Do you throw away plastic bottles? Do you throw away old newspapers? Do you throw away empty jars? Most of us do this every day. We buy things. We use things. Then we throw the packing in the dustbin. But wait. That waste is not waste. You can make very beautiful and very useful things from that waste. You do not need to go to any class. You do not need to buy costly tools. Even if you have never made anything with your hands before, you can do this. I am telling you this from my own experience. I started with one plastic bottle. Now my whole home has things made from waste. And my neighbours ask me where I bought these items. That is the best feeling.
In this full guide, I will show you very simple recycled diy crafts for beginners. Each craft takes less than one hour. Some take only twenty minutes. You can make these with your children. You can make these alone on a Sunday afternoon. Let me first tell you why you should even bother doing all this.
There are three big reasons. First reason is money. You know how much a plastic pen stand costs in the market? Forty rupees. Fifty rupees. A decoration piece costs two hundred rupees. But when you make the same thing from waste, you spend zero rupees. Nothing. Zero. That money stays in your pocket. Second reason is nature. India generates crores of tons of plastic waste every year. Most of that waste goes to landfills. Some goes into rivers. Some is burned. This makes air dirty. This makes water dirty. When you recycle one bottle at home, you are not adding to that mountain of garbage. You are helping. Maybe just a little. But little helps. Third reason is your own happiness. When you sit with your hands and make something, your mind becomes quiet. You forget your phone. You forget your worries. You feel proud when the thing is finished. That proud feeling is better than buying anything from a shop.
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You do not have to search anywhere. Just look inside your kitchen. Look inside your bathroom. Look near your study table. Here is a simple list. Keep one plastic bag or one old box in a corner of your home. Put these things inside that box.
Once you start saving these things, you will be shocked. You will find so many things in just one week. That box will become full. Then you will feel excited to start making.
You already have these things at home. If you do not have, ask your neighbour. Or buy the cheapest one from the local shop. Do not spend too much money on tools. That is against the whole point of recycling.
No need for hot glue gun. No need for cutting machine. No need for any expensive thing.
Please read this. These are important. Because you are doing this for the first time, you must take care.
Now let me show you the actual crafts. I have made all of these myself. So I know they work. I know they are easy.
This is the first thing every beginner should make. Take any plastic water bottle. One litre bottle is good. Two litre bottle is also good. Remove the cap. Now cut the top part. Throw that top part. Keep the bottom part. The height of the bottom part should be like your palm. Around four or five fingers height. Now you have a plastic cup. That plastic cup is your pen stand. You can use it as it is. Or you can make it beautiful. Take old newspaper. Tear it into small pieces. Stick those pieces on the outside of the bottle using fevicol mixed with little water. This is called paper mache but do not worry about the name. Just stick paper. Let it dry for two hours. Then you can paint it with any colour. Or you can simply wrap a colourful page from an old magazine around it and stick it. Put your pens inside. Put your pencils. Put your scale. Your table will look very organised. This is the most simple recycled DIY craft for beginners.
Take a two litre cold drink bottle. Cut it from the exact middle. Keep the bottom part. Throw the top part. Now take a hot needle. Make two holes on two sides of this bottom part. The holes should be opposite to each other. Take a strong thread. Or take an old shoelace. Pass the thread through the holes. Tie a knot on the inside. Now your hanging pot is ready. Put some soil inside. Put a small plant cutting. Money plant grows very easily. Hang this pot near your window. Water it every two days. This is a zero cost decoration. Your friends will say wow.
Do you have a shoe box? Yes. Bring that shoe box. Cut the box into flat pieces. Now take a plate from your kitchen. Keep that plate on the cardboard. Draw a circle around the plate. Cut that circle. You need three such circles. All same size. Now take one circle. Cut one straight line from the edge to the centre of the circle. Do this for all three circles. Now you have three circles with one cut each. Now take one circle. Slide another circle into the cut. You will see they lock together like a plus sign. Then slide the third circle. Now you have a three layer small shelf. You can keep your mobile phone on the bottom layer. Keep your keys on the middle layer. Keep your small diary on the top layer. Paint it if you want. This cardboard shelf is very strong. It can hold light things easily.
