Recycle. Reuse. Repurpose.

Guest Blogger Lisa Antonio is a customer service coordinator at a FedEx Office in southeast Michigan. She has been with the company for over three years and is currently in graduate school.  A fun fact about Lisa is that this spring she will fulfill her life-long aspiration to train as an ice hockey player.

With two kids in preschool not only is the artwork piling up, but I also have a drawer stuffed with school memos. As the weeks progress, these letters (usually printed on lovely pastel or bright paper) contain information that is no longer relevant. Instead of tossing them, I created a recycling bin for future projects. Now the kids and I can make homemade paper and other simple projects from scraps. 

Here are just a couple of fun and cool ideas:

• Homemade Paper Notebooks, Notepads and Scrapbooks - Turn old school letters and art scraps into homemade 8.5” x 11” size paper. There are a number of Web sites that offer step-by-step instructions on paper making, like Pioneer Thinking. Once you've created your paper, have a stack cut in half and spiral bound into a notebook or scrapbook. Or have your child rubber stamp a decorative border around the edges of each sheet and have the stack glued into a nifty notepad.
• Collage on Canvas - Gather a bunch of scrap paper and other paper materials such as family photos, artwork, and even old journal entries. Cut and paste them onto poster board. When you’re finished have the collage scanned into a digital file and printed on canvas. Use your newly created masterpiece to liven up an empty wall in your home or to decorate your child's room. 

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