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Dewey: 745.5







What Can you Do with an Old Red Shoe: a green activity book about reuse by Anna Alter, Henry Holt, 2009

The stereotype about folks who lived through the Great Depression is that they never throw anything away; they reuse foil and twine. They patch and mend clothes instead of throwing them away and harvest fabric from old clothing for quilt patches.

This book suggests many ways to reuse and recycle including ways to use old wrapping paper, t-shirts, crayons, shower curtains, and flip flops in craft projects. It suggests where to share toys that have been out grown and participation in recycling efforts in the community.

Even if you do not turn an old shoe into a planter, the book should cause the reader to pause and reflect on our disposable, throw-away society.

The Great Depression is never far from my own thoughts as the economy continues to sink below the surface. These projects may come in very handy indeed in the not so distant future.

In fact, I think I will go wash and smooth some foil and maybe start a rubber band ball now.

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These days recycling is a necessity. We have so much packaging that we are drowning in it. But some of this stuff is really worth saving and reusing..several or MANY times over.

This is the ultimate in recycling. From the book" THE ADVENTURES OF CALI" written by Michele Lallouz Fisher that I illustrated, Zachary is smuggling his pet caterpillar (tomato worm) across country on an airplane. He has his "friend" nestled in an airport salad container.

But I was thinking that since I have been saving a lot of packaging lately, all of you must be as well. Here's what I am using primarily for my art and our garden.

For my painting I save the plastic containers from eggs, cookies and other items to use for paint containers, mixing colors and holding water.
There is a double sided plastic egg container that I love for my water colors and acrylics. It opens up so that there are 24 "holes" to put paint and the top folds out to become a large mixing tray.

Cardboard egg cartons?... I am saving these for my youngest visitors. They make great stacking toys and can be a "quiet" kind of noise when the buildings get knocked down. I also use them as planters. A seed can go into each egg holder with some dirt ... once it begins to grow I just plant the whole box in the garden. The cardboard dissolves over time and the roots of the new seedlings just go right into the ground. The separations keep the plants from competing with one another too.

I also love to use these light weight egg cartons for the armatures of paper mache sculptures.

Old cereal boxes and laundry detergent boxes can be reinforced and used upright or on the side with one side cut away as book or magazine holders. I cover mine with fabric and tape over that with heavy duty clear packing tape. Works great and keeps my smaller books and study guides in order.

Did you know you can make a great little terrarium from a plastic cookie container or cake or pie container. Put a little dirt, some small plants, a bit of water and a few pebbles or rocks into the bottom and then tape the top back on tightly.

I wash and keep all kinds of containers from yogurt, cottage cheese, and mayonaise bottles. The Mayo containers with the snap lid and a hole in it are great for paint projects for kids. Just fill with paint, store and when you need a color just squeeze enough out onto a small plastic lid or other small container you have saved.

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