Crocheted Baby Cradle PurseUse a recycled bleach bottle and your crochet skills to make this adorable project. What little girl wouldn't love to carry a purse that opens up into a baby doll cradle?
Octopus SocksHere is a way to reuse old socks and turn them into octopus sea creatures !
Recycled Paper Tube Bug ToyHere is a bug toy I made for my daughter. The kiddos are surprisingly holding up well with the quarantine. It's nice to make some toys with household items and they do enjoy playing with them too.
DIY Tissue Box Marble MazeBefore tossing out tissue boxes, your child may be interested in making this marble maze. You can easily make this with a few supplies: tissue boxes, hot glue, straws, scissors, and any scrap piece of art/paper. My son had lots of fun with this and he's currently altering the maze course to make it more complex by adding a third tissue box.
Bee and Beehive Egg Carton ToyThey sell bee and beehive toddler toys from $12 to $30. You can make your own with two egg cartons.
Making an Egg Carton OctopusMake this cute octopus from an egg carton. This octopus can be used as a bookmark for a book and for a puppet show. My daughter likes playing with carton animals and uses her books as the background for a puppet show.
Egg Carton Miniature FurnitureThis is a super easy and fun way to make tables and chairs for small dolls or for a doll house. Children will not only love to play with these, but can boast that they made or helped make them themselves.
Cardboard Box Play CameraBefore tossing out your cardboard food boxes, you could possibly up-cycle them into a new and fun toy! I was able to save $30 by not buying 2 pretend toy cameras that do not work, instead I made this play camera for free!
Making a Pet Frog from a Toilet Paper TubeDoes your child want a pet frog? This can be a temporary replacement with no responsibilities attached.
Making a Recycled RocketshipThis would be a fun craft time activity if your toddler is into rocketships! We were able to make this craft with supplies we had at home. It was fun to make together and he had a blast playing with his new creation and to more days of playing!
Egg Carton AlligatorThis is an adorable little alligator made from painted egg cartons, toilet paper tubes, and paper scraps. It is a cheap craft for all ages!
Matching Game Made with Water Bottle CapsWith a magazine and bottle caps, you can make a matching game - fun for children to play. If your child is older you can use more bottle caps and so forth. This would be a nice little game to bring on the airplane too.
Egg Carton Sail BoatWhile taking a stroll at San Diego Marina we enjoyed seeing the yachts, boats, and sailboats! My little one wanted to have his own and use it to transport rocks and marbles! You can use a lot of imagination with an egg carton!
Recycled Coffee Lid AnimalsThis is a fun way to recycle coffee lids by making cute animals with paint and/or construction/paper. This is a great activity to do with your child. You can actually tie a ribbon/string knot from the top (of the hole) as an ornament, or make this as a banner for a party, glue to a craft stick or play as is!
Paper Towel Roll Rocket Craft for KidsAfter visiting a museum, my toddler became fascinated with rockets. This is a fun craft to do with your toddler/child with items you already have at home.
Tissue Roll NinjaInstead of throwing out those cardboard tissue rolls, you can use them in this craft for your children. Make this craft together with them to enhanced their motor skills.
Upcycled Bottle Cap WhistleSave the earth and make some noise while you do it! Use two bottle caps and a soda can to create the cutest little whistle that actually works.
Tin Can RobotA great way to reuse tin cans is to make a tin can robot. This particular robot took a few hours to put together.
My Frugal Life: Toys from Trash"Tolan, how cool is that?" queried Papa who had just put together a wagon with his three year old grandson. And posing with his newly created robot, twelve year old Cole said, "I think I'll be able to use this for school too."
Advair Doll ChairIf you have empty Advair Diskus inhalers around, start saving them. With just a bit of Super Glue and felt, your Barbies and maybe even larger dolls will have space-age customizable seating.
Clothespin Rocking Chair PatternMany have been looking for how to make clothespin rocking chairs. Thanks to Ray for sending in this pattern and pictures. These would be fun to make for Christmas presents or for a doll house.
Card Holder from CDsDo you ever get those annoying internet CD's in the mail? Tired of throwing them out? Well, don't. I decided to try something with them and it worked! I used them to make playing card holders!
Scrabble Tile Alphabet MagnetsFor the kid in all of us. Pick up a used Scrabble game at the thrift store and create a set of alphabet magnets to grace a fridge door!
"Ice Cream Cone" BanksI made these piggy banks for gifts this year for Christmas. I saved my empty Juicy Juice containers (46 oz.), washed them out, cut out a slit in the side for the money, and painted them. Acrylic paint is the best.
Mayonnaise Jar "Piggy" BankI made these piggy banks out of empty mayonnaise jars. I painted the lid and ears (heavy card stock), painted and hot glued dowel rods for the feet, and hot glued on a tail made from a pipe cleaner.
Piggy Tails BankYou read it right - a piggy tail bank! Instead of saving your money in a traditional "piggy" bank, why not create a cute little girl with pig tails to hold your spare change?
Footie Ball Made of TightsIf you have girls, you undoubtedly have a drawer full of tights that have runs, lost their elastic, or no longer fit. Don't despair! Use those old tights and some fiberfill to create a fun, soft ball!
Soda Bottle Sailing BoatKids love to play in the water. And kids especially love to float toys in the water. With this great craft, they can play with a toy of their own making.
Make Your Own Spaceship or SubmarineGot a garage full of broken electronics? Turn them into your child's dream toy! Broken remotes, radios, telephones, smoke detectors, and the like may seem like so much junk to you, but to a child they're the makings of a spaceship, a time machine, or a submarine!