Every Home Should have a Magic Box

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Seriously! Every Home Should Have a Magic Box!

I have to say at the start that this post is not about regular recycling that should be taking place in your home, this is different, you are not going to get rid of the stuff in the magic box, you are going to use it again…

Why every home should have a magic recycling box

Ok. So what is it and why is it so important!?!?

Very simply put, it is a box / storage place / big bag / shelf / cupboard (I think you get the idea) to keep all those things you would normally throw away – things that are actually very useful and can be used to make stuff, build things, play with, create and invent…

Let me show you what I mean…

In our house, in the utilities cupboard, we have a ‘Magic Box.” It gets used every day – things in – magic out…

I was actually seriously surprised at how much ‘stuff’ we collected in a short space of time. I think it is so easy to chuck things into a bin, you don’t realize just how fast it fills up. I was actually shocked at how quickly our Magic Box got full, and just how much waste a four person family makes! Having a space where we collect things we are going to use again has really changed the way we shop, especially when it comes to packaging…

 

What we do with all the things we keep obviously determines what goes into the box in the first place…

It is going to differ between homes depending on interest and age of children etc, but this is what do we do…

We make stuff! I’ll stick on a few examples below, but for now lets just say that we use it for Art and Craft Materials, we use things like lids to play with, we use glass jars again for storage and small gifts…

This is what we keep…

Lids and Bottle Tops, make some of the best Art and Craft Materials

  • Cereal boxes and other card packaging
  • Glass Jars
  • Lids. Plastic and metal lids. Flat lids, pointy lids, round lids, you name it lids…
  • Fun packaging with plastic windows, special textures, interesting shapes… toy packaging has this often.
  • Corks, bottle tops, beer can pulls
  • Shoe Boxes
  • Plastic containers – like yoghurt cups big and small, margarine or ice cream containers
  • Plastic Bottles – like fabric softener, dishwashing liquid
  • Paper Towel, Gift Wrap and Toilet Rolls
  • Egg boxes
  • Things you were going to throw away but can be used again (for example our favorite paint cups are old baby bottle lids)

 

What’s important to remember when creating a magic box?

1. Find a permanent spot to put it, out of the way, so it does not become a junk pile in the corner of the room.

2. Wash and clean everything before you feed it. There is nothing worse than a fish paste smelling box in the utilities cupboard.

3. Keep those things you are going to use and that are still in tact. Broken squashed boxes for example can be used for art projects, but invariably just sit there taking up space. Rather select those items that you are sure you will use and that still have value, otherwise you just create a pile of junk!

4. Use it! Create and play and build and learn!

 

So… I said we make stuff… Here are a few examples!

 

Toilet Rolls Make the best spring blooms!

Spring Time Flowers. Made using toilet rolls. This is a fantastic Upcycle Activity

 

Postman Pat, a great little activity for babies and toddlers

A SHoe Box and Baby Food Jar Lids. The Perfect Game

 

Bottle Lid Stamps

Flower stamps made from plastic lids. Recycling at it's best!

 

Baby Food Jar Caterpillar

 

caterpillar craft made using baby food jars

Fireflies – even their little bums light up!

DIY Firefly Childrens craft reusing plastic easter eggs

 

 

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