Let's Get Crafty

Have you ever thought of doing something different with your recyclable items? One of the best and most creative ways to recycle is to turn old materials into craft projects. According to Craftzine.com, plastic bags serve as wonderful craft materials. The Web site offers lessons on turning your unwanted grocery bags into plastic yarn and ways in which to fuse the bags together to create reusable totes.

Try to come up with your own ways to turn "trash into treasure." You could cut up old magazines to send fun letters to friends, grow your own herbs in used plastic cups, make wind chimes out of empty soda cans or use newspapers for paper mache projects. The possibilities are endless!

Want to teach your friends about recycling? Here's a challenge: for one year, get a group of friends together and decide on giving recycled crafts as birthday gifts instead of traditional presents. This will keep every one's creative juices flowing while helping the environment and saving some dough.

Remember, as Captain Planet says, "Reduce, REUSE, Recycle!"