Single-use plastic may not seem like a big deal in a single household. Oh, it’s only a couple of sponges and sandwich bags to go in the trash this week, or, I’ve had this container for years now, it’s time to put it out of its misery. These are thoughts we’ve all had over the years, and it’s not our fault; the world has been designed around single-use items. But these “few” items multiply tenfold through every household, town, city, country, continent, until that occasional thrown away container is just one of millions.
That being said, you can fight against it to some degree. Upcycling plastics you already own is a perfect way to avoid unnecessary waste from your household, and let’s face it, crafting is fun, especially with the kids. So here are some crafts that are both useful, and easy to personalize.
Though a couple of items on our list do contain plastic, and won’t biodegrade wherever they wind up in the future, the point is to save what you already have and make use of it. Most single-use plastic items, if cleaned properly, can be used for countless different purposes, for years to come.
So, let’s get crafting!
Denim Pocket Door Organizer
Have you ever looked at the prices of wall and door organizers? They can seem extortionate at best. They can also be unnecessarily huge, so making your own means saving money, and space. Denim shirts and jeans are the perfect material for making your own door organizer, as the material is a lot stiffer than other fabrics, so they’ll hold up well with heavier objects inside. Denim, surprisingly, is full of plastic, with synthetic fibers such as spandex and polyester, woven into the design. So they can’t go into your recycling pile, but they should go into your upcycling pile…
What You’ll Need:
• Two to four pairs of old jeans, or any clean clothes with a pocket
• A long stretch of fabric that will fit the pockets (an old curtain or tablecloth)
• Scissors
• Needle and thread or sewing machine
• Fabric glue
• Optional: pins, patches for decor
• Wooden dowel/rod
• Command hooks
Steps:
- Take the base fabric and cut it into the desired size that will fit the door.
- Cut the pockets off the jeans, leaving 1 to 2 inches of space around the stitching.
- Glue the pockets into your desired positions, side by side, with a few inches between each pocket. For rows of pockets below other pockets, make sure there’s a full pocket-size gap below and above each pocket so you can comfortably store objects in them. Once dried, sew into place for extra security. Add any decor you’d like.
- Once all your pockets are on, fold over the top of your base fabric to make a space for the dowel. Once more, glue just to make sure it’s the right size, shape, and placement, then sew when you’re sure. Slot the dowel in.
- Attach Command hooks to your new door organizer and start filling the pockets with knickknacks!
Milk Jug Watering Can
The quickest and simplest craft on this list, yet perhaps the most customizable. For your garden or indoor plants, there’s no need to waste money on a fancy watering can, as any clean container will do. Enter the old milk jug.
What You’ll Need:
• A clean plastic milk container with a handle
• Scissors
• An electric or manual drill
• Acrylic paint
• Varnish spray
Steps:
- Clean and dry the milk jug, then set up your acrylic pour station. It will get messy, but a controlled and fun messy. Follow the instructions on your acrylic pour kit, or if you’re winging it, simply pour at least three semi-watery paints into a cup, along with a white, and don’t mix it.
- While holding the jug by its lid, as we don’t want to paint the lid itself, hold the jug over an old container or tarp, then pour the paint mixture in waves over the plastic. Keep going until everything is covered, and you’ve got a nice marble effect. Let dry, and waterproof the jug with a varnish spray.
- After painting your old plastic milk jug, make sure the lid is firmly in place. It’ll be way easier and safer to drill into the lid (adults only) when it’s connected to the jug, rather than holding the cap in your hands.
- Drill at least four holes, evenly spaced, into the lid, around 1/4 inch in diameter. Unscrew the lid and dump any plastic bits that fall out. Screw the lid back on as tightly as possible.
- Fill with water and water your plants!
Though paper towels aren’t made of plastic, the wrapping they come in and those old unworn T-shirts in your collection most likely are. Similarly to denim, a lot of T-shirts are made from polyester, and that’s just the base T-shirt, not including any printed designs or embroidery on them. So instead of throwing them away, and buying more paper that leads to deforestation, it’s incredibly easy to make your own reusable kitchen towels. For spills, wiping down vegetables, cleaning kitchen worktops, and wiping our mouths after a delicious meal, there are as many uses for them as there are patterns to choose from.
What You’ll Need:
• Old but clean T-shirts
• Sewing machine or needle and thread
• Sharp/fabric scissors
• An old paper towel tube or a paper towel dispenser
Steps:
- Take your T-shirts and cut out long rectangular pieces that match the exact height of your cardboard tube, and the length of an average paper towel. Don't use pieces with seams or pockets, or other parts of the T-shirts that aren’t completely flat. You can use them for other crafts.
- To avoid the scraps fraying at the edges, sew in your own seam around each edge. To make each towel thicker, you can sew two pieces together. This will make them more absorbent.
- Take your first reusable cloth and wrap it around the paper tube, then take the second, and make sure it overlaps the first so that both sides of it are hidden under the new towel. Continue until all towels will not spiral away from the tube.
- To stop the final layer from falling away from the tube, tie it closed with a long scrap piece of T-shirt, or place the whole tube in a homemade dispenser.
Plastic Bag Dish Scrubbers
We all have plastic bags, and we all need dish scrubbers, so it’s no mystery where this is going. Though, technically this in itself isn’t a forever craft, as after a while the scrubbers will lose their firmness and get gross. However, if you own a pot you don’t mind using only for crafts, you can turn those ruined scrubbers into coasters, bottle holders, and other items by melting them down. Just be extra careful with the fumes, and perhaps don’t do this with the kids in the room.
What You’ll Need:
• Plastic bags (preferably not reusable ones you’re still using for shopping, but the old thin ones)
• Crochet hook
• Scissors
• Optional, for the coaster stage: an iron and parchment paper, old pot, or an old sandwich toaster, cookie cutters, and a rolling pin. PPE is also essential.
Steps:
- Pick out the cleanest plastic bags you can find in your home, and start cutting them into long strips. If you can use a paper shredder, this step will go quickly, but if not, stick Netflix on for a while and cut absentmindedly and time will fly by.
- Take various different colors, and tie the strips together to form one long strand. Start crocheting as if you’re crocheting a sponge with regular wool. It just may be a little more slippery and fiddly.
- Fasten off the end of the scrubber when it reaches your desired size.
- Optional: Once the scrubber gets too old and gross to use, clean it out to the best of your ability with some tweezers, let dry, then place on a heatproof surface on top of some parchment paper. Put a couple of layers of parchment on top of the scrubbers, and set your iron to medium. Iron the scrubber flat. It should meld together into one lump of plastic, when cooled down a little can be molded (with heatproof gloves) into whatever shape you desire, so technically you can use it as a clay, too. Use a rolling pin to flatten the mixture, then use a metal cookie cutter to cut out any shape you want. Then voilà, you’ve got yourself a coaster.
