Going Green in the Art Room

This year I've been trying to use as many recycled materials as possible in the projects I plan. There is an amazing amount of useable trash produced by a typical school in one day. While some projects benefit from nice quality watercolor or drawing paper, other projects can be just as good or better when done on recycled paper surfaces.

For the project pictured here I had students bring in empty cereal boxes. The lightweight cardboard and smooth surface were ideal for using as book covers. We cut the boxes open and used the inside of the box as a surface for botanical illustrations in watercolor and sharpie marker. The assignment was to invent a plant that could help solve a global issue. The light brown of the cardboard added to the 'green' theme of these paintings.
Look in your school cafeteria and you will find all kinds of treasures for art making. The lunch ladies now check with me first before they chuck out the trash. These small cardboard boxes came with some of the prepared foods they reheat that sadly count as 'nutrition' in a typical school kid's life. However, these boxes, along with fabric scraps and other items from the recycle bin made for a fun "food" sculpture project that didn't cost a dime and kept these materials out of the landfill!