Paper is affordable and cheap. It is probably the first medium most of us learn to use as children when it comes to art. Advancements in technology when it comes to harvesting wood, printing industry and at home printers has led to high consumption and waste levels. There are several environmental issues with affordability and high consumption such as deforestation, air and water pollution due to emissions in various industries including the toxicity of chlorine based compounds used to bleach wood pulp.
But lets face it, we love paper. Here are a few things artists and avid fans of this natural product can do, other than advocating and sourcing materials from manufacturers that use sustainable forest management, non-elemental chlorine processes and supporting regulation and oversight of the pulp and paper industry.
Recycling Paper Waste Material
This is not just about the basic R's: Reduce, Reuse. Recycle. It's about cultivating a way of life that encourages mindfulness and intrinsic values leading into a sustainable lifestyle.
By savoring conscious experiences and sharing them with friends, I can become less susceptible to the manipulation of advertisers. To me and my family, it is not about giving up the joy of using paper, but concentrating on the joy and fulfilment of creating and reusing what we have.
We focus on the natural qualities, color and the texture of the paper, whether it's just regular construction paper or specialty paper and visualize the forms and shapes we want to create.
I have used this simple mindful exercise with my son. I have created a bin for scraps and find that its become fun to upcycle the paper for various other projects.
Ideas
Mosaic Monday's
Create or design a paper mosaic utilizing your left over paper from your paper upcycle bin. This bin can also include toilet paper or even paper tower rolls.
You could do up to two to three of these projects a month. Check out some of these ideas to start off with.
Greeting Cards
I like to encourage DIY cards. Any cards for that matter... Thank You, Get Well , Holiday cards or Birthdays. These add a personal touch. Challenge your creative aptitude! As of yet, I have not received a complaint about not supporting hallmark. This is particularly simple and you can add specialty paper, I have even combined some beautiful paper scraps I have purchased from recyclable paper.
Bookmarks
My son's school regularly encourages the use of bookmarks made from leftover paper scraps.
Create 2D-3D Characters to challenge your kids and provide hours of interactive play.
If you or your little ones are like us, you will be busy creating in no time. Next, you will have to wreck your creative mind on the solution to storing them, but that's left for another post.
You can used them for scrapbooking, creating seasonal garlands, origami creations and so on.
If you have ideas or have created upcycled paper art that you would like to share, please forward them to me or leave me a message!
In the mean time, please help me with eco-friendly storage ideas!