill with soil and plant herbs, succulents, or seeds. These make lovely gifts and teach responsibility when kids water their own plants.

7. Plastic Bottle Bird Feeders

Ages: 4+ Materials: A clean plastic bottle, two wooden spoons or sticks, string, scissors, birdseed.

Poke two holes through the bottle near the bottom, on opposite sides, large enough for a wooden spoon handle to slide through. The spoon bowls catch fallen seed and serve as perches. Poke a few small holes above each spoon for seed to trickle out. Fill with birdseed, tie string around the neck, and hang from a tree branch.

8. Sensory Bottles

Ages: 12 months+ Materials: Clean plastic bottles with tight-fitting lids, water, clear glue or glycerin, glitter, small beads, food coloring, small waterproof toys, super glue for the lid.

Fill the bottle about three-quarters full with water mixed with a tablespoon of clear glue or glycerin (this slows the movement of objects inside). Add glitter, small beads, sequins, tiny plastic figures, or food coloring. Seal the lid permanently with super glue. These calming bottles are mesmerizing for babies and toddlers and useful for older kids during moments of big emotions. We have an entire dedicated guide to DIY sensory bottles for calming down if you want to explore more variations.

9. Bottle Cap Mosaics

Ages: 4+ Materials: Collected bottle caps in various colors, a piece of cardboard or wood for the base, strong glue.

Save bottle caps over several weeks (ask friends and family to contribute). Sort by color. Sketch a simple design on the base — a flower, a rainbow, an animal, an abstract pattern. Glue caps in place to fill the design, using color to create the image. The result is surprisingly beautiful and makes a lasting piece of wall art.

10. Greenhouse from Plastic Bottles

Ages: 6+ Materials: Several large clear plastic bottles, scissors, tape or stapler, a small tray, soil, seeds.

Cut the tops and bottoms off several bottles to create open cylinders. Stack and tape them together to form a dome shape over a small planting tray. This creates a miniature greenhouse that actually works — the trapped warmth and moisture help seeds germinate faster. A wonderful science-meets-art project for spring.

Paper and Magazine Projects

Old magazines, newspapers, junk mail, and scrap paper are art supplies in disguise.

11. Magazine Collage Portraits

Ages: 4+ Materials: Old magazines, scissors, glue, large paper or cardboard for the base.

Draw or trace a simple head outline on the base paper. Children cut shapes, colors, and textures from magazine pages and glue them inside the outline to create a portrait. The face might have eyes cut from a jewelry ad, lips from a food photo, and hair from a nature magazine. The results are always surprising and often strikingly artistic.

12. Paper Mache Bowls

Ages: 5+ Materials: Newspaper torn into strips, flour-and-water paste (one part flour to two parts water), a balloon or bowl to use as a mold, paint.

Blow up a balloon or flip a bowl upside down and cover with plastic wrap. Dip newspaper strips into paste and layer them over the mold, overlapping edges. Apply three to four layers. Let dry completely (24 to 48 hours). Pop the balloon or remove the bowl. Trim edges. Paint and decorate. These bowls are sturdy enough to hold fruit, keys, or treasured collections.

13. Newspaper Origami

Ages: 5+ Materials: Newspaper pages cut into squares.

Newspaper is a wonderful origami material — it is thin, folds crisply, and the newsprint creates an interesting visual texture. Start with simple designs like boats, hats, and cups. Work up to animals and flowers. The imperfect, slightly rough quality of newspaper origami has a charm that pristine origami paper does not quite match.

14. Junk Mail Envelopes and Cards

Ages: 4+ Materials: Junk mail with interesting colors and patterns, scissors, glue, blank cards or folded paper.

Cut shapes and patterns from colorful junk mail — travel brochures, catalogs, and flyers often have beautiful photography and bold colors. Arrange and glue onto folded cards to make greeting cards, or fold junk mail pages into envelopes using simple templates. Our kids have made birthday cards this way that recipients loved more than any store-bought option.

Fabric Scrap Projects

If you sew, you have fabric scraps. If you do not sew, old t-shirts, pillowcases, and towels work just as well.

