Back to School: The DIY and Green School Supplies List

| colors | by arquera (CC BY 2.0)

I don’t know about you, but I love school. Learning, hanging out with friends, and shopping for your school supplies list are all fun! Because I also love the earth and DIY projects, I think that having green or DIY items on your school supplies list is pretty important. Whether you or someone you know is off to elementary school or college, grab that school supplies list, and check off these items:

Green School Supplies List: Terracycle Products and Other Green Tips

Terracycle was one of the first upcyclers to

School Supplies List: Terracycle Products (Photo by lolololori)
School Supplies List: Terracycle Products (Photo by lolololori)

offer useful products from food packaging waste. From vinyl backpacks made of upcycled billboards to pencil pouches made of used drink pouches, there’s something you need on your school supplies list that can be made from upcycled waste. My favorites for this year: the circuit board clipboard and paper made from banana leaves.

There are hundreds of other green items for your school supplies list out there. Stock up on the green essentials such as a reusable water bottle, reusable fabric napkins, soybean blend biodegradable crayons, and recycled newspaper pencils. There’s probably a green solution for everything on your school supplies list.

DIY School Supplies List: Easy DIY Supplies

School Supplies List: iPad Case (Photo by Saké Puppets)
School Supplies List: iPad Case (Photo by Saké Puppets)

In the Terracycle spirit, here are two great containers you can make from juice and milk cartons for your school supplies list. Use cartons to make wallets for holding lunch money and knickknacks. You can also use cartons to make reusable lunch containers.

Need a case for your iPad, computer, or other device? Grab a bubble mailer (yay, bubbles!), and make a customized case in a matter of minutes. Now go check that off your school supplies list (and pop some eco-bubble).

Before you throw out all that old and unused paper from last year’s notebooks, make some new notebooks using that paper and some cereal boxes. Here are 9 other fun DIY notebook ideas for your school supplies list.

School Supplies List: Tote Bag (Photo by mbaylor)
School Supplies List: Tote Bag (Photo by mbaylor)

DIY School Supplies List: School Supplies for Sewers

If you know your way around a needle and thread, here are some fun ideas to make for your school supplies list:

The pencil pouch that actually looks like a pencil

The unique lunch bag (Use cotton if you want to wash your bag in the washing machine. Use oilcloth if you’d rather just wipe your bag down.)

A simple yet stylish reversible tote bag

This notebook pocket from a button-down shirt keeps your writing utensils close at hand

Keep your DIY sewing green by upcycling old t-shirts or using organic cotton for your fabric.

And that’s that! How are you making or greening your school supplies list? What creative ideas do you have for getting the items on your school supplies list? Tell me in the Comments section!