With art budgets being slashed all over the place, these great recycled design art projects will really help defer the costs that teachers are often burdened with when it comes to helping students get those creative juices flowing.

Picture Frame from a Tissue Box:

Photo Credit: WikiHow (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Photo-Frame-out-of-a-Tissue-Box)

Tissue boxes are available in so many color and design choices so each student can choose their favorite color and design as the base of their picture frame. Now that most tissue companies also make seasonal designs, it is a great way to be able to make even more creative art projects and since they are so inexpensive, you can do this craft each season. The parents will love it when their children bring home an adorable photo gift.

Light Bulb Planters:

               

Photo Credit: WeHeartIt.com    Photo Credit: 1800Recycling.com 

This craft project is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and likely also covers a science lesson as well! Working with glass light bulbs might be reserved for older students, but there are many lessons to be learned about recycling and growing plants or flowers.

Mint Tin Doll Houses:

 

Photo Credit: Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/pin/197102921161553045/)

There are a huge amount of possibilities that you can do with old mint tins. In this case, for younger students, they can have a little classroom friend or pet inside the doll house repurposed from a mint tin. Mint tins are available in different sizes to accommodate different friends or pets. The outside can be covered, painted, or customized in some way as well as the inside.

Cherry Blossom Stamp:

 Photo Credit: Alpha Mom

An old two liter bottle doubles as the perfect flower stamp. In this image, it completes a pretty looking cherry blossom tree.

Recycled Puzzle Piece Picture Frame:

Photo Credit: Women’s Day

An old or inexpensive picture frame can be the base for gluing puzzle pieces. Just about everyone has incomplete puzzles lying around. Just like socks, the pieces seem to disappear often. The first part of the project involves painting the puzzle pieces. Choosing a color theme or design theme helps make a cohesive finished project your students will be proud of.

Add recycled materials to artwork:

                                    

Photo Credit: Pinterest                                                                                   Photo Credit: The Tunbridge Wells Mum

In both cases of these pictures, leaves, buttons, or cut off material scraps make great additions to the students’ art ideas.

Innovation and creativity have no limits with the idea of adding these little extras to art designs.

Bio: Amanda Greene is author and Brand Manager for RHL dorm bedding. She enjoys writing about education topics and ideas.

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