How can I reuse or recycle plastic toy holding eggs/balls/bubbles?
From the subject up there, you may guess that I don’t really know how to describe what Sarah is asking about. Her email should be a bit more informative:
I have a lot of these plastic bubbles that holds those cheap toys that you get out of those quarter machines in the front of grocery stores. My local grocery store give the kids free “HEB bucks” that they then use to collect the plastic bubbles from the skill crane, inside the bubble is a sticker worth a certain amount of points…. ANYWAY, we get TONS of them.
Every once in a while the store will trade a certain amount of bubbles in for those really nifty reusable cloth grocery bags for free.
However I was trying to think of OTHER creative ways to use them as well. I think one good use would be as storage containers for your condiments when bringing your lunch to work or school. Any other ideas?
I love that the shop already has a recycling scheme for them – yay that shop – but they do seem like one of those things that would be great to reuse.
Depending on how water tight they are, I guess you could use them to make snow globes or, conversely, teeny mini-greenhouses.
Other suggestions though?
(Photo of Sarah’s pod collection by the lady herself)
The snow-globes is a great idea. If the water is a problem you could just put inside some objects to make scenes to put on the office-desk. You can make one for each friend you have with inside a thing or a scene they love: a little car with a paper on the “floor” with a road drawing, a tree (Xmas or spring tree is the same), a room, a pet with its belongings, sand and little shells for the ones who dream holidays but have to stay in office, and so on. You can do them for a dinner one for each invited, or as a little present for little ones at a birthday party…
Depending on size, you could make Christmas tree baubles. Either fill them with crepe paper / glitter etc or put in mini Xmas figurines or just dip in paint etc.
my mother used to buy extra presents like earrings / keyrings etc and put them inside and hang them on the tree with our names in them as an “additional” treat present!
They could make for neat Christmas light decorators if you punched a small hole in the bottom.
Hey, what about an advent calendar? A little surprise or a candy in each, to glue on a carboard or, like the others say, to put on the Xmas tree.
If u like to grow plants,the tops could be used to start seeds directly in the garden as mini-cloches-ie beans, carrots etc.they would only work until the seeds have surfaced.after that they need ventilation,and a cut-off soda bottle top provides that nicely. Dunno bout the bottoms though.Maybe see the fly-stop,door-hanging idea for bottle-tops? =)
What about using them for spices? I try to buy my spices in bulk (much cheaper) and I don’t buy a whole lot at one time, as they tend to spoil. Just label them with a marker.
If they fit, you could put them in an egg carton for storage.
If you collect little things to use for arts and crafts, like buttons, beads, sequins, etc. you can use the bubbles to organize these things and then keep all of them in a box, bag, or drawer. It can help you categorize your little artsy, crafty things!
Or, you could make your own little organizer to put in a drawer by using a hot glue gun to glue the curved part of the bubbles to a tray or something, and then keep things like small erasers and paper clips inside and put it in a desk drawer. I’m not sure how well that would work, though.
With something small inside to make them rattle, they make very good cat toys.
Excellent idea..if she has so many she could make some for others, or sell them at a local craft sale. A simple bell inside would be enough to entertain the cat, just glue gun the top and bottom together.
Not sure how big they are but you could invert the dome, glue it to the base and use it as an eggcup. If they are too small, you’ll have to start eating quails eggs!
with a bunch of them, you can make soooooo many different jewelry!! i make recycled jewelry from useless plastic toys, and the colorful bottoms would make great bracelets, earrings, necklaces, charms…. Good Luck!!!
The top part can be used to cut our cookies.
Turn top side upside down, poor distilled water and place shiny speckles, glitter. Glue a small sculpture or figurine to the bottom part. Then place superglue around the edges. Turn bottom part upside down, insert into one with water and make sure it is sealed. Then only turn into proper position.
I use them to hold small items for travel. I have used them to make up a little sewing kit, a tiny first aid kit (mainly aspirin and band-aids), holding small items of makeup, jewelry, and so on. I tend to just throw everything into a bag and having them grouped together like that is helpful.
I have found that these make excellent fishing floats, either for use as sea fishing floats or pike bungs, and to waterproof them simply put a drop of glue around the rim on the inside, then screw small eye hook into one end, again sealing it with bit of glue, and hey presto!
Making maracas are a nifty way to use these bubbles. Just open them up, and fill them with sand, beads, dry beans etc. make sure you glue them shut. Grab a poncho and hey, you got yourself a mexican band.
These are great for a children’s group to use in a treasure trail type game, or to find hidden wrapped sweets in (similar to a easter egg hunt).
I use them to wrap small gifts like jewelry.
http://ecomonster.blogspot.com/2009/01/eco-friendly-gift-wrapping.html
Make tiny halls on top and use as salt and pepper shakers.
Use as forms for ice cream, chocolate, candy making.
You can use them like tiny tupperwares, for small objects, spices, mints, stuff in your purse, raisins for the kids at lunch.
if u don’t want them the child care loves them they can make shakers to play music,they can use it as balls to roll on the ground like a bowling game and even paint them and decorate them as monsters with gogley eyes or snowmans etc
I have used the small ones u get in the kinder surprise eggs for the birthday party for my children to make a fishing game what i did is put a toy or a loly in it sealed it with sticky tape and place them in a tub of water and the children had to put their hands behind their back and fish it out with their mouths they had so much fun and at the end they had a price. and i have also used them as egg race on a plastic spoon and i have also put a price or a loly in it for each child to have a treat. enjoy
I appreciate, cause I found exactly what I was taking a look for. You’ve ended my 4 day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
Maybe, if you want to go crazy, a chandler.They could be held facing clear plastic down and either contain a light, or something else.