FranW

Just one more idea:) How about making up some small blankets (tied?) and donating them to a local animal shelter? By using old clothing, the kids would be recycling, and they could also help out the animals!

bamamama

When I owned a frame shop a school brought in a quilt to frame. The young students had each painted a block made from discarded clothing and someone had quited it for them. Just a stitch in the ditch. The school wanted to display it so I framed and hung it as a donation to the school.

trisha

WoW!!!!! There are so many great ideas from this topic!!! I am going to print out all your ideas and give them to my daughter and let her make the choice, since it is her project. Hopefully,,,she'll pick one that I like!!! LOL
Thanks for all of your brainstorming, I would never have thought of half the stuff you guys came up with. And she can always use these ideas when she goes on to her real teaching life. Did I mention that she is 38 years old and in her Senior year of college? Yes, she started 3 years ago, is a single mom, has a great fiancee who is supporting her efforts, has been on the Deans list every single semester and has won quite a few scholarships. And everyone always thought she was just the cute little dumb blonde. Am I proud????? You bet!!!!

Gerbie

Why not cut some white squares from some of their t-shirts what ever size you wish and let the children draw and color their pictures and then one on each side of the pic. with an outline of their hands. Make a quilt for a charity or their library at school; or a table topper for their mothers. Kids love to do this. Ask me how I know ?- I taught first grade for 21 yrs. I know you are recycling, but use some of their fabric for the borders or sashings. Something else you can do is let them draw and color pictures and get your daughter to laminate their pics. and use them at their desks for placemats, or make placemats for their mothers for valentines day. Or let them cut up scraps to make the placemats, either use fab. or colored construction paper. They could make thir own quilts from construction paper. We did this also. Something else, get some empty fruit cans and wrap and glue yarn to make a pencil holder.

madamekelly

Make up some plain baked chicken breasts, and while you cut it up, explain that people used to eat what they called 'left overs' all the time. Stir it up with a little mayo, some celery, and a little relish. Make them each a 1/4 sandwich to try it?

Paisleyc

Could you take muslin or cream colored fabric and have each child trace their hand (to be done by an adult) on one and print their name for the quilt to be sewn together by you for the teacher(quilt hanging maybe). Take another one that could be done as a panel for their mother to have as a gift for Mother's Day.

Carol from North Carolina

montanajan

Whatever project you consider, remember that not all the kids will have an extra shirt to bring. My sis taught for years, and always had to have a few inexpensive extras (or, in keeping with the recycling theme, from thrift shop & wash first) for the dear little ones whose parents could not provide a T-shirt for their projects, even an old one no longer used was tough to come by for some of her students.
I'd nix the plastic bag filler - might melt in a dryer if the pillows get washed, could be hazardous if a younger sibling or a pet tore the pillow.
Let us know what is decided - will be fun to see what is made.

quiltergirl80

I agree with the used clothing from home. Not only do some kids not have them, some parents refuse to participate in their child's schooling like that. It is unfortunate, but a reality. Here are some great books I've bought to use with my daughter's Girl Scout troop.

http://www.amazon.com/Recycled-Craft...=2XWRMN2I88IK0

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/047...A1C3QU77DDT2KW

The Creative Seamstress

I once did something with my nephews 1st grade class for their recycling theme by having them bring in old socks of whatsoever colors they had (intact or with holes - and washed of course) to make sock puppets. We used embellishments of all kinds that were donated by the local craft store from their clearance bin, i.e. buttons, ricrac, yarn, sequins, pearle cotton thread, felt etc to make eyes, smiles, hair etc and they each got to personalize their puppets while I sewed on the button eyes for them and in some cases elastic tongues for the boys who wanted to make a snake. They loved it and all their embellishments were secured using Elmers Glue (which is childsafe). In the end we had an abundance of extra socks so I took about 8 of them to make sock puppets for a storybook that one of the childrens' parents donated as a recycled item (Stone Soup) and we adults used those puppets in tandem with the ones each child made the day prior to "act out" the story. It was a hit and in the end they realized recycling and repurposing can be tons of fun costing next to nothing and helps save the earth. Hope this helps!

Explosive blessings, abundance and inspiration to you all!
- The Creative Seamstress

sewnsew

How about bookmarks ? Cut oaktag or any cardboard (cereal boxes ! ) into 2 1/2" X 6" strips and let the children glue on all the tiny scraps you prepare ahead of time. After they dry, trim the edges and laminate. If you want to punch a hole at one end, you could tie on some scraps of yarn or ribbon. You could even recycle some beads to hang on the ends of the ribbon !