Askinosie Music Shakers: An Upcycling Art Project
You’ve run out of your coveted Askinosie Chocolate Covered Malt Ball or Chocolate Covered S’more Bites stash, and all you’re left with is empty containers– now what? Instead of throwing out your old tins, upcycle them with this kid-friendly craft created by Askinosie Team Member and super-mom Courtney Cott. The perfect homeschool or elementary art project to help teach the importance of upcycling, this craft is sure to shake things up- literally!
Making Askinosie Music Shakers
- Round up your empty Askinosie tins and supplies. Gather construction paper, child-sized safety scissors, washable markers, non-toxic glue, tape, and dry beans or macaroni. If you are feeling brave, then break out the glitter! Our containers' silvery, metallic lining works perfectly to amplify sound and create a satisfying rattle.
- Wrap construction paper around the empty container and cut off any excess. Here is where the fun begins- let your little artist(s) decorate the construction paper with markers and child-safe art supplies. For adept scissor users, cutting out pictures from old magazines and gluing them onto the pre-measured paper is a great way to add additional pazazz to a canister covering.
- Once the masterpiece is complete, ask your child to pour a handful of beans or macaroni into the container. Filling containers with different amounts of macaroni can create different sounds, so experiment!
- Screw down the container lid firmly and tape the sides down securely. If necessary, help your little one glue down their decorated construction paper to the sides of the canister. Wait for the glue to dry before breaking out into a dance party, with the shaker as the star of the show!
Teaching Kids About Upcycling + Waste Management
Upcycling is a primary component of the Gallery Climate Coalition’s waste management hierarchy. We should all do our part to follow the 5 “R’s”; “refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle.” By repurposing materials, we can take an item that would normally be treated as garbage and make it into something useful, entertaining, or helpful- thereby extending the life of that item.
There are many resources available to help you start this important conversation and explain it on a kid-friendly level. We recommend Lara Bergen’s children’s book “Don’t Throw That Away!” Which follows a child superhero who learns that trash really can be treasure!
While making this craft with your children/students, engage them in an active discussion regarding waste reduction. Ask about their ideas for repurposing household items. What other upcycling crafts could you make out of empty Askinosie containers?