Recycled Crafts Box (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Trash has been a part of human life ever since ancient times, but back then there wasn't nearly as much of it as there is..." (more)
Key Phrases: Corrugated Castle, Dancing Tin Can Man, Milk Carton Cottages (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-6–From its cover with raised letters that look as though they are made of various recycled materials to the helpful back matter (including a list of books and Web sites on recycling), this title is attractive and informative. Divided into sections dealing with paper, plastic, metal, and fabric, the book tells how these materials are made, traces their history, and explains how they can be recycled, emphasizing benefits to the environment. Tips on how youngsters can make a difference appear throughout, and interviews with artists who work with recyclables are included as sidebars. Scattered circles contain information about the inability of various substances to break down. Several art projects are provided for each type of material. These activities produce items that children will enjoy making and using, such as jewelry crafted from paper beads, dolls created from plastic yogurt cups, stilts fashioned out of empty paint cans, and planters made from old shoes. The finished items are shown in full-page color photos. The procedural steps are clearly written, well numbered, and illustrated with clear pencil drawings. Great for Earth Day or any day, this colorful, inviting, and well-organized book is a wonderful choice for instilling environmental awareness or encouraging creativity. Bobbe Needham's Ecology Crafts for Kids (Sterling, 1998) is another excellent title.–Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-7. Much more than just a craft book, this title includes a brief history of trash--illustrated in a colorful "trash timeline"--that shows how the invention of disposable products and packaging has created increasing waste. Another diagram shows the "anatomy of a landfill." Organized into sections based on common recyclable materials (paper, plastic, metal, fabric), the easy-to-follow, mostly appealing projects include a "Fancy Foil Fish" aluminum mobile, paper jewelry, and milk-carton castles. Each section has useful information about the material being used, such as a chart that deciphers the codes used in various plastic products. Throughout, Martin makes suggestions for "living lightly" on Earth, although in many cases (purchasing choices, for example), kids will have to pass on the tips to their parents. Illustrated with cheerful cartoon drawings and color photos of the finished projects, and bolstered by many resource lists, this is a surprisingly attractive, substantive offering that is just the thing for teachers planning Earth Day activities. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC; illustrated edition edition (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580175228
• ISBN-13: 978-1580175227
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,020 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #3 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Environment > Recycling
  #50 in	Books > Nonfiction > Education > Instruction Method
  #80 in	Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Crafts & Hobbies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful resource for rainy-day fun, November 6, 2004

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Laura Martin's Recycled Crafts Box is a compilation of forty ecologically-friendly projects and activities that can be done cheaply from old things, from crafting sock puppets and cardboard castles to rag coasters and colorful picnic plate flowers. A delightful resource for rainy-day fun, artistic stimulation, and stimulating quality time to be shared with young ones. Also a highly recommended creative diversion, especially as an alternative to the ever-present press of television and other passive media.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice!, July 10, 2008

By	Shala Kerrigan (Anchorage) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A friend got this for my daughter and I, and a lot of the projects in it are really suited better for parents with younger children, that being said, we loved it.
My daughter is almost 13 years old, and while a lot of the projects were a lot easier then she likes, they gave her ideas for doing similar things with a bit more complexity. The cardboard castle is a favorite, and she's got big plans for building her brother a dice tower now.
The other thing the book had that we both liked was a lot of information about how things are recycled, and a timeline of disposable manufacturing, so we both learned from it. It's good without being overly preachy, and since it's recycled crafts, the crafts are very inexpensive to make.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recycled Crafts Box , May 14, 2008

By	JoAnn Araya "I & Q's mom" (Westfield, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An excellent book to help parents teach their children the importance of recycling while having fun as a family doing the crafts!
Potecting Mother Earth is a fantastic way of spending quaility family time together!