Carlos Bunga, Sarah Sze, and Megan Rooney all use everyday objects in their work to create interesting shapes, landscapes, and sculptural forms.  

In Occupy 2020, Carlos Bunga uses only cardboard boxes (over 500 of them!) to create a large sweeping landscape that is both meditative and playful.

Carlos Bunga, “Occupy”, 2020. MOCA Toronto. Courtesy the artist, Galeria Elba (Madrid) and Alexander and Bonin (New York).Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid.

Sarah Sze created Images in Debris by combining hundreds of small objects and materials with images projected all around the space to create an amazing sculptural constellation. Some of the objects used to make this piece include: paint jars, water bottles, live plants, wire, paper, a jar of mayonnaise, and a real cake!

Sarah Sze, “Images in Debris”, 2018. MOCA Toronto. Courtesy the artist, Victoria Miro Gallery, London and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery (New York and Los Angeles). Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid.

Here, Megan Rooney uses objects like a shopping cart, dish glove, and a hockey stick to tell a character-driven story in HUSH SKY MURMUR HOLE. 

Megan Rooney, Installation View: “HUSH SKY MURMUR HOLE”, MOCA Toronto, 2020. Courtesy the artist, DREI (Cologne). Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid.

There are so many ways to create cool crafts, artworks and sculptures using only the everyday objects and materials you can find around your house. Here are some of our favourite ideas that we have found online, organized by material:

Cardboard

• Shoe Box Puppet Theatre via Mollymoo
• Cardboard Printmaking via Mollymoo
• Cardboard Guitar via Mini Mad Things
• Recycled Cardboard Animals via Babysits (or via Super Make It)
• Cardboard City via Mini Mad Things
• Cardboard Box TV via Mini Mad Things
• Candy ATM via Super Make It
• Gallery Wall w/ DIY Cardboard Frames via Handmade Charlotte
• Coolest Cardboard House Ever via hannahandlily blogspot

Coffee Filters

• Coffee filter flower headbands via The Kitchen Table Classroom
• Coffee Filter Butterflies via Made to be a Momma

Magazines

• Mixed Media Collage via Meri Cherry
• Recycled Rainbow Colour Wheel via The Kitchen Table Classroom

Paper

• Easy Bookbinding for Kids via The Kitchen Table Classroom
• How to Make a Zine via Brightly
• Rocket Corner bookmark via Artsy Craftsy Mom
• Monster Bookmarks via Tally’s Treasury

Paper Bags

• Paper Bag Puppets via The Inspiration Edit
• Paper Bag Stars via Crayola
• Paper Bag Houses via The Kitchen Table Classroom

Toilet Paper Rolls

• Cardboard Tube Sculptures via Art Bar Blog
• Toilet Paper Roll Race Cars via Repeat Crafter Me
• DIY Binoculars via Mollymoo

Yarn

• Weaving with Kids via Art Bar Blog

By: Alexandra Brickman, Learning Coordinator at MOCA Toronto