Reuses #2 through #6 The Scamper Technique

"Be creative". "Think creatively". "She's so creative". "Look at this creatively".  The act of being creative comes naturally to some it seems but it helps sometimes to have some specific strategies.  One such strategy is SCAMPER  which I came across in a post titled "Don't Be Creative", by Gerald Aungst. In this technique each letter of the word SCAMPER stands for an action to be applied to a particular challenge to consider in an innovative way:

• S = Substitute
• C = Combine
• A = Adapt
• M = Magnify
• P = Put to Other Uses
• E = Eliminate (or Minify)
• R = Rearrange (or Reverse)

My source for this acroynm , the website Litemind,  provides focused questions for considering each action. Brainstorming is a strategy that is widely used to create ideas , but  a strategy like SCAMPER as a jumping off point and to keep the brainstorming from petering out can be very effective.   A scattegories game for higher thinking if you will. 

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\So if my challenge is to reuse a milk jug in 1000 different ways and since the Halloween season is upon us, what ideas can I come up with using the SCAMPER technique? Next to Christmas this "holiday" probably creates the most waste so to substitute and resuse milk jugs instead makes sense to me. Although these brainstorming ideas are my own, thank to the Internet and some very creative people, I was able to find some fantastic Halloween reuses.

\First, let's SUBSTITUTE the milk jug for  items used at Halloween.  Consider how milk jugs could be substituted for costumes, candy collectors, decorations, lights, haunted houses and  jack o lanterns.

by: Filth Wizardry

Reuse #2 Halloween Costume.
Here is a brilliant storm trooper costume.









COMBINE:

by: Out of the Chair

What other materials could be combined with a milk jug to create halloween accessories? Paper mache, foam   accessories, and paint for starters. So google "paper mache, milk jug" and voila. Don't try this at home by the way. :)

Reuse #3 Halloween Mask







ADAPT    
Reuse #4 I love this idea for a spider decoration. I would adapt it by adding crazy green and black stripes on the legs and witch's boots for feet.

by Danielle's Place of Crafts and Activities

MAGNIFY

Try considering the milk jug as one small part of a larger whole.
Reuse # 5 This skeleton made up of several milk jugs is a brilliant idea.

PUT TO OTHER USES
What other uses could there be for a milk jug? Christmas! Valentines! Easter!
Just wait. :)



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ELIMINATE
What could be taken away from the milk jug to create a Halloween decoration?
Reuse # 6 Simple shapes could be cut out (moon, star, bat, black cat etc.) and a lantern could be created.)

via Instructables

REVERSE
What could I make if I turned the jug upside down?