This post was sponsored by OCRRA as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
I'm so excited to share with you a beautiful craft that incorporates recycling household items while teaching about the butterfly life cycle! OCRRA has made recycling simple for us, and with all the extra packaging on hand, we know how to recycle it as well as how to reuse it into some fun crafts!
Since we've been home with the kids during the current COVID-19 crisis, I've noticed a lot more packaging waste around the house, haven't you? We're ordering more things online and getting more packages delivered than usual. This has created more opportunities to recycle! We've been using boxes for all sorts of things like game boards, leprechaun traps, and climbing structures for our cat to play on.
I used to hesitate with questions every time I took an item to the recycling bin. Was this item recyclable? Did that item need to be broken down? Were these acceptable items? It seemed that everywhere we lived had different requirements that were difficult to remember, so I was relieved when we moved to New York and there was an accessible resource to answer all my questions! OCRRA is a not-for-profit public benefit program that delivers a trash and recycling system in Onondaga County, New York.
OCRRA has taught us a lot about recycling certain items, making it easy and uncomplicated. For instance, before looking up their website, I had no idea I should not be recycling plastic that can crack, such as "crackable" fresh strawberry containers and toy packaging. To the "do not recycle" list, you can add plastic bags, latex gloves, and frozen food boxes. If I ever have a question on how to dispose of a certain item, I can look up the searchable database on their website and find out exactly how to recycle or dispose of it. If I ever don't have time to look it up, I remember the phrase, "When in doubt, throw it out".
I've been trying to teach our children that there is more to recycling than tossing in empty materials. Mindful recycling means being conscious of what should and should NOT be recycled. Only items that can be turned into new things should go in the recycling bins. Otherwise, we are contaminating good recyclables and reducing their value. The goal is to have a clean recycling stream and things like medical gloves, yard waste, and plastic bags are not helping to keep it clean.
A note on plastic bags: these CANNOT be recycled in the recycling bin. They slow down the process and just end up as trash. If you have clean plastic bags, hold on to them and when it is safe to do so, drop them off at locations that accept them, like grocery stores and chain pharmacies. Recycling should never be bagged, it should always go in your bin loose - items in bags do not get recycled.
The most beautiful part of our butterfly life cycle wheel are the milk jug butterflies! All you need is a recycled clean milk jug, acrylic paint, mod podge, a small paint brush, scissors, tape, and black and white images of butterflies. You can find similar pictures online by searching for "black and white butterflies".
The first step is to cut the milk jug into sections that will fit a paper butterfly. Tape it to the jug facing into the plastic.
Next, using a tiny brush, paint on top of the jug, following the outline of the butterfly. I like using a black gloss because of it's shine. After that has dried, add some color in the empty spaces! Mix new colors, try new combinations, and make it as colorful as you'd like!
Paint a layer of mod podge over the dry butterfly and let that layer dry completely. Remove the paper and cut off the extra carton surrounding the butterfly. Done!
For the butterfly eggs, we used tiny balls of white modeling clay, but you could use candy or marshmallows. Felt balls work great for a caterpillar, and can even be made at home using rolled yarn -- yet another way to recycle! The chrysalis was made from more brown paper and twigs from outside. Glue everything down with hot glue and stand back to admire!
I have loved talking about recycling while doing this project with my kids! Teaching them young about the importance of doing what we can for the environment is a really great thing we can do as parents. We can "Save the World a Little Each Day" by small and simple acts like mindful recycling.
Pull out some of your own recyclable materials around the house and create! Let's help our kids stay active and creative while learning from home! Remember that you can recycle office paper, junk mail, newspaper, magazines, plastic bottles, jugs, cans, and stackable plastic dairy tubs. These are all great supplies to craft with too!
I encourage you to visit OCRRA (the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency) to learn more about recycling! The searchable database is an excellent resource when you have questions about how to recycle or dispose of so many common household items!
What other craft projects have you been doing with your kids?
Let me know what household things you've been able to create!
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
What a great craft! I plan to cover this in the spring in our homeschool lessons again. My girls know the life cycle of a butterfly already, but this year I wanted to actually get a kit so they watch the caterpillars change in real life! This would be so fun to make to go along with it. I love how realistic it looks!