DIRECTIONS: 24 things worth saving, and what each one is actually good for.
One box, with a lid. If it does not fit in the box, it does not get saved.
Out of the recycling
| What | What it is good at |
|---|
| a paper towel tube | already the strongest shape there is. Legs, columns, anything that gets stood on |
| a toilet paper tube | the same, shorter. Wheels, hinges, rollers |
| a cardboard box | the flat sides are the best building material in the house — stiff, free, and cuts with scissors |
| a cereal box | thin card. Bends without snapping, which cardboard does not |
| a plastic bottle | holds water, and the neck screws — the only threaded thing you get for nothing |
| bottle tops | wheels, feet, counters. Almost the only round flat things in a house |
| a milk carton | waterproof, and the folded top is a hinge already |
| a shoebox | the box for all of this, and a stage or a room when you need one |
Worth keeping a handful of
| What | What it is good at |
|---|
| straws | the cheapest way to make a triangle, and triangles are what stop things wobbling |
| popsicle sticks | stiff, straight, and they take glue. The nearest thing to timber |
| clothespins | the only clamp you have. Hold glued things while they dry |
| elastic bands | store energy. Anything that flings, snaps back or drives itself |
| string | pulls but never pushes — same as a muscle |
| split pins | the only joint that turns. Everything that moves needs these |
| marbles | weight in a small space, and they roll, which is two different jobs |
| buttons | small weights, small wheels, and they have holes already |
The Box
Making · Crafts · page 2
From the drawer
| What | What it is good at |
|---|
| tape | fast, weak, and undoes. Use it while you are still deciding |
| masking tape | takes pen, peels off, and is what to label things with |
| white glue | slow, strong, and wants clamping. Use it once you are sure |
| a glue stick | paper to paper only. It will let you down on anything thicker |
| scissors | the sharpest thing this pack ever needs |
| a hole punch | makes a round hole in the right place, which is hard any other way |
| a ruler | for straight lines and for scoring folds — press hard with a closed pen |
| modeling clay | weight you can move around. The whole of the balancing sheet |
Do not bother saving
| What | Why not |
|---|
| yoghurt pots | they squash the moment anything rests on them, and everybody saves forty |
| egg boxes | two is plenty. They are only ever bumps, and you already have bumps |
| anything that smelled of food | it still does, in a box, in a cupboard, in July |
| foil trays | sharp edges when cut, and they crumple instead of folding |
| sweet wrappers | they look like treasure and are structurally nothing at all |
| more than three of anything | if you have four, you are collecting rather than saving |
Scissors only, with a grown-up in the room. If a step seems to want a knife, snip or fold instead.
DIRECTIONS: Tick what you have. Cross off what runs out.
- a paper towel tube
- a toilet paper tube
- a cardboard box
- a cereal box
- a plastic bottle
- bottle tops
- a milk carton
- a shoebox
- straws
- popsicle sticks
- clothespins
- elastic bands
- string
- split pins
- marbles
- buttons
- tape
- masking tape
- white glue
- a glue stick
- scissors
- a hole punch
- a ruler
- modeling clay
The four everything depends on: tape, scissors, cardboard and split pins.
Date started: ______________________ In six months, take out
anything never used.