Give Your Old Yard Signs New Life


If you like giving old things new life, this list is sure to spark some ideas in up-cycling those leftover campaign signs. 

 

       Once campaigns are over, what can you do with these yard signs? They are constructed of durable, waterproof, rust-resistant plastic material. And although recyclable, up-cycling is the fun way to go. If you try any of these, feel free to email us any images to be featured on our Facebook page or next blog post.

 

Build a Play House: With the sign plastic being as durable as they are, corrugated plastic makes perfect tree house roofing or play house walls. They are lightweight enough for the kids to help build, but weather-resistant enough to be used outdoors as it will withstand nature. Since they are so easy to clean, bringing them inside after a life outside won’t create an issue. Your indoor forts will never crumble with corriboard as their foundation. With a structure this strong, your kids may move out sooner than you expect.


Artist Nick Sayers created this shelter from scrap real estate signs to make a statement about homelessness and sustainable building. 

 

Build Little Homes for Little Birds: This is a craft activity your whole family can enjoy and continue to enjoy as you watch the baby birds hatch and grow. The birds will love their new birdhouse and you will become the next bird whisperer all while being involved in the environmental movement. Brighten it up with some paint! Take a look at this quirky "pointy" birdhouse. Read the background story of its name here.

triangular bird house made out of corrugated plastic yard signs

 

Build Little Homes for Little People: Does it seem like building a dollhouse actually ends up being way more fun than playing with one? On top of that, it's more engaging, more mentally rewarding, as well as more cost-efficient than just picking one up at the store. We have all imagined what our dream home would be if we could build one ourselves.

Rigid Bottom for Reusable Grocery Bags: Those 99 cents reusable shopping bags are awesome. They make you feel good about making eco-friendly moves. They don't cut into your arms while you carry your entire grocery trip in all at once. And they don't accumulate into a huge pile of forgotten wrinkly plastic in your pantry closet. However, the one downside about these reusable shopping bags is that they’re awkwardly flimsy. Fix this by cutting bottom inserts for sturdier bags.

 unmarked reusable shopping bags multiple colors

Support Garden Growth: Those metal H wire stakes make for an inexpensive and quick prop to support your vines and climbers. Where the signs themselves are easily upcycle-able, the wires don’t have as many reuses so this one is great to keep in mind.

Make a Bulletin Board: With some fabric, duct tape and a few push pins you’ve got yourself a bulletin board. It can be as practical or as decorative as you’d like. Step into the world of Aunt Peaches and "elevate your everyday" using her article as a guide.

 

bulletin board made out of corrugated plastic

 

Customized Storage: If you have ever heard the phrase "I've never met a craft I didn't like" and felt like it spoke to you, then this project is the one for you. Also an Aunt Peaches project, these storage boxes make the perfect containers for crafters since they can be made to fit any size object--thumbtacks, stickers, glue-sticks, etc. 

 

Guinea Pig Cage: Who knew that guinea pig cages and corrugated plastic goes so well together? Guinea pig lovers did--15 years ago. Coroplast is sold as a typical cage item for these little guys. They make superior cage bases, being that they are stain-proof, non-toxic and construct-able. They also make for great hay racks. Instructions here.

 do it yourself hay rack made from coroplast for guinea pig

 

 Tip: scoring, not cutting, coroplasts makes for an easy angle. This makes it foldable while also keeping the piece whole. This diagram kindly provided by our favorite guinea pig cage store

coroplast scored

 

 

Reminder: please be responsible and only use signs that you have permission to take. Either reaching out to the candidates or waiting until the pick-up window is over are both good options.