What to Do With Leftover Craft Supplies
March 4, 2009 by Katelyn Thomas
Filed under Kid Stuff
If you have kids that like crafting, you have them, too. Those bits and pieces that are sure to be useful for some future project. You know, the four yellow sticky foam dots from that summer fun foam craft and the half a fuzzy pink pipe cleaner from that princess themed craft. Being thrifty, you aren’t about to throw those leftover craft supplies away. However, you don’t exactly want to have the current messy leftovers pile on the craft table, either. So, what’s the answer?
Bag it up and pass it on.
If that pile of bits and pieces is frustrating you, bag it up and drop it by your girl scout leader’s house or send it to school with a note to your child’s elementary school teacher that explains you were cleaning out and thought the items might be useful in the classroom. While I had plans for most of my other leftovers, there was a huge bag of foam stickers taking up an entire craft drawer that hadn’t been touched in over a year. I sent them to school and the teacher was able to use them in a class project that week.
Make your own craft kits.
Every once in awhile, I take all the bits and look them over to see if I can make a set of new craft kits from them. Usually, I can make several kits by combining foam die cuts made with my Sizzix machine and the leftover googley eyes, pipe cleaners, foam stickers and assorted other items. (I have a ton of dies that I collected over the years when I worked as a librarian and teacher.)
Toss the leftovers in a bin and give it to the kids
Who would ever use that ugly bit of paper or that ratty piece of pipe cleaner? You can toss all of this random stuff in the trash, right? Not so fast. Some of the smallest, most unattractive pieces have been transformed into works of art in a child’s hands. I personally put all the extra scraps in a craft bin that the kids are free to dig through when they just want to make some cards or bizarre recycled container creatures.
What do you do with your leftover craft supplies?
Photo by Valerie Like
Great Idea. Thanks for sharing.
I donate my leftover craft supplies to my local library and the elementary schools. They always seem grateful to get them and I get to feel like I have helped my community in a small way.