A lot of people have asked for images of my kits and material boxes. I am sharing my images with the caveat that no recycling drive will produce the same results so you have to be willing to be creative and curate with what you raise.

My material boxes had 2 guided activities, lots of material variety for K-8, block out poetry materials, glue, washable markers, pens, a variety of paper types. A large bag of magazine cut outs of images and words. I included a booklet with concepts of the guided activities and a list of prompts for guided or non-guided activities. Additionally, I added a section with instructions on blackout and found poetry and tips for using patterned paper.

My kits themselves were kept neutral for age and gender. This way we could just supply the kits to anyone regardless. A kit that I created included a poster board, glue stick, several pieces of blank colored paper enclosed in a 13×15 zip lock bag. I ask all my schools and charities to recycle the bags for restocking.

The recycling drive I ran produced a lot of material from businesses and people in the community. I had two main resources for my drives. One with schools and another within the community. The community drive really produced a variety of materials. I used Nextdoor and Facebook to advertise.

I do suggest that if you have a need for particular supplies, that you add them to your list of needs when you advertise. Additionally, you may decide to seek monetary donations if you do not find what you are looking for. For me, my solution is to always pivot and come up with either an alternative or my own creative solution. For example, if you want foam stickers in the shape of stars and you don’t raise them, my solution would be to use a Cricut or another cutting machine and make my own from stock paper. There are lots of ways around it and the art project many not need stars….so be creative – what else can you adapt and use?

Here are some photos:

Here is a sample of my magazine cuts from my workshops being organized. My suggestion is to have your volunteers do this in another workshop. Tip: When you curate magazines, please consider the school or charity you supply. Be Inclusive on all fronts, supply of large variety and be considerate of age groups.