Crafts With Baby Food Containers
Do-it-yourself projects using old baby food jars offer a hands-on way to teach the value of recycling while saving money and helping the environment. Baby food containers are quite versatile and form the basis of a number of green crafts, from colorful paperweights to decorative candleholders.
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Multicolored Sand Paperweight
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Use craft sand and baby food jars to create colorful, eye-catching paperweights. Craft sand comes in a variety of hues and is available at craft stores and some toy shops. To make the paperweight, pour layers of sand into a jar. Create designs by alternating the color and thickness of each layer. When the sand is level with the top of the container, add the lid and decorate as desired.
Magical Floating Objects
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Use baby oil and water to make objects “float” in a baby food jar. The craft is suitable for all ages and will amuse children long after its completion. Begin by filling a baby food jar with cold water until it is about half full. If desired, color the water with a few drops of food coloring. Add small, floating objects and fill the rest of the jar with baby oil. After capping, flip the jar so that the lid is on the bottom. To help prevent leaking, use a hot glue gun to line the rim of the lid.
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Glitter Snow Globe
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Celebrate the winter season with a sparkly snow globe. Use florist clay to attach a waterproof object to the inside of the lid. Fill the jar with cold water, add a few pinches of glitter and screw on the lid. As with the floating objects project, flip the jar and seal the rim of the lid with a glue gun.
Spa in a Jar
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Used baby food containers are the ideal packaging for a variety of bath and body products. Decorate the outside of the jars using paper, paint, magazine clippings, pictures or glitter. Use a paintbrush to cover the decorations with a thin layer of watered-down glue. Let dry, then fill the jar with your choice of beauty products.
For a truly green craft, fill the jar with an all-natural, homemade sugar body scrub. To prepare the scrub, pour 1 cup of sugar into a bowl. Slowly stir in some vegetable oil until the mixture reaches a paste-like consistency. Mix in a spoonful of honey, and add a few drops of vanilla extract for scent. Adjust the ingredient amounts according to the size or number of jars.
Votive Candleholders
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Make simple, yet pretty candleholders for party decorations. Using a paintbrush, cover the outside of a baby food container with an even layer of watered-down glue. Apply strips of colored tissue paper and set with another thin coat of glue. Let the candleholder dry before adding a tea light.
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