Get creative with packing peanuts.
Packing peanuts don't have to be boring. Packing peanuts are essentially nuggets of foam and one of the cheapest craft making materials around. They're most commonly used to protect things packed in boxes, so the next time you receive a fragile item or piece of furniture, keep the packing peanuts. It's time to turn packing peanuts into a craft project.
Packing Peanut Sculptures
As an alternative to Styrofoam packing peanuts, some companies are using cornstarch peanuts. Cornstarch packing peanuts dissolve in water, making them compostable, but cornstarch and water also makes a strong adhesive. Soak a sponge in water and lay it on a plate. Dip a cornstarch packing peanut into the sponge to dampen one edge and press it together with another peanut to adhere them together. Stick packing peanuts together to create free form sculptures. Once the peanuts dry, the sculpture can be painted with acrylic or spray paints.
Garlands
Thread a needle with cotton thread. Tie a knot on the end of the thread to prevent the packing peanuts from falling off the garland. Insert the needle through the middle of the packing peanut and push it down to the end of the thread. Continue until the garland has reached the desired length and finish it by tying a knot into the needle end of the thread. Alternatively, break up the packing peanuts with assorted colored beads, ribbon bows or silk flowers.
Decorative Balls
Blow up small balloons to a size just slightly bigger than your fist and knot the balloon at the neck. Dip cornstarch packing peanuts into a dish of shallow water and connect the peanuts to each other around the outside of the balloon. Leave an opening around the balloon's knot. Once the peanuts dry, pop the balloon with a pin and remove it from inside the ball. Fill the hole in the side of the ball with two or three more peanuts. Use spray paint to paint the entire ball and pile it with other decorative balls in a bowl or basket arrangement.
Snowman
Cut out a snowman's body from white card stock. Cut out a top hat shape and glue it onto the head of the snowman. Rip up packing peanuts into small pieces, smooth a layer of white craft glue onto the snowman's body and cover it with the packing peanut pieces. Smooth craft glue onto a piece of blue or black construction paper, blue for a day scene and black for night and sprinkle sea salt into the glue. When the glue dries, the salt will look like sparkling snowflakes. Glue the snowman onto the construction paper and glue leftover packing peanut pieces along the bottom edge of the scene to depict fallen snow.
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