Plastic Fantastic How to Make Stuff Using Trash
By the Smart Kids of Division 4
Copyright © 2019 The Writers’ Exchange This book was created by Division 4, Ms. Wong’s grade 4/5 class, at Queen Alexandra Elementary School in the spring of 2019. The Writers’ Exchange gets inner-city kids excited about reading, writing and their own potential through mentoring and creative projects like this chapbook. All Writers’ Exchange programs are free for the children and families we serve, so we could not exist without the support of amazing donors, including Social Venture Partners Vancouver, BOCCI, Marily Mearns, the Waterbury Foundation, Megan Abbott, Linda Louis, Bernard MacLeod, the City of Vancouver, the Grayross Foundation held at the Vancouver Foundation, Sasamat Foundation, TELUS, Judy Gale, Richard and Suzanne Cole, Nancy and Ted Maitland, John and Nina Cassils, Jim Fletcher, Lindsay Mearns, Scott Shaw, Premium Brand Foods, the Edith Lando Charitable Foundation, the Wolrige Foundation, the Van Tel/Safeway Credit Union Legacy Fund, Steve Munford and CLICK (Contributing to Lives of Inner City Kids Society). Thank you.
207–877 East Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6A 3Y1 vancouverWE.com
We are honoured to be able to provide safe, fun and welcoming programs for kids ʼ and their families on the unceded and traditional territories of the xwməӨkwəyəm ʼʼ (Musqueam), skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and selílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. As uninvited guests on this land we are grateful to be able to enjoy this beautiful place and we are committed to building relationships and learning about ongoing traditional ways of life from our Indigenous friends.
Writers’ Exchange mentors: Elise, Jenna, Karen, Nadia, Randy, Rian, Vicky and Wendy
generously donated the printing of this chapbook.
Design and layout: marameolab.net Creative lead: Taylor Richardson
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support Writers’ Exchange in-school projects.
THE WOLRIGE FOUNDATION
Plastic Fantastic
How to Make a...
4 BOX FOR YOUR STUFF by Daisy 5 PLASTIC CAR by Braiden 6 PENCIL HOLDER by Draven 7 CAT ROCKET SHIP by Nancy 8 UKULELE JIP by Eden and Miguel 9 ORGANIZER by Aiden 10 STARBUCKS CUP by Kayla 11 CAT BOTTLE by Lily 12 MR. SEAL-ISH by Helena 13 CAR by Nathan 14 ROCKET SHIP by Corbin 15 JOJO’S COOKIE CUTTER by Kyanna 16 BOOK OF GHOSTS by B.G. 17 JIMMY by Caleb 18 CAT CUP by T.W.J. 19 JET PACK MAN by Eleazar 20 FAKE CACTUS by Summer 21 PLASTIC BRAND COFFEE CUP by Lucas
About This Book Plastic waste never goes away, so we want to use less plastic, and find ways to re-use the plastic that already exists. We worked with our mentors from the Writers’ Exchange to think up new objects we can make with plastic waste so that it can become useful again. And then we made our objects in real life! This book contains all of the instructions you need to make the different useful things we thought up, so that you can re-use your plastic too, and create less waste.
How to Make...
A BOX FOR YOUR STUFF By Daisy
This box WAS useless plastic
WHAT YOU NEED
- Scissors - Strong glue - Ribbons (if you want)
- Stickers - Markers - Paint (if you want)
DIRECTIONS
1. Clean out your box, then let it dry. 2. Paint your box if you want. If you do, let it dry before you do anything else. 3. Use stickers, markers, etc., to decorate your box. 4
4. Put a bow or ribbon on it if you want. 5. Put stuff in your box to finish it off! C FACT
PLASTI
is ith plastic w m le b y. The pro goes awa r e v e n c. it t tha er is plasti tt li h c a e b 73% of
How to Make...
A PLASTIC CAR By Braiden
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic clamshell fruit container - 2 pencils - 4 toothpaste lids
- Cardboard - Paint - Glow sticks - Toy
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the plastic with scissors or a knife (with an adult). 2. Grab two pencils and take off the top part and the metal at the back. 3. Use hot glue to stick the pencils onto the four toothpaste lids.