15. No-Sew Sock Dolls

Ages: 4+ Materials: Old socks, stuffing (cotton balls, fabric scraps, or dried rice), rubber bands, markers or buttons, yarn.

Fill a sock with stuffing material. Use a rubber band to section off a head from the body. Draw or glue on facial features. Add yarn hair. Tie fabric strips around the waist for clothing. These dolls have a wonderful handmade charm and every single one looks different, which is exactly the point.

16. Fabric Collage

Ages: 3+ Materials: Fabric scraps in various colors and textures, cardboard or heavy paper, glue.

This is collage art using fabric instead of paper. Cut or tear fabric scraps and glue them onto a cardboard base to create pictures, patterns, or abstract compositions. The different textures — smooth cotton, fuzzy fleece, rough denim, silky satin — add a tactile dimension that paper collage lacks. This is a favorite for children who learn through touch.

17. Cardboard Loom Weaving with Fabric Strips

Ages: 5+ Materials: The same cardboard loom from Project 5, fabric strips cut about one inch wide from old t-shirts or sheets.

Old t-shirt fabric is ideal because it stretches slightly and does not fray. Cut long strips and weave them through the cardboard loom using the same over-under technique as yarn weaving. The resulting woven piece has a heavier, more textile quality. Remove from the loom when complete and tie off the edges. This works beautifully as a small wall hanging or placemat. For more on weaving and textile arts with kids, visit our guide to nature art projects where we cover nature-based weaving.

Egg Carton and Toilet Roll Projects

These two humble items are possibly the most versatile recycled craft materials in existence. We never throw them away without first asking the kids if they want them.

18. Egg Carton Creatures

Ages: 3+ Materials: Egg cartons (cardboard, not styrofoam), paint, googly eyes or drawn-on eyes, pipe cleaners, glue.

Cut individual cups from the carton. Each cup becomes the body of a creature. Paint them — green for frogs, red for ladybugs, brown for spiders, yellow for chicks. Add googly eyes, pipe cleaner legs or antennae, and small details with markers. A single egg carton yields twelve creatures. Line them up and you have a zoo.

19. Toilet Roll Binoculars

Ages: 3+ Materials: Two toilet paper rolls, tape or glue, paint or markers, string or ribbon, stickers.

Tape or glue two rolls side by side. Decorate with paint, stickers, or markers. Punch a hole on the outer side of each roll and thread string through for a neck strap. These are perfect for nature walks, birdwatching games, and imaginative safari adventures. They also pair beautifully with outdoor scavenger hunts.

20. Egg Carton Garden

Ages: 3+ Materials: An egg carton (the whole carton, not cut), soil, seeds, water.

Fill each egg carton cup with soil. Plant one seed per cup. Water gently. Place on a sunny windowsill. When seedlings outgrow the carton, plant the entire thing in the garden — cardboard egg cartons are biodegradable. This is one of the simplest and most satisfying recycled projects we have ever done, and it is a perfect spring activity.

Tips for Building a Recycled Art Habit

To make recycled art a regular part of your family life rather than a one-time novelty, here are a few habits that have worked for us:

Keep a collection bin. We have a large basket in the kitchen where clean, interesting recyclables go instead of the recycling bin. Toilet rolls, egg cartons, interesting boxes, clean plastic containers, jar lids — anything with creative potential.

Rotate materials. Do not dump everything out at once. Offer a curated selection for each art session. This week it might be cardboard and paint. Next week, plastic bottles and fabric scraps.

Display the results. When children see their recycled art displayed on the wall, the fridge, or a shelf, they understand that their creations are valued. This encourages them to keep creating.

Involve kids in the collection. Our children now automatically assess recyclables before tossing them. "Can I use this for art?" has become a regular question at our house, and the answer is almost always yes.

Let go of perfection. Recycled art is inherently imperfect, and that is its beauty. The crooked robot. The lopsided castle. The bird feeder that sort of works. These imperfections are evidence of a child's independent thinking, and they matter far more than a Pinterest-perfect result.

Recycled art projects strip away the notion that creativity requires expensive, specialized materials. What it actually requires is time, freedom, and a willingness to see possibility in the ordinary. A cardboard box is never just a cardboard box. Not to a child, anyway.