<p>Corrugated Castle. Fancy Foil Fish Mobile. Paper Bead Bangles. Braided Rag Coasters. Old Shoe Flower Pots. Puppy Dog Sock Puppet. With a little imagination, just about anything we think of as trash can be transformed into an art project good enough to give as a gift or to keep and treasure yourself.</p><p>In her first Storey Kids book, <i>Nature's Art Box</i>, master crafter Laura C. Martin showed kids how pebbles, twigs, seedpods, and shells can be turned into things of beauty. Now, in <i>Recycled Crafts Box</i>, she uses as her art supplies the paper, plastic, metal, and cloth we usually consign to the recycling bin or the garbage can.</p><p>The way Martin sees it, just about everything around us holds artistic possibilities. Plastic picnic plates can be cut up to make a bouquet of flowers that will never wilt (and don't need watering). Roll leftover gift wrap into tight tubes and cut it into small sections to make oneof- a-kind beads. Decorate the sides of old paint cans with acrylic paint and tie sturdy rope to the handles to make a pair of stilts.</p><p>Along the way, Martin offers sidebars on the history of rubbish and profiles of artists whose medium is junk. She passes along important lessons about being a good steward of the Earth. But the lessons are light and fun--never preachy.</p><p>Fun for kids, perfect for involved and homeschooling parents, and ideal for schoolteachers who have seen their art supply budgets slashed, <i>Recycled Crafts Box</i> shows budding artists how to make something beautiful and save the planet at the same time.</p>