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21. Plant pots and bottle caps
Using mainly plastic, some string and wire, I was able to create this masterpiece. The colors of this wind chime fits perfectly in my backyard. What make this special is that I handmade it with random items sitting around the house and did not need to purchase any other item. Every time I see the wind chime dangling in in my backyard, a feeling of happiness runs through me and don't really know why. It is also acts as a constant reminder of how easy it is to transform "useless" plastic to something beautiful and useful. (Click entry image to view more.)
22. Brick Herb Spiral by Charron Andrews
Using old bricks left on the edge of our property, I decided to devote a small space in our back hard to an herb spiral. After designing and building the spiral, I filled it with dirt and my own compost. In the center of the spiral, I placed a tall planter from elsewhere in the yard and seeded it with herbs and cuttings. The spiral uses different heights to create microclimates that receive varying amount of water, sun, and shade. This miniature garden is growing rosemary, thyme, tansy, fever few, and other spices. (Click entry image to view more.)
23. CAR-dboard
If you have a younger sibling in your household and want to do something for them, or you are just bored out of your mind from being at home, this is a project for you. It is an easy project featuring green products such as cardboard, plastic bottle caps, straws and wooden skewers which are all the byproduct of your everyday life. You can give these products a second life by reusing them to make a cool and working car. (Click entry image to view more.)
24. Sunnyville
The serene blue sky, clear waters, and vibrant green grass touch as far as the eye can see. The morning fog begins to settle upon the ground and the sunshine illuminates Sunnyville and its people. Come and chill in the shade of our houses, capturing solar power from the basking sun. Leafy greens grow on innovative pods, yielding seasonal fresh produce. The crystalline fountain purifies and serves cleaner water. Visit our towering ferris wheel for a breath of fresh air and humming music. Our cars, running entirely on electricity through the all-purpose charging tunnel, make Sunnyville a pristine place. Sunnyville building materials (almost all recycled/reused) are detailed in the linked video. (Click entry image to view more.)
25. Entranced by Lydia K.
I started with a simple plastic bag and a quiet morning. I fashioned a flowing dress around a salad dressing container, and then I just went from there, making a body out of old newspaper. I wanted to create a kind of ethereal orange queen, which is why the background of the piece is an old orange juice carton. It’s also why her halo is made out of a dried orange slice and metal ring. I added some paint and some more reused items to tie it together, finishing it off by adding plants from outside into the oasis foam. (Click entry image to view more.)
26. Hydraulic Powered Robotic Arm by Alyssa Yuan
When people think of a robot, they generally envision a complex machine built out of wires that runs on batteries for electricity. However, I have created a simple robotic arm that is built from 100% recycled materials, commonly found in everyday households. Materials I used include cardboard, syringes, bamboo skewers, silicone tubes, wooden popsicle sticks, and an old clothes hanger. In addition to using recycled materials, my robot uses water as its motor rather than electricity, or in other words, it uses hydraulic power. How this works is that from one end, you can control the water by pushing and pulling the syringes, so that the water goes from one side of the tube to the other. When this happens, it results in the syringe on the other side to move, causing the robot to change positions. (Please refer to the video for better understanding). (Click entry image to view more.)
27. Bamboo Waterwheel by Angela L.
We made a homemade bamboo water wheel. I made it with a lot of help from my grandfather. He is very skilled in making things and getting things done. It is 100% natural materials. We made it in two days. We used the hose to fill the bamboo cups, and when they get too heavy, the cups will sink and the water will fall out of the bamboo cups. This happens with each of the cups until we turn the water off and the cups can no longer sink. (Click entry image to view the video. Click HERE to view project slides and additional videos.
28. Facial Masks with Love by Yue Li
One day, I read a message from a local Chinese volunteer group that nurses at UNC hospital are calling for specific homemade facial masks. I was urged to make some. It was hard to sew the first one. But I was very encouraged after 1 mask was completed. I also made some for a local nursing home after learning they are in need of all kinds of masks. I started to make the denim masks later for family and friends. I used old denim jeans inside out as they look better that way. It is kind of tough to sew compared to the soft cotton masks but they look cool. One thing I like to share is, during the time when I was working on these masks, I got shocking news that my mom had a stroke and was sent to the emergency room at my hometown in China. I worried a lot about her and felt very sad. Amazingly, making those masks was very comforting. I found calmness and peace inside. Good news is my mom recovered quickly and is getting better everyday. I am glad I was given the chance to make those for people around me, to help them and also help myself in this special period of time. Together, we will prevail!Material: old denim pants, chambray shirt, kids denim shorts, cotton bed sheet, bed skirt, cutouts from clothing alterations Preparation: wash, dry, iron, cut, sew. (Click entry image to view the video. Click HERE to view the project image.
29. Stop Junk Mail by Yichen
In this day and age, my family gets a lot of marketing material in the mail that we never opened. Using the video production skills that I have accumulated throughout the years, I put together a PSA describing how much junk mail impacts the environment, how it impacts normal people, and how to solve the issues caused by junk mail. I also stressed the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling to help preserve the environment. (Click entry image to view more.)
30. A Garden Door for Dad by Alex
One day I noticed that my dad had a lot of trouble opening his makeshift door of wire fence, so I decided to make a door that would be easier to use and more substantial. The wood was taken from my dad’s old fences and leftover wood, the chicken wire was leftover from when my dad built a fence and the thin metal sheets were actually taken from SPAM containers. I had to build this in secret during lunch so my dad wouldn’t see it, and kept it a surprise for him.
Material: Wood, Flat-head nails, chicken wire, thin metal. Prep: Cut wood then sandwich the chicken wire on all 4 sides. Nail the 2 wood pieces together and connect the top and bottom ‘sandwiches’ with the side ‘sandwiches’ with thin metal. (Click entry image to view the video. Click HERE to view the project image.
Material: Wood, Flat-head nails, chicken wire, thin metal. Prep: Cut wood then sandwich the chicken wire on all 4 sides. Nail the 2 wood pieces together and connect the top and bottom ‘sandwiches’ with the side ‘sandwiches’ with thin metal. (Click entry image to view the video. Click HERE to view the project image.
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