We splurged and bought Daphne a wooden kitchen for her birthday, and she LOVES it. But she and Maia have also been loving all the packaging that came with the kitchen. The large cardboard box now has a door that can open and close and is in regular use as a fort, reading spot, and play space.
The styrofoam packaging from the box? It's being used as well!
When I saw the cubes, circles, and chunks of styrofoam that the kitchen was packed in, I immediately envisioned abstract sculptures. I picked up an inexpensive package of bamboo skewers from the grocery store to connect the pieces (like the toothpicks in the grape & toothpick sculptures).
And then yesterday, when the girls were both home recovering from a stomach bug, I brought out the styrofoam and bamboo skewers and they set right to work. Maia built an elaborate, multi-level sculpture. And Daphne poked the skewers into individual styrofoam pieces, creating "lollipops."
Here's Maia's very modern looking sculpture.
And Daphne's bouquet of styrofoam lollipops.
So, next time you get a package with styrofoam like this, consider keeping it for some kids' sculpture building!
I'd like to get better about saving recyclables for art making. Our house is small and we don't have any great spot for keeping them (they tend to pile up and look like clutter and trash), so usually they go straight out to the recycle bin. But perhaps it's time to reorganize the studio and add in a good, organized space for collecting and creating with recycle bin materials.
Do you keep recyclables for art? Any tips for storage or organization?
