Your children grow and develop faster in their first few years than at any other period of their lives. Before you can even blink, the toys and clothes you just bought are no longer a good fit for your child! As a result of the almost constant growth spurts your child is experiencing, you may find yourself, and your house, cluttered with items your child has suddenly outgrown.
Instead of just tossing the items your child can no longer use, why not have a little bit of fun? There are many different ways you can reuse and upcycle the items your children no longer needs. From useful household hacks to fun do-it-yourself crafts, you will be amazed at the fun ways you can reuse the things your children have outgrown.
Check out these great ideas:
Baby Food Jars as Spice Storage – While not quite big enough to hold too much, previously used baby food jars are the perfect size for spices. There are so many ways to make these your own! Use custom labels to identify each spice, or even paint the jars to match your kitchen décor.
Toy Animals as Bookends – Painted, once-loved toys make for fun, fantastic bookends. Attach the toy to a heavier mount to help them stay up, and paint the entire bookend. Try a bright colour for some added visual attraction!
Formula Cans as Pencil Holders – Keep all your children’s crayons, pencils, pens and more neat and organized in a repurposed formula can. Your children will always know when their colourful craft materials are in these custom, colour-coded cans. Trim the cans with ribbon or colourful paper to give your children a bright and easy way to keep the clutter to a minimum.
Toy Blocks as Magnets – As your children stop playing with their toy blocks and Legos, why not attach a magnet and add them to your fridge as a way to add colour and fun to your kitchen. As your children continue to grow, they will love being able to hang up their artwork and school reports with these child-friendly magnets.
Crib as a Desk or Craft Area – It is always a sentimental day when your child moves from their crib to a toddler bed. One great way to hold onto this furniture piece, and to have it still be a part of your child’s life and room, is to convert it into a desk or craft area for your child. Take off one side of the crib, and on the lowest rung, set a tabletop instead of a sleeping mat. Add a few child-size chairs, and there you have it, a child’s desk, complete with room to hang their artwork on the remaining crib rungs.
Clothes as a Memory Quilt – Infant clothes can often be the hardest thing to let go of as a parent when your child outgrows them. Most newborn and infant clothes are outgrown fairly quickly, but can also be a gift from a baby shower or birthday that you are not ready to part with. By cutting the clothes into equal squares, you can put together a quilt made entirely of your favourite items from your infant’s closet! Be sure to include the patterns and pictures to make your quilt full of colour!
Remember, if you are not reusing your children’s outgrown items, you can always donate them, so another family with a smaller child can enjoy your lightly used toys and clothes as well.
Do you have any clever ways that you reuse items your children have outgrown? Share them with us in the comment below!
