Recycling things is one of those habits that makes you feel proud, like you did something good without trying too hard and also helped the environment.

We all have things lying around, some in use, some totally useless, and half the time we don’t even notice them. So one random moment, a thought came into my mind: why not turn a paper cup into something useful instead of throwing it away? And then I came up with making this tiny DIY craft dustbin from a simple paper cup. It’s a small, fun idea that actually “works” and looks cute on the table. Let’s start making.

Things you need:

1. Two paper cups (you can also use plastic)

2. Scotch tape

3. Scissors

4. Craft stick one

5. Pencil

6. Glue stick

7. Two pieces of coloured paper (green and any other colour)

8. Hot glue (optional)

Directions:

1. Put the cup upside down on any coloured paper (other than green). Trace a circle around the rim with a pencil and cut it out; pictures 2 and 3.

2. Take another paper cup and cut off the curved top part along with about one centimetre of the cup below it; see pictures 4 and 5. This trimmed cup will go inside the main cup later.

3. Cut a cup-wrap shape from green paper. Then cover the outside of the main cup with a glue stick; pictures 6 and 7.

4. Make a small slit at the bottom of the cup, with scissors or a paper cutter, just big enough for a craft stick to slide in easily; pictures 8 and 9.

5. On the craft stick, measure about one inch from one end, flatten the curved sides and paste the flattened part down one inch from one side of the remaining stick; see pictures 10 and 11.

6. Carefully push the smaller end of the stick into the slit at the bottom of the cup, leaving the longer part of the stick outside; see picture 12.

7. Now insert the smaller cut cup (the one we trimmed earlier) inside the main cup; picture 13.

8. Take the circle you cut from the coloured paper in step 1, place it on top of your dustbin as a lid and tape it on from one side with scotch tape. When you press the stick outside, the inner cup lifts upward and the lid opens just like the real dustbins; see picture 14.

Isn’t it amazing and cute DIY?

The writer can be contacted at ithecraftman@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 6th, 2025