You drink tea or coffee every day. You keep the cup on the table. Sometimes the hot cup leaves a white mark on the table. That looks bad. So you need coasters. Do not buy them from the market. Make them from old newspaper. Take newspaper. Cut it into long strips. Each strip should be one inch wide. Now take one strip. Fold it. Fold it again. Keep folding until the strip becomes like a tight rope. Use a little glue to keep the folding tight. Now take this newspaper rope. Start rolling it from one end. Roll it tightly. Keep adding glue as you roll. Keep rolling until the rope becomes a flat round disc. That disc is your coaster. Make four such coasters. Keep a heavy book on top of them for two hours. This makes them flat and strong. Now you can keep your hot tea glass on these coasters. No white marks on your table.
Take any empty glass jar. Jam jar. Pickle jar. Sauce jar. Wash it very well with soap. Let it dry. Now you can paint the outside of the jar. Or you can stick colourful paper on it. Or you can wrap old bangle pieces on it using glue. Now look at the metal lid. Make a small hole in the middle of that lid. Take a small fairy light wire. Push the light through the hole from outside to inside. Close the lid. Now when you switch on the light, the jar glows. Or if you do not have fairy light, just put one small led tea light inside the jar. Close the lid. Keep this jar lamp on your bedside table. It gives very soft light at night. This is one of the most beautiful recycled DIY crafts for beginners.
Your child asks for a new toy car. You say no because you have no money. But you can still make your child happy. Take a small cardboard piece. Draw a simple car shape. Like a rectangle with two circles for wheels. Cut that shape. Now take an old egg tray. The paper egg tray. Cut out the round parts from the egg tray. These round parts will become your wheels. Take a toothpick. Break the toothpick into small pieces. Attach the egg tray wheels to the cardboard car using the toothpick pieces. Now paint the car red. Or blue. Or yellow. Whatever colour your child likes. Let it dry. Give this car to your child. Your child will be very happy. Not because the car is expensive. But because you made it with your own hands.
Do you have broken plastic bangles at home? Do not throw them. Take three bangles. One big size. One medium size. One small size. Arrange them one below the other. Tie them together using a strong thread. Pass the thread through all three bangles from top to bottom. Now take some old key chains. Or take some small bells. Or take some dried flowers. Hang these items from each bangle using small threads. Now hang this whole thing on your wall. It looks very artistic. Your guests will ask where you bought it. You will say I made it from old broken bangles. They will be very impressed.
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This one takes a little more time. But it is still very easy. Collect used plastic spoons. Wash them. Cut the handle of each spoon. Keep only the round spoon head. Take a needle. Heat the needle on a flame for two seconds. Make a small hole in each spoon head. Now take an old round mirror. Any small mirror. Apply glue around the edge of the mirror. Start sticking the spoon heads around the mirror. Arrange them like flower petals. One spoon head touching the next spoon head. Make one full circle. Then make a second circle outside the first circle. Let the glue dry. Then paint all the spoon heads with yellow colour or pink colour. Let the paint dry. Now your flower mirror is ready. Hang it in your drawing room. It looks very beautiful and very unique.
I have been doing recycled diy crafts for beginners. Many people ask me the same questions again and again. So I am writing the answers here.
FAQs
The plastic bottle pen stand is the easiest. You only need to cut one bottle. No painting. No glue. No waiting. You can finish it in five minutes.
If you already have them, good. If you do not have, buy the cheapest glue from the local stationary shop. Twenty rupees. That is enough. Scissors you must have at home. If not, borrow from a neighbour.
Yes. But for cutting plastic, you should do it yourself. For paper crafts and newspaper crafts, the child can do easily. Always watch them when they use scissors.
Soak them in hot water with dish soap for ten minutes. Then use a bottle brush to scrub inside. Then wash with normal water. Then keep in sunlight for two hours. Sunlight kills all germs.
Yes. Many people sell recycled craft items on instagram. Also on olx. Also at local school fests or apartment exhibitions. But first practice. Make good quality items. Then think about selling.
You do not need to be an artist. You do not need to spend money. You just need to look at waste differently. That plastic bottle is not waste. That old newspaper is not waste. That glass jar is not waste. They are waiting for you to turn them into something beautiful. Start today. Do not wait for the perfect day. Take one bottle from your kitchen. Make that pen stand. Then show it to one person in your family. Their smile will give you energy to make the next thing. Slowly you will fill your home with things made by your own hands. That home will feel more yours. That is the real magic of recycled DIY crafts for beginners.