Green Crafts: How to Reuse and Recycle Produce Sticker Labels

Have you ever wondered what happens to those small, often overlooked produce sticker labels? They get peeled off fruits and vegetables, and then get carelessly tossed into the trash in households everywhere. What if you could recycle these little produce stickers by turning them into works of art?

How Can Produce Sticker Labels Be Works of Art

You may wonder what the heck is product sticker art? There are a few people who turn your used produce stickers into really amazing art pieces. One such person is Barry "the Stickerman" Snyder who receives donations via the mail.

For example, he has made pieces ranging from Campbell's famous soup can to a very colorful pair of cowboy boots. You can view his produce sticker art or purchase it via his website.

How You Can Make Your Own Produce Sticker Art

If you decide to start keeping your own produce stickers, you can make your own unique art piece. Start saving your stickers after each shopping trip by peeling them off the fruit or vegetable and pressing them onto plain paper. It will take time to gather enough stickers to make a project so start planning what your design. Start small and consider making a 5 inch by 7 inch piece for initial foray into produce sticker art.

You may want to make a small animal or choose an image to represent a favorite hobby. If you sew, maybe you can do a spool of thread or a quilt. If you garden, maybe you can create a bonsai tree or patio planter. Use your imagination and have fun!

Once you are ready to create your produce sticker art piece, you want to get something sturdy and archival to use as the base such as watercolor paper. You may want to lightly trace your basic design onto the paper first to get an idea for sticker positioning. Apply the stickers directly to the paper, pressing firmly.

When your design is completed, be sure to use a sealant to protect the piece and to keep all the stickers firmly in place.

Get Kids Involved: Turn Produce Sticker Art into a Classroom Project

This is a really fun project for kids to get involved with collecting stickers, planning the art piece, and then working together to create it. Whether you home school or send your children to traditional school, consider making produce sticker art a year-long project.

Start by announcing the project to the children. Then, work with students and parents to begin collecting produce stickers. Decide if you want each child to make his or her own art project or to make a larger, collective piece. One idea is to create a nature scene with a forest, animals, and stream. Use this recycling project as a way to teach the kids how reusing materials is good for the earth. Once the project is completed, have the children sign it and display the piece in the classroom.