Help the environment and show off your creativity with our various sustainable crafts! Most crafts can be made with simple materials around the house, but others may require specific tools found in various hardware stores. Explore our different crafts below and be sure to post your creations and tag @ucfarboretum!
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Sustainable Projects & Crafts
Seed Confetti
Seed Confetti is a fun way to support native plants and attract pollinators to neglected areas!
Materials
- Wildflower seeds
- Potters clay powder
- Compost
- Water
Instructions
- Combine wildflower seed, potters clay powder, and compost in a 1:3:5 ratio
- Slowly add water and mix until you have a thick consistency
- Form mixture into golf ball size balls
- Leave in the sun to dry for a minimum of three hours
Recycled Instruments
Have waste or materials that can be reused? Make a musical instrument to reuse materials that would have gone to waste.
Materials
- Anything you want to try to make into an instrument
- Cans
- Paper towel/toilet paper rolls
- Plastic bottles
- Cardboard boxes
- Balloons
- Rubber band
- String
- Packing tape
- Etc
Instructions
- Configure your materials in any way your imagination tells you to make your own,
unique, musical instrument
Wind-Powered Pinwheels
Wind is a powerful element which can be used to power entire buildings by using wind turbines to produce energy. We’re going to make our own wind-powered pinwheel!
Materials
- Paper (we encourage you to use recycled paper)
- Scissors
- Push pin
- Pencil
Instructions
- Make a paper square and fold diagonally to make an “x”
- Cut halfway into the center along each folded line and fold each corner in
- Attach a push pin to the center of your paper
- Stick the pushpin through the eraser of a pencil
Crafts for Older Kids and Teens
Recycled Paper
Use old paper scraps from crafts, newspaper, junkmail, packing paper, or any other recycled paper you may have to make new paper you can use for new crafts!
Materials
- Scrap paper
- Container
- Hot water
- Blender
- Mould and deckle
- Sponge
Instructions
- Collect scrap paper from old newspapers, junk mail, paper packaging, etc. Rip into small pieces and collect in a container.
- Add hot water and blend to create a pulp. Add more clean water to the pulp in a large container.
- Dip the mold and deckle in the watery mixture and shake to even out the mixture and get rid of excess water.
- Use a sponge to press out as much water as possible.
- Remove the mesh from the frame, leaving the paper on the mesh for now and letting it dry for a few hours. Once it is dry enough, remove it from the mesh and place a book or flat weight on it to dry overnight.
Beeswax Wraps
Using reusable beeswax is a great alternative to plastic bags or plastic wrap when you need to store leftovers or want to take food on the go!
Materials
- Fabric or old clothing
- Scissors
- Baking sheet
- Beeswax pellets/shavings
Instructions
*Adult supervision needed*
- Collect a piece of fabric and cut into desired shape and size. (We recommend that you reuse old clothing to be more sustainable!)
- Place fabric on baking sheet
- Evenly sprinkle beeswax pellets or shavings onto fabric
- Place in low heat oven (150℉-200℉) for approximately five minutes
- Quickly brush beeswax to spread evenly and immediately hang to dry
Soda Bottle Vertical Gardens
Vertical gardens provide a great introduction to gardening while also maximizing space!
Materials
- Old soda bottle (1 liter works best)
- Scissors
- Garden soil, potting mix, or compost
- String
- Drill or nail
- Box cutter
- Plant seed
Instructions
PART ONE – Making the Base
- Collect old soda bottles and use scissors to cut the bottom of the bottle out. Cut slightly below the bottom of the label so the slight curve of the bottle is preserved. (You can discard the bottom of the bottle)
- On the cap side make two holes with your scissors, opposite of each other and no wider than a Bic pen. (Holes should be approximately three inches below the cap/on the curve of the bottle)
- Fill the bottle with potting mix, compost, or garden soil and lightly press the soil in. Leave one inch of space at the top of the bottle
- Tie your base with string/twine to a stable structure such as a chain link fence. (We recommend tying the bottle near the top and bottom of the bottle so it is well supported)
PART TWO – Making the Tower
- Cut the bottom of another soda bottle, just as you did in Step 1 of Part 1
- Remove and discard the bottle cap
- Fill the bottle with potting mix, compost, or garden soil and lightly press the soil in. Leave one inch of space at the top of the bottle
- Nest the bottle on top of the base
- Tie the new bottle to a stable structure like you did in Step 4 of Part 1
- Repeat these steps until you reach your desired tower height
PART THREE – Create an Irrigation System
- Cut a bottle in half (This bottle will be shorter than the others to serve as a funnel for watering)
- Cut the bottom off another (final) bottle, just as you did for the base and towers (This will be the watering bottle)
- Remove the cap and drill a 1mm hole in the cap or puncture with a nail
- Replace cap
- Place the funnel firmly in the top tower layer
- Place the watering bottle on top of the funnel and secure it with to your structure with string/twine
- Use a box cutter to cut three sides of a square in each soda bottle. (Each side should be 1-2 inches, Leave the bottom of the square uncut so the flap can be folded down- this creates a valve to hold the seed and soil in.)
