Get your students excited about going green by creating a DIY recycling station monster! All it takes is a cardboard box to create this lovable creature. He’s the perfect size to hold a standard classroom recycling bin. With a “FEED ME” sign added, he really does make students look for more reasons to recycle in the classroom. You could use the monster to collect paper waste or plastic bottles, especially if you participate in PepsiCo’s Recycle Rally program. Here’s how we made him.
What You Need
- Big cardboard box (18 x 18 x 28 works well)
- Spray paint
- Paper plate
- 2 old CDs
- 2 old buttons
- Plastic cup
STEP 1
Dig out a BIG cardboard box from your recycling bin. The bigger the better because then you can have more creative freedom to get just the right monster shape. You’ll want to deconstruct the box and draw out your shape.
STEP 2
Once you have your design, cut it out. This is where measuring twice and cutting once really comes in handy. Make sure you’re making the right cuts!
STEP 3
Use your favorite color of spray paint to give your monster a color. You can use one color, multiple colors—whatever you want. This is a good opportunity to let your students help design and decorate the DIY recycling station monster.
STEP 4
Take a paper plate and paint one side of it pink (spray paint or any other classroom paint is fine). Then turn it over and fold the plate into thirds. Cut teeth out of the top and bottom.
STEP 5
Attach your monster mouth onto the body of the monster with glue. We used a hot glue gun for quick and easy drying (Remember that only the teacher should handle the hot glue gun).
STEP 6
Take two old CDs and hot glue old buttons in the center of each. These are going to be the monster’s eyes!
STEP 7
Attach the eyes to the body of the monster using glue. Then for the final touch, add a plastic cup to be the nose. You can use other objects to create a nose instead. Have fun with upcycling ideas. What’s in your classroom that you can use?
STEP 8
Now you just need to add the recycling bin and a sign! FEED ME seems appropriate. Give your monster plenty of paper and other recyclables to keep him happy.
Check out how our monster came together on video!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZaCbjnqvcM[/embedyt]
