Preschool Cutting Tray from Recyclables

 

 

With the Super Bowl coming near, there will be lots of Hormel appetizer trays making the rounds in American homes. We had this one left over from New Years Day and I could not bring myself to throw the tray out. It sat (empty and cleaned) on my counter for a couple weeks. My husband kept asking me what I would do with it, and if I didn’t make a move soon it would end up in the trash! After re-reading that, it sounds like I may be a bit of a hoarder…but I promise you I’m not! I’m just thrifty and like to save useful containers 😉

 

After sitting for so long junk mail started to pile on top of the container and an idea was born: turn the container into a junk mail catch-all and offer it as a cutting tray for my oldest! After he thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas cutting tray, I knew this would be just as exciting for him. And it only seemed appropriate to upcycle the container for the recyclable junk mail!

 

 Supplies:

• Hormel Appetizer Tray (empty and clean)
• Child safe scissors
• Junk Mail

 

The tray already has 6 slots ready to be filled with coupons, advertisements, magazine subscription thingies, etc. However, they are rather small (except two long ones), so your junk mail will have to be trimmed to size before it will fit nicely in the compartments. I made one compartment contain coupons, one featured ads with large words and letters, another compartment I only placed triangularly shaped clippings in,  and the last rectangular tray had grocery story ads (pictures of food). For the two long skinny trays, I just put in paper that I had cut into strips.