There are plenty of reasons to love paper bags; they are completely recyclable and last a lot longer than single-use plastic carrier bags, so they already hold an advantage. However, one of the best things about them is the sheer variety of innovative ways you can reuse them once they become worn out. From turning them into compost to using them when you’re moving house, there are plenty of ways to repurpose paper bags.
They’re also real winners among the arts and crafts world, and they’re particularly popular with children. For example, you can easily make a paper Native American drum using a couple of paper bags and a few things you have lying around the house, and we’re going to show you how.
First, gather everything that you’ll need. Aside from a few paper bags, you should collect:
- An empty circular container (think the ones used for snacks and nibbles at Christmas)
- Sticky Tape
- String
- Glue
- Scissors
- Crayons
Now that you have everything together, remove the lid from your cardboard container and then pull a paper bag over the top so that the bottom forms a cover over the top of the container. Next, take a second bag and drop the covered container into it, then glue the two bags together, keeping them taut so the bottom doesn’t sag.
You can now use the tape to attach a length of string and let your kids carry their new toy around by the neck. You can always finish there, but it’s fun to use some crayons to draw on a few Native American designs. If you’d rather a bit more of a challenge, try breaking out a set of children’s watercolours to make everything look a little more authentic.
Luckily, these aren’t the kind of drums your kids might just be begging you to buy for them once they hit their teenage years. These fun toys will be loud enough for games and play, but they won’t interrupt you too much! To discover more great ways to incorporate paper bags into your arts and crafts projects, visit Paper Bag Co’s blog as they cover a whole host of unusual ideas and tricks you can use for paper bags.