4. Grab the cardboard and make two diamond shapes. Cut the cardboard on a flat surface. 5. Paint the car. 6. Get glow sticks and a toy to decorate the car. 5
How to Make...
A PENCIL HOLDER By Draven
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic cup - Marker - Pencil
DIRECTIONS
1. Wash the cup so it is clean if you had food or drink in there. 2. Colour it and add lines. 3. Put whatever you need in the cup.
6
C FACT
PLASTI
d 8.3 0s, aroun 5 9 1 e th Since c have s of plasti e n n to n o e. billi worldwid d e c u d ro been p
How to Make...
A CAT ROCKET SHIP By Nancy
WHAT YOU NEED
- 2 plastic cups (1 small and 1 large) - Scissors - Tape - Pipe cleaners
- Googly eyes - Paint - Cracker containers - Glue
DIRECTIONS
1. Get two cups. We recommend one small and one large cup. 2. Glue the cups together. 3. Tape the pipe cleaners on for whiskers. 4. Put on googly eyes.
5. Glue on foam paper as legs. 6. Put tissue paper on the back of your rocket ship. 7. Decorate, and you are done.
7
How to Make...
A UKULELE JIP
By Eden and Miguel
C STI
T ke FAC ans ma h ort um
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w
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PLA e year, phants nts we on ele pha e
v In illion he ele tch fi 30 m stic. If t uld stre et. o la of p ine, it w the plan l in a around s time
Pizza Nut
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic cracker holder - Plastic veggie tray lid - Plastic jar - Duct tape - Scissors
- Rubber bands - Paint (pink, lime green, red) - Paper - Pens
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut a small circle in a veggie tray. 2. Use the cracker trays and duct tape them together to make the neck of the ukulele. Tape it to the circle. 8
3. Cut out the head and duct tape it. 4. Secure the string to the bridge by poking a hole in it and putting the elastic band in it. 5. Play music and have fun.
How to Make...
AN ORGANIZER By Aiden
Before
After
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic cookie container - Scissors
- Paint (if you want to paint it) - Glue or tape
DIRECTIONS
1. Get the plastic cookie container. 2. Cut the divider that splits the cookies.
3. Tape or glue the dividers on the gaps. 4. You are now done. You can also paint it.
9
How to Make...
A STARBUCKS CUP FOR MS. WONG By Kayla
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic Starbucks cup - Letters (foam or plastic) - Glue - A heart
DIRECTIONS
1. Glue letters onto the cup to spell Ms. Wong’s name. 2. Glue the heart onto the cup.
10
How to Make...
A CAT BOTTLE By Lily
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic pop bottle - Tape - Scissors
- Paint (black and white) - Googly eyes - Brown string
DIRECTIONS
1. Use scissors to cut off the top of the pop bottle. 2. Cut two cat ear shapes into the bottle. 3. Paint the bottle black with your paint.
4. Glue on two googly eyes and paint on the mouth and whiskers. 5. Glue a yarn tail to the back of the cat. 6. Ta-da! You are done!
11
How to Make...
MR. SEAL-ISH By Helena
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic bottle from some Happy Planet juice - Black and white paint - Plastic
- Scissors - Googly eyes - Hot glue and a glue gun
DIRECTIONS
1. Paint the bottle white. 2. Paint the cap black. 3. Let it dry. 4. Cut out fins from some other plastic. 5. Hot glue the fins onto the bottle. 12
6. Glue on googly eyes 7. Cut a hole. 8. Shove plastic in hole. 9. You’re done! C FACT
PLASTI
at sneakers th s e k a m s Adida g nets ut of fishin te. o e d a m are was led ocean c y c re d n a
How to Make...
A CAR
By Nathan
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1 plastic bottle - 4 plastic bottle caps - 4 plastic straws
DIRECTIONS
1. Get a bottle. 2. Get four caps. 3. Get four straws. 4. Cut a hole for the straws. 5. Put the straws and caps together. 6. Put the straws in the holes.
7. Decorate it by painting it orange. Paint the wheels black.
13
How to Make...
