My kids are constantly using cereal boxes, cans, bottles, and other recyclables for their inventions and art projects. As such, we were in desperate need of a spot where the kids could easily access the re-purposed trash, so we put together a mini-recycling station to minimize the chaos and keep things in control.

The kids absolutely love their new mini-art supply store, and they’re even more thrilled about devising ways to use the “new” merchandise. Here’s a rundown of how we put everything together so you can put together a recycling center of your own.

Materials

• 10-gallon trash can
• GLAD ForceFlex® bags (to line the trash can)
• Shelf (we used this shelf from IKEA)
• Various bins for storage (we used these containers from IKEA)
• Rolling cart (we used this cart from IKEA)

Putting everything together is a pretty straightforward process. The floating shelf we purchased from IKEA gives everything a clean and modern look, and it’s a snap to install. The GLAD  ForceFlex® bags were a no-brainer for this project – the smaller bags have all the strength and durability of the larger ones and keep everything nice and neat.

Your kids will enjoy the new space, and you’ll adore watching their imaginations run wild. As you can see from the photos, we love the fabulous duct tape river-raft project by Mer Mag (see the tutorial here). It’s definitely a bath-time favorite in our house.

Here are some other fun DIY recycled projects to get you inspired and get your creative juices flowing…

Juice cartons and plastic bottle caps make terrific toy cars! (via coroflot)

Half-gallon milk jugs are perfect for storing colored pencils, markers, and other craft supplies. (via make)

Milk jugs can be transformed into convincing helmets for a little Star Wars fan. Visit Filth Wizardry for the tutorial.

We would love to hear about your recycling solutions and what your doing in your house to reduce waste! Happy upcycling :)

This post is sponsored by GLAD®. Small changes can make a big difference.