This exercise is proposed by NOD Makerspace as an exercise included in the Makers for Inclusion Erasmus Plus project.

If you use your imagination, even scraps can become art. This exercise aims to encourage creativity, upcycling and to prove through its results that one workshops' scaps can be another makers' treasure.

The exercise draws inspiration from here:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Random-Found-Item...

but it has been tweaked to suit the project's target audience and equipment available in Romania. The exercise consists of building a clock and giving it your very own twist. This exercise gives children a chance to exercise their creativity and get familiarized with basic hand tools.

Please make sure you are working in a space suitable for minors, with all safety precautions in place.

Supplies

Scrap materials
Adhesive
Hammer and nails
Handsaw
Paint (optional)
Sandpaper (optional)
Resin (optional)

Step 1: Choose Your Scraps

Start the exercise with a scavenger hunt where you go around the workshop and gather scraps of wood, metal, plastic, or any other materials that are safe to use. Steer away from sharp-edged materials. For efficiency and safety purposes, previously sorted materials can be set gathered in separate containers and children can pick from those.

We have a lot of plywood scraps in the workshop, so we thought we'd go with this material.

Step 2: Sand and Paint

Sand the pieces using sand paper.

This is a great opportunity to teach children about sandpaper. Show them the different types of sandpaper you have in the workshop and how to use it safely.

! Make sure they mind their fingers while working with sand paper

2. After the material has been sand and cleaned, it's time to paint.

This is a great time to teach the group about paint. for this exercise, you can use spraypaint, varnishes or basic acrylic paint.

For our example, we have chosen basic acrylic paint (bought from Ikea).

! If you are using spray paint, make sure you are in a well-ventilated space and that everybody is wearing protective masks and sunglasses.

Step 3: Decide on Your Composition and Start Glueing

With your pieces painted and now dry, decide on your final composition. It may take a lot of back and forth between this stage the one before, as you might adjust or switch pieces. In this step, you can also cut the pieces according to your design. You can do so either with a handsaw, cutter or even lasercutter.

! Make sure instruments are handled with care (you don't want to lose a finger). Organize a cutting station and have an adult supervisor be there at all times to help.

For glueing we recoment Hot Glue. It is unexpensive and easy to use.