A ROCKET SHIP By Corbin
JUICE
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic juice bottle - 2 extra-small cups - Glue gun - Jewel stickers (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Put a mini cup on the top of a juice bottle. No need to glue it. 2. Decorate the bottle with jewels. I recommend pink.
14
3. Use hot glue to put the cup on the back of rocket. 4. Put paint on (any colour of your choosing).
How to Make...
JOJO’S COOKIE CUTTER By Kyanna
WHAT YOU NEED
- Any plastic - Paint - Tape
- Scissors - Sparkles
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut 2 big circles and 1 small circle out of plastic. 2. Tape the circles together. 3. Paint it and add sparkles.
15
How to Make...
THE BOOK OF GHOSTS By B.G.
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic tomato box - 4 googly eyes - Cardboard - Pink foam
- Light and dark brown pipe cleaners - Glue gun
DIRECTIONS
1. Use the glue gun to glue the pipe cleaners to the outside of the tomato box. 2. Glue the googly eyes to the middle of the front of the tomato box.
3. Cut pink foam into triangles and glue to the sides of the box.
C FACT
PLASTI 16
are stic bags la p 0 0 ,0 s. 240 10 second y r e v e d e us
How to Make...
JIMMY
By Caleb
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic - Hot glue gun
- Paint - Scissors
DIRECTIONS
1. Paint the bottle blue and red. 2. Cut the head out and then cut the body out.
3. Cut out some arms and legs. 4. Glue everything together.
17
How to Make...
A CAT CUP By T.W.J.
Love me
WHAT YOU NEED
- Empty plastic cup - Foam - Eyes - Pom poms
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut out foam for the ears. 2. Use a glue gun to put the eyes on. 3. Glue on 3 pom poms for the tail. 4. Paint the cup.
18
- Duct tape (pink or blue or both) - Glitter
How to Make...
A JET PACK MAN By Eleazar
pipe cleaners
WHAT YOU NEED
- Plastic bottle - Hands - Large plastic cups - Pipe cleaners - Hot glue gun
- Sharpie - Blue paint - Red and yellow tissue paper
DIRECTIONS
1. Draw a face on the bottle. 2. Get an adult to use an X-Acto knife to cut a hole in the side of the bottle. 3. Make hands out of pipe cleaners and slide them through the hole. 4. Glue the hands to the bottle.
5. Glue the cups together and glue them to the bottle. 6. Add red and yellow tissue paper to make fire in the jet pack.
19
How to Make...
A FAKE CACTUS By Summer
Image by a volunteer mentor
WHAT YOU NEED
- Starbucks cup - Plastic mini cup - Glue gun
- Paint - Lots of glue sticks (20)
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut a mini cup into a flower. 2. Glue the bottom of the mini cup to the bottom of a Starbucks cup.
20
3. Glue the petals of the mini cup down and put a whole bunch of glue in the middle of the flower. 4. Glue dots onto the Starbucks cup for spikes. 5. Paint!
How to Make...
A PLASTIC-BRAND COFFEE CUP By Lucas
Image by a volunteer mentor
WHAT YOU NEED
- Lots of glue sticks (like 20) - Starbucks cup - Glue gun - 5 broken pencil crayons
- Paper - Decorations (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Get a Starbucks cup. 2. Cut out a piece of paper and write a brand name on it. (You aren’t allowed to write “Plastic” on your piece of paper because that’s my brand. It’s copyright.)
3. Make a straw out of glue and broken pencil crayons. 4. Drip lots of hot glue all over the top of the cup and try to zig zag it. (It’s hard.) 5. Decorate the cup, if you want. 21
WHAT COULD YOU MAKE WITH PLASTIC? Invent your own idea to turn plastic waste into something cool and useful!
MY IDEA
WHAT YOU NEED
-
DIRECTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4. 22
DRAW YOUR IDEA!
SOME EXAMPLES OF PLASTIC WASTE
23
AUTOGRAPHS
As an author of a Writers’ Exchange book, you are invited to sign up for FREE after-school and summer programs at the Writers’ Exchange home base at 207–877 East Hastings Street. We run programs for kids in grades 1 to 12. Ask your teacher for a signup sheet, go to vancouverWE.com or call Jennifer at 604-428-8228 for more information.