Make The Most Of What You Have

I know we all want the latest toys and appliances (yes, I would like an iPod Touch!) but sometimes the toys that absorb the most memories are the ones we make ourselves.
Great. Craft stuff. Draw up a shopping list, grab loads of money and hit the shops.
Wait! That isn't what this blog is about. This blog (I hope) is about justice for all and a clean, sustainable future.
So use what you have and make the most of it! Let's face it - if you are looking at this post, then you have access to a computer, and that makes you so, so lucky. Perhaps you don't know how lucky you are. I don't think I can quite comprehend how lucky I am. 
Anyway, open your fridge. Go on! Open it! Too engrossed in this post? I'm flattered. Now go open your fridge. Take a good look around.
What do most of us see? Milk bottles, perhaps cartons. Meat? Cheese? Lettuce and mayo for school lunches? Leftovers from last nights tea, the night before or (gasp!) last week.
Well, I don't know how to make toys out of mayonnaise, but if you are feeling creative, go for your life.
Milk bottles, though, make excellent toys. And for those readers who are perhaps beyond toys, this site I am about to give you has ideas from fishing floats to gardening things, from igloos to gardening things, from measuring cups to gardening things... There is a lot of gardening ideas! As well as a few toys. The ball catchers are a great idea - I think they would be fun to decorate and then even more fun to use!
So click here when you are almost out of milk. It saves the world and money.
You have lots of materials to make what you want, so milk it for all it's worth!
I know this is a long post already, but I have a bit more to add. Nesquik, Milo, Coffee and Tuna cans (among others) make great drums. Yep, true story. Got little kids? I mean, more little than me? Three, four, even five year olds? Go crazy!

You Will Need:

• Any sized tin, rinsed and cleaned with the label removed. Empty, no lid needed.
• White paper if the sides of your tin aren't flat - or newspaper for a funky look!
• Paint (white if you aren't using paper, as well as a few different colours) or stickers, crayons, pencils, stamps... anything you want to decorate your drum
• Tissue paper (coloured)
• Elastic band or hair tie
• Greaseproof baking paper
• Craft glue

What To Do:

1. If you are using paper, glue it around the edge of the tin. Allow to dry.
2. When the glue is dried, decorate your drum - be creative!
3. Wipe glue all over the piece of baking paper and stretch over the top of the drum, folding down at the sides. The glue not being used will help to tighten your drum's skin.
4. Do the same with the coloured tissue paper and put over the top of the baking paper.
5. In case the glue doesn't hold, strap the tissue paper down with an elastic band or hair tie.
6. Wait for all glue and/or paint to dry, then make some music!

If this method doesn't work for you, you can do the same thing, but instead of using tissue paper and baking paper use a balloon stretched tight, and not glued. Another great thing about these drums (don't read this kids) is that they all make different sounds depending on their size - so you can never really have two of the same. Perhaps you could make a whole drum set... and a high hat out of a tin's lid? I don't know - you work something out! :-)

Sorry for the long post everyone - it may have been a bit boring, but hey! I hope you think of it when you are about to throw out a pet food can or milk bottle. Make memories and save the world!