Cool Crafts with Cans

Gr 3–6—What are crafters if not thrifty? They'd rather weave a place mat than buy one, or they think a homemade snow globe beats one from a souvenir stand any day. So using castoff or recyclable items as materials is a perfect match. Each volume in this series starts off with prep and safety methods, along with broadly applicable techniques—how to make papier-mâché glue, sew a backstitch, or get rid of sticky label residue—before marching through instructions for 11 or 12 decorative or useful projects. Sidebar information includes facts about consumption and recycling for each type of material and ideas for variations. "Come up with your own creation using the examples as inspiration," is a frequent sentiment. Some projects will be familiar (paper beads, sock puppet), but the sheer volume of ideas makes this series worthwhile.