posted
My daughter has a science fair project due in March. It is not an EXPERIMENT, but she has to show a way in which she can recycle household items (that would be throw away) into new things.
I was hoping to get some ideas from you guys!
So far, we have: a plastic margarine container turned into a "flowerpot" with flowers made from straws for stems and petals from plastic takeout cups and dirt from old coffee grounds.
We have rooted a sweet potato and put it into a Mason jar and started some seedlings in a cardboard egg carton.
I also thought maybe we could take in some compost, and she was thinking of doing something with a coffee can, but we haven't decided what yet! Maybe poke holes in it and dangle old keys and make windchimes or something....??
Any other ideas? She will have to set up her display and talk about how it is important to recycle and why she is doing this project. She already came up with the fact that it saves landfill space if we recycle so that there is more room for plants and wildlife. She's one smart cookie! And I'm one proud Mama!
Can't wait to hear your ideas! 'Manda
* * * * I tried to remember, but i said, "what's a flower?" you said, "I still love you." (Dar Williams)~ Manda's Photos Plants: 109 | From: Elgin, IL but from Salisbury NC- country girl at heart | Registered: Jan 2007
| Seeded: 24.14.72.98
* * * * I tried to remember, but i said, "what's a flower?" you said, "I still love you." (Dar Williams)~ Manda's Photos Plants: 109 | From: Elgin, IL but from Salisbury NC- country girl at heart | Registered: Jan 2007
| Seeded: 24.14.72.98
posted
Check out wintersown.org. You can make paper pots out of newspaper, fill with potting soil, add some seeds, then put it into a jug or 2 liter bottle. Set it outside and it takes care of the rest! Presto! Sprouts when the weather warms!! Plus you can reuse them every year or just recycle and collect new ones next year.
* * * * Sarah - Zone 5b/6 Plants: 662 | From: Ks, USA | Registered: May 2006
| Seeded: 70.248.199.229
posted
I know this is probably too late for the Science project , but I recycle alot of stuff around here . I use empty coffee cans as containers for scraps until I can get them outside to compost piles . I put hair from hairbrushes in with it and add to compost to keep pests out too . I put leftover coffee ,coffee grounds with filters and all into them . Cut the bottom out of them and plant between tomato plants to get water to the roots , or use milk jugs and poke holes in the sides , bury up to about 3 inches from the top of the jug , fill with water . It works great . Toilet paper and paper towel rolls are shredded daily , along with newspaper and kept in a 5 gallon bucket in the corner until it is full , then take out and add to compost piles . Card board can be added too if shredded . Leaves that fall of plants , as long as not from fungus or disease goes in the bucket too . Milk jugs make great bird feeders and waterers for birds , just cut holes in the sides 1/2 way up for the birds to get into them and poke holes for string to attach about 3 inches from top . Hang from a tree and watch them eat . You can do that with soda bottles too . Milk jugs also make great hanging plant pots , cut holes in sides 1/2 way up on all 4 sides , fill bottom with soil to about an inch from the holes , plop a plant in , poke holes for the string and hang outside . Leaves , don't rake and throw them to the curb , use a blower or rake and keep a pile near compost or in a bag with holes in it . Add to compost pile when you put scraps in the piles . Or another thing to do with leaves is pile them over the garden spot over winter to keep weeds out and feed the soil , it also encourages earth worms to make themselves at home and air rate the soil for you . Shred the leaves and use as a mulch around flowerbeds too . As they decompose they feed the beds and protect from weeds at the same time . You can just til into the garden when you are ready to til for spring planting and then after rows are set , shred leaves and use them as mulch . Its free and easy mulch . If you don't have a shredder , fill a trash can and use a garden rake to break them up . Small kids work too , lol , they love to jump on the leaves and have a ball . My youngest is crazy , she does this for me . I just make sure she has on jeans and boots to keep her from scratching herself . I hold her hands so she does not fall and hurt herself and she has a blast . LOL . You can always just rake into a pile and let them jump til their hearts content . It gives them exercise and breaks the leaves up for you . I have lots more but am running out of time right now . I will post more later I am sure .
* * * * Successful gardening begins with trial and error and ends with dirty knees . Happy Gardening !!!!! Plants: 85 | From: Oklahoma , USA | Registered: Mar 2007
| Seeded: 70.233.169.55
posted
WONDERFUL!! Thank you. It is next week, so we are still adding things as we go. It's not a very hard project and we're being really creative with it.
I haven't been online for awhile because she has actually been very sick. We were at 3 hospitals and 2 dr's for her this weekend. I might post about it someplace else later. I'm pretty exhausted right now
* * * * I tried to remember, but i said, "what's a flower?" you said, "I still love you." (Dar Williams)~ Manda's Photos Plants: 109 | From: Elgin, IL but from Salisbury NC- country girl at heart | Registered: Jan 2007
| Seeded: 24.14.72.98
i also keep the glass speg-sauce jars or pickle jars for flower vaces, just paint en with stained glass paint[its cheap] then clear coat it. also reuse the jars for holding things like buttons and stuff.or left over noodles, its better to put in a jar than having bags every were. coffee cans are also good for storing sugar and flour, [ i like the pretty maxwell house cans for that.] also store my seeds in them. and the cans i dont use my hubby dose for nuts and bolts and stuff in the garage.
When people get those coffee to go, there's those creamer containers.. only about an ounce or so I guess..
But they came in cute colors, some dark blue *for vanilla*, white *for half~n~half, some in green *Irish Cream*, Orange too I think for a cinnamin flavor..
I was wonderin' what I could put in those, they look like alot of fun to do something with.
* * * * Weezie
Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it. - Bible - Hebrews 13:2
posted
Here are photos from the Science Fair last night. We don't know her grade yet, but we had lots of fun.
You can see the windchimes from a tin can, paperclips and old keys hung with old colorful electrical wire, and she even took a big coffee can of compost with red wigglers in it to "gross everyone out."
* * * * I tried to remember, but i said, "what's a flower?" you said, "I still love you." (Dar Williams)~ Manda's Photos Plants: 109 | From: Elgin, IL but from Salisbury NC- country girl at heart | Registered: Jan 2007
| Seeded: 24.14.72.98
posted
I'm a proud Mommy. She *LOVES* nature and respects it. It's amazing to see her stand up for things like this when she is so little and yet so passionate about it. She really tries to *LEARN* about it too, which never ceases to amaze me.
For show and tell she took her "nature collection" to school and taught the class how seeds travel and showed them examples! Her teacher was amazed and maybe even a little intimidated!!! Most of the other kids were bringing in their stuffed animals!
* * * * I tried to remember, but i said, "what's a flower?" you said, "I still love you." (Dar Williams)~ Manda's Photos Plants: 109 | From: Elgin, IL but from Salisbury NC- country girl at heart | Registered: Jan 2007
| Seeded: 24.14.72.98
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