- Use your finger to poke a hole in each window and place seeds inside
- Water every few days as the water drains
Solar Ovens
Repurpose an old cardboard box to explore solar energy in your home!
Materials
- Large, flat cardboard box
- Craft glue
- Aluminum foil
- Duct tape
- Black sheet of paper (or black baking sheet or something flat and dark in color)
- Heat proof glass bowl or casserole dish
- Thermometer
- Time and temperature chart (found here)
- Hot day with minimal cloud cover
Instructions
- Alter the box by cutting three of the box flaps, leaving one flap to fold open at the top
- Line the box with aluminum foil using glue and/or tape
- Place a black sheet of paper on the bottom of the box
- Place the box in the sun
- Use a thermometer under the bowl to measure the temperature and bake something!
Bee Hotel
Solitary bees are important pollinators, and they need places to build their nests. Making a bee hotel can help them find an ideal place to build their nest.
Materials
- Wood plank
- Saw/wood cutter
- Screws
- Drill
- Reeds, bamboo canes, hollow stems
- Hanging apparatus
Instructions
- Cut your plank of wood into four or five pieces
- Arrange into a frame
- Use drill and screws to secure frame
- Prepare reeds, bamboo canes and hollow stems in a range of diameters, cut to width of frame, and arrange in frame as desired, packing as tightly as possible
- Attach something to hang with to the back of the frame and place it in a sunny spot sheltered from rain.
Crafts for Teens and Adults
Cleaning Products
By making your own cleaning products you’ll reduce the usage of toxic chemicals that are damaging to you and the environment!
Materials
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Lemon juice
- Castile soap
- Bottle
Instructions
- FIX THIS
Knit/crochet with Plastic Bags or Old T-Shirts
Make yarn out of old clothing to make crafting projects, like knitting or crocheting, more sustainable!
Materials
- Old shirt
- Scissors
Instructions
- Use scissors to remove excess materials (ex: sleeves, bag handles)
- Cut material into strips
- Tie ends of each strip and roll to make a ball of yarn
- Use for any DIY yarn project
Rain Barrel
Use rainwater for gardening or cleaning to reduce water waste!
Materials
- Garbage can
- Drill
- Spigot
- Mesh
Instructions
- Drill a hole near the bottom of the garbage can for pipe union fitting, drill holes near top for overflow, and cut hole in lid for rainwater.
- Secure fitting and spigot to the hole near the bottom.
- Add a mesh screen over the top to filter the water and put the lid over to secure it.
Composting at Home
Composting at home and collecting compostable materials to take to a local composting program is a great way to reduce landfill waste!
Materials
- FIX
Instructions
- Determine how you are going to compost by analyzing the resources available to you and learn what you can and can’t compost.
- To backyard compost, build or buy a bin and place in a space you can compost.
- Find a container to collect kitchen waste before you transfer it to your compost bin outside.
- If possible, prepare collected materials by breaking them into smaller pieces. Build your compost pile by starting with a thick layer of bulky brown materials and then layering green and brown materials to ensure a proper balance of carbon and nitrogen. Make sure the pile has plenty of access to air and add water to make sure it has enough moisture.
- Maintain your pile by turning and mixing, adding brown or green materials as needed, and adding water to keep moist.
- Harvest the finished compost.
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