Get Crafty

March is National Craft Month. And sometimes the best crafts projects are made using the things you already have in your home. From empty soda bottles to empty paper towel rolls, there are plenty of common household items you can repurpose and turn into something cute and fun. Here are two of our favorites.

Pop Bottle Piggy Bank

You’ll Need:

• 1 washed and dried 2-liter soda bottle, preferable one with a wide open mouth
• Exacto knife
• 8½x11-inch sheet of light pink construction paper
• 8½x11-inch sheet of dark pink construction paper
• double-sided tape
• black and pink circle stickers or black and pink permanent markers

1. Remove label from bottle.
2. Carefully, using the Exacto knife, cut a slit in the middle of the bottle about 2 inches long by ½ inch wide. If the bottle’s mouth is not big enough for a quarter to go through, the slit can be used to remove coins.
3. Cut a 3-inch strip, lengthwise, from the pink construction paper so that it is now 51/2x11 inches.
4. Tape the 3-inch pink strip, lengthwise, to bottle on opposite side from slit.
5. Using cut piece of pink paper, tape each end and stick to the 3-inch strip, wrapping around the bottle. Cut away the paper where the slit is.
6. Using the dark pink construction paper, cut out ears and secure them to the bottle, facing the bottle cap.
7. Create eyes on the bottle above the bottle cap with either black circle stickers or a black permanent marker.
8. Create nostrils with pink circle stickers or pink permanent marker on the bottle cap.

Roll Rocket

You’ll Need:

• 16x17-inch mailing tube
• 8½x11-inch sheet of white construction paper
• double-sided tape
• 3 paper towel rolls
• 3 toilet paper rolls
• assorted kid’s paint and brushes
• Exacto knife
• scissors
• hot glue gun
• duct tape

1. Roll sheet of paper into a cone to fit top of mailing tube. Secure paper together with double-sided tape. Trim bottom evenly.
2. Using the Exacto knife, carefully cut out a window in the mailing tube.
3. Have your child paint all the tubes and cone with desired colors. Add flames along base of mailing tube—or decorate as desired. Set aside to dry thoroughly.
4. Line up paper towel rolls along base of mailing tube and mark a line about 3/4 the way down the tube for even placement.
5. Hot glue paper towel rolls around the bottom of the tube. Let dry.
6. Hot glue toilet paper rolls in between the paper towel rolls.
7. Secure all tubes with duct tape for extra stability.