Hoarder's Heaven

Art teachers recycle. It is a fact of life. We generally have little or no money to work with and need to make the most of it. I am. No. Exception to this rule. Below is a photo of me as the Queen of Recycle.

Here, I am stylishly attired in a garbage bag skirt with a used tablecloth as a banner. My crown consists of a cardboard base with bottle tops. My scepter has been made from an empty wrapping paper tube, topped with a bottle and a rose cap then finished off with pipe cleaners and glitter. Project runway would be proud!  Behind my head on the shelf is some of my stash. And here are a few of my favorite things: (I am singing in my head the song from The Sound of Music)

     

That spider is half of a Dan-animal container adorned with pipe cleaner legs. The snowman is also from a Dan-animal container. Instead of tissue paper for the hat, I now use Model Magic. Activia yogurt container and Model Magic for the penguin, it is glued to a base so it won't topple over.

   

Below is a Hugs drink bottle with model magic and beans.  Then there is the totem pole of coffee containers. And the coffee creamer bobble heads.

    

Vertical blind mobiles, laminating film stained glass and cake top aquarium.

 

Most of the projects are organized with step by step directions. However, many times I have a variety of pieces left over that I just want to get rid of! And I CAN'T just throw them out! That is when I give my students free art. My theory is that the students will take what they have learned and apply it to making a master piece. Hmmmm, well they had fun and I know in my heart that they learned something.

 

There are many more projects that my students have made that are a result of using recycles. I will post more of those sometime in the future. Think about what you can recycle to make art.

Thanks for reading!