Can you recycle pencils? Yes, most can be recycled. Pencils can be made from a variety of materials, including wood, lead, and plastic. The most common recycling process is grinding the pencil to sawdust, which can be used in other products such as rubber or plastics. Find out more about what you can do with your old pencils below!
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Use old pencils as a plant marker
Old pencils can be used for more than just writing. Use old pencils as plant markers by using them to mark where you’ve planted seeds or seedlings in your garden.
Even if the tip has worn down, there is enough of a point left on the pencil to be used for this purpose. Use indelible ink pens to write what type of plants are in each section of your garden, so you know when to water and care for them properly.
Old pencils can be used for more than just writing. Use old pencils as plant markers by using them to mark where you’ve planted seeds or seedlings in your garden! Even if the tip has worn down, there is enough of a point left on the pencil to be used for this purpose. Use indelible ink pens to write what type of plants are in each section of your garden, so you know when to water and care for them properly.
Sharpen them and use them to mark the lines on a ruler
Use them as skewers for a fun and easy BBQ skewer snack!
- Can you recycle pencils? Yes, if they are crayons because the plastic is made from the same material as those used to make your favorite crayon creations!
- Can you think of other ways to reuse or recycle pencils around the house? One way would be to cut one in half and use it as a paintbrush for small projects like painting furniture or even walls!
Add some color with colored pencils for drawing and coloring
You can add color to your pencils by sharpening them down and then adding a coat of color. Add some fun print or design with old maps, book pages, comics, or paper from other writing utensils such as pens.
There are many ways you can use colored pencils to make different types of paintings without using paintbrushes. Using the side instead of the tip for drawing large shapes is perfect if you want a larger area filled in rather than detailed lines. Try making flowers by dotting around petals and leaves on top of watercolor backgrounds that have been painted onto heavyweight paper (such as Bristol board). You can also create designs that mimic those found in stained glass windows, just like Monet.
You can add color to your pencils by sharpening them down and then adding a coat of color. Add some fun print or design with old maps, book pages, comics, or paper from other writing utensils such as pens.
There are many ways you can use colored pencils to make different types of paintings without using paintbrushes. Using the side instead of the tip for drawing large shapes is perfect if you want a larger area filled in rather than detailed lines. Try making flowers by dotting around petals and leaves on top of watercolor backgrounds that have been painted onto heavyweight.
Decorate the top of a desk or table
You can decorate the top of a desk or table by using pencils as coasters. Decorate the tops with paint, glue, and glitter to make them look shiny. Another way to use old pencils is to mark important pages in books that you are reading, especially textbooks or novels when you reach certain points where things happen that need remembering later on.
Using as a drawing material
You can draw on paper bags, cardboard boxes, and other household items with the help of a sharpener. To make your drawings look more realistic, cut out pieces from paper napkins and glue them onto your drawing to add texture.
You can also draw on old letterheads or envelopes you don’t need anymore, then use these as stationery for writing letters or thank you notes. This way, you’ll reduce waste while reusing materials at home!
Or if you’re still looking for ways to recycle pencils, here are some other things around the house where they could be put.
Creating an art project
One of the best uses is to create an art project out of old pencil shavings. For this purpose, collect and organize your left-over bits and pieces of used graphite that you have accumulated over the years in a small container until you accumulate enough to make an artistic creation with it.
Another great idea is to use them as mulch for potted plants or flower beds. The same can be done when they become too short such that one cannot hold onto them properly during writing sessions anymore; instead of throwing away these stubs, stick some magnets on them, so they serve as refrigerator magnets. This way, there isn’t much trash accumulation at all! Another creative recycling method is filling up egg cartons with dried-out lead cores and then using those little containers into storage containers for paper clips, sewing needles, and other small items.
Make a Christmas tree ornament.
One of the best ways to recycle pencils is by using an eraser. Although they might be somewhat small, their potential as ornaments goes far beyond that detail. They can become Christmas tree decorations with just a bit of creativity and time spent putting it all together.
Draw some simple designs onto an old paper bag and cut them out carefully, so you have two identical pieces for both sides of your ornament (Make sure there are no folds). Glue one piece onto each side of the eraser head and leave everything aside to dry overnight before hanging it up from the top part of the branch with another string/ribbon tied around it tightly to avoid falling off later when you shake your decoration gently during celebrations.
Donating to the others
It is not just enough to recycle your pencils; you have to contribute them in the right way. Many charities would be more than delighted if you choose to donate your used-up pencils for their fundraising efforts. They will re-purpose the wood and graphite into other useful objects, which can then sell or auction off so they can continue doing good deeds with the money earned from it.
Jewelry Making
You can make jewelry out of pencils! Use a variety of beads and charms to create necklaces, bracelets, rings, or earrings. You can also use the eraser as a component in your jewelry designs.
A popular way to recycle old pencils is by turning them into funky flowers. To do so, you will need an empty water bottle (or something similar) with its top cut off; several wooden skewers; glue gun/glue sticks; artificial flowers that fit inside the water bottle opening; wire cutter; pencil lead shavings or shredded paper for flower petals. The process involves cutting small pieces from each skewer using the wire cutter until you have enough florets for your project. Glue these together around the tip of the skewers, creating a cone-shaped core to which you can attach your flowers.
Seedling Sticks
For your garden, you can use pencils to mark rows for planting seeds. Poke the eraser end into the soil every few inches along your desired row, and then remove it when your plants are ready to go in. You’ll have a perfect guide without harming any roots!
Unfortunately, garden stakes tend not to last very long under harsh conditions and need replacement regularly. Use old plastic-coated or wooden pencils instead of buying new ones by cutting them down shorter with wire cutters if necessary (or even better – sharpen both ends). The pointy protrusion at one end also makes them easier to relocate once planted. If they become faded over time due to exposure, try rubbing some black paint on the tip until they’re dark enough that their location is more obvious.
You can also use seedling sticks as a means for starting your seeds indoors – poke the eraser end into some soil in containers, then place them on a sunny windowsill or under grow lights until they’re ready to be transplanted outdoors. The pencils will guide you exactly where each plant needs to go once they’re ready to move outside, and the eraser end will help with removing them from their container.
Making a birdhouse
You could use old pencils to create beautiful birdhouses that can be given as toys for your pets or children. You might paint them and add decorations, making the houses even more unique.
Making a key ring
You can easily turn a pencil into a key ring. All you need is to cut the eraser off and then take out some of the graphite using sandpaper or an emery board. Next, use superglue to attach your keys, and voila! A new cool keyring for your car/house keys that doubles as art too.
You can also easily turn a pencil into a key chain by cutting the eraser off and taking out some lead with sandpaper or an emery board. Then glue on your keys and Voila. Add as decoration as well as functional design.
Making toys for kids from old pencils
Making toys for kids from old pencils is a great way to use your materials again. There are many different kinds of craft items that you can make quickly with just an array of small, broken pieces of wood. You will need supplies such as glue and paint, but the rest are things you have at home or might be able to find in your recycle bin.
Making a Coffee Stirrers
Reusing pens as coffee stirrers is a great way to reduce waste. You can clean them out and reuse them for this purpose over and over again without worrying about the environment, so you get the maximum use of your pen! Then when it’s time to recycle, toss them in with all the other recyclable office supplies.
Summed Up
With these nine steps to reuse old pencils, you can still get used out of them without having to throw away your favorite writing utensils. These are just a few ideas for how to put those used pencils back into action to enjoy the satisfaction that comes with repurposing things! For more recycling tips or other creative crafts and projects, chack our other blog posts.
