At the end of the year, I always find my classroom supply closets full of busted and worn-out supplies. I used to get frustrated with the spent materials and just toss them, not taking the time to repurpose them into useable media for the next school year. With a little extra time (or with some student help), you can revamp your old supplies into new materials to use next fall.
Today, I am going to share 7 ordinary, art room supplies that you can repurpose into fresh, extraordinary art materials.
Dried-Up Markers
Soak old markers in small containers of water overnight. Use the resulting colored water as you would use liquid watercolor. The colored water also makes great “spray paint” when put into small spray bottles.
Nearly Empty Glue Bottles
Add a squirt or two of tempera paint to a half-empty glue bottle. Shake thoroughly and use for colored glue outlining. Black India Ink added to glue is striking on white paper!
Crayon Chunks
Crayon mosaic: Use small, broken pieces of crayon as mosaic tile. White school glue holds the pieces in place.
Melted crayon sheets: Use an iron to melt small amounts of crayon between wax paper. Let cool and use the sandwiched, melted crayon in stained glass-like projects.
Tip: Soak crayons in water overnight. In the morning, the wrappers will peel right off!
Broken Chalk
Crush small chalk remnants into power (use a plastic bag and a hammer). Mix powdered chalk with water to desired consistency. Use the mixture on paper or sidewalk surface as a matte paint.
Magazine Scraps
Roll tattered magazine pages into colorful tubes and use as sculpture material.
Pencil Shavings
Have students sharpen pencil stubs and use the shavings as tiny drawing starters.
Acrylic Paint Leftovers
Spread paint on parchment paper and let dry thoroughly. Cut into small shapes to create “tiles” to glue to paper, glass, etc. See Blick’s lesson plan here.
Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That!
Maybe you just want to get those old supplies out of your classroom without repurposing. Recycling options are available for some common materials. Check out these opportunities:
- Crayola’s ColorCycle initiative
- The Writing Instrument Brigade through Terracycle
- Crazy Crayons recycling
Although the end of the school year is hectic, carve out a few minutes to repurpose your old supplies into something new. You’ll stretch your budget and create new materials for your students to utilize.
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What is your favorite material to repurpose in your classroom?
Do you have any tips on how to recycle old, worn-out supplies?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
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