• Recycle image by sarkee from Fotolia.com
  
  One of the most efficient ways to recycle waste is to make something new out of it yourself. There are tons of crafty projects you can do to reuse what would otherwise be garbage. A few especially useful ideas that can be completed in less than an hour are making a walkway lantern out of an old broomstick and a tuna can, recycling paper by making your own ornate stationery and making tote bags out of large dog food bags.
  
  

Walkway Lantern

• If you have an old broomstick and a tuna can lying around you can make a lovely outdoor lantern. Sharpen one end of the broomstick and stick it into the ground wherever you want your lantern. Place the tuna can on top of the broomstick and drive a screw through the center of the can and into the broomstick. Paint the can and place a candle inside it. Place a glass hurricane shade (available at any craft store for less than $1) over the candle and inside the tuna can, and your lantern is ready to go.
  
  

Recycled Paper

• Bend a wire hanger into the shape of a rectangle. Stretch one leg of an old pair of pantyhose over the wire frame. Mix together some paper--torn into 2-inch squares--and water in a food processor and blend it. Add paper or water as needed until you end up with gooey gray pulp. None of the paper should be distinguishable at this point. Mix the pulp with a couple of teaspoons of white glue in a large bowl or sink. Place the frame in the mixture and cover it with about an eighth of an inch of the mixture. Lift the frame up and hold it over the bowl or sink for about a minute to let the excess water drain out. Hang the frame from a clothes line and let it completely dry. Once it is dry, you can peel the paper off the frame. Iron the paper nice and flat and it is ready for use. Once you have the hang of it, you can try adding things like berries, leaves or onion skins to the mixture in the food processor to give the paper color or even stick whole flowers into the mixture once it is on the frame.
  
  

Dog Food Bag Tote

• Wash the bag out thoroughly with a hose and let it dry. Cut straight across the bag at the height you want for your tote; be sure you've cut off enough to make the handles. Fold down a quarter-inch hem around the top edge of the bag and sew it using a zigzag stitch. To make the handles, cut two three-inch-wide strips from the part of the bag that was previously cut off. Fold the strips in half lengthwise and stitch them down. Determine where you want the handles on the tote and sew the ends of the strips to the bag's hem.