A quick online search for Pinterest fails will leave you rolling with laughter. Let’s face it, we all want to be equipped with talent for taking garbage and making it into a piece of priceless art, but most of us lack the eye for creativity and procedure. This is why those of us with the less-nimble fingers and end up hammering our thumbs are so eager to try activities that will make us seem like the artists we want to be.
The basis behind the majority of these displays of art is to recycle previous used materials in order to prevent waste. As a nation, according to the National Wood Pallet and Container Association, over 1.2 Billion wooden pallets are in use every day. Companies rebuild and reuse pallets as they break but with so many in use, often many end up forgotten in a warehouse.
With fall in full swing, here are a few ways to help reduce your carbon footprint. Recreating art from wood pallets is a growing trend and, to be honest, most projects around these simple boards are quiet easy and fun.
- Make a turkey
Gone are the days where a simple turkey hand was fun. Simply tracing your hand and coloring the fingers as feathers might excite your 4 year old, but this larger version will help older children learn how tools work and give them hands-on experience. Pallets can be dismantled and sanded to become feathers. The body of the turkey is comprised of parallel pieces of wood sanded and rounded to resemble a turkey. Once you have your desired shape, paint the feathers and nail them to the back of the wood-slat body.
- Pumpkins and Gourds
With wood pallets, you can separate the pieces simply with a crow bar. Take the best looking pieces and sand until smooth. Nail the boards to a perpendicular slat of wood and sand the edges to create shapes of fall like leaves, pumpkins, and gourds. Hand your child a palette of paints in fall colors and let them design to their heart’s content.
- Fall images and sayings
One of the easier projects is to simply add extra boards to an existing pallet to minimize gaps between the boards. Then simply use stencils, paint, fabric, or chalk to design fun fall sayings that will adorn your entryway.
Kids love being involved in craft projects and enjoy spending time with their parents. As we give thanks for our family, friends, and neighbors, your children will be thankful for the time you spent with them releasing your inner artist, even if it results in a Pinterest fail.
For all of those wood pallets that don’t make it to your craft table, let ABH Services take care of them. Our Recycle Service will haul away any of your used wood pallets and recycle them so you can be assured you are protecting the environment and reducing your carbon footprint.
Call us at 781-941-2422 to inquire about our Recycle Services or visit our Facebook page to learn more about our solutions at https://www.facebook.com/abhservices.