Between painting, coloring, and doodling, we go through a lot of paper at our house. I try to get Kellan to use both sides of every sheet of paper, but I know we aren't being Earth-friendly when we easily go through a 50-sheet sketchpad in a week. It's not only the paper we use, but also the pollution and environmental destruction caused by the paper-making industry that makes me want to find an alternative.
I started thinking about what we can to do use less paper. Kellan's preschool reused brown paper bags for art projects. One day he came home with a decorated "vest" by cutting down the middle and creating holes for the neck and arms. We reuse grocery store bags, so I could set some aside once bags get too shabby to reuse. Newspaper could work too. Half the time our newspapers end up in the recycling bin unread. We might as well give it a second life. Unfortunately, paper with paint can't be recycled so I probably haven't found the perfect solution.
I've been curious about banana paper, a sustainable product made from banana plant fiber and reused paper products. Ecopaper and other websites sell it and, while it does cost more than the average pad or ream of paper, you can feel good knowing another tree wasn't cut down to manufacture it.
Do you have any paper saving methods?
I started thinking about what we can to do use less paper. Kellan's preschool reused brown paper bags for art projects. One day he came home with a decorated "vest" by cutting down the middle and creating holes for the neck and arms. We reuse grocery store bags, so I could set some aside once bags get too shabby to reuse. Newspaper could work too. Half the time our newspapers end up in the recycling bin unread. We might as well give it a second life. Unfortunately, paper with paint can't be recycled so I probably haven't found the perfect solution.
I've been curious about banana paper, a sustainable product made from banana plant fiber and reused paper products. Ecopaper and other websites sell it and, while it does cost more than the average pad or ream of paper, you can feel good knowing another tree wasn't cut down to manufacture it.
Do you have any paper saving methods?
We do art projects regularly at our local zoo. We reuse wrapping paper and tissue paper. We reuse any thin cardboard, like the boxes that can sodas come in, breakfast bars come in, pill bottles come in, etc. All of those work for painting and coloring on. Consider also the clear plastic bag that bread comes in--that would work for painting since it won't recycle. We often try to turn magazines and junk mail into something else as well. : )
Tempera paint on a dry erase board (commonly bought as "shower board" at local home centers) makes for a fun painting experience and cleans off easily for future creative moments. No paper, but also no saving those surprise masterpieces.
Surprise masterpieces can be digitally photographed; I know some parents who do this even with the disposable projects as a space saver. Keep them digitally or splurge on a little bit of paper and do a book on Snapfish after a year or so.