Fascinated by recycled handicrafts, a Vietnamese man in Hanoi has been using his gift to create thousands of unique and beautiful toy models from used soda cans and plastic bottles and make tutorial videos for children to make their own toys.

Luu Chung Nghia, 30, from Dong Anh District taught himself the craft of toy-making from waste materials without undergoing any basic training.

“Once when I was going out with my friends, I incidentally saw people selling frog-shaped toys made from soda cans. I thought to myself that I could do that too, even more beautifully,” Nghia told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

“After that trip, I started collecting used cans and bottles. I would cut and assemble those materials into animals in my free time.”

Despite having no formal training, Nghia said the passion for handicrafts had helped him create many unique products.

A variety of lively toy animals including insects with small details like legs, antennae, and wings are shaped meticulously from waste.

“Some models only take me 15 minutes to complete but others can take up to a day or even a week to finish. The face takes up the most time to bring to life as plastic and aluminum are not easy materials to work with,” Nghia shared.

When making the toy models, Nghia and his friends would film the process and upload the videos on the Internet as tutorials for others to make their own toys from recycled materials, sending a message of environmental protection.

“I want to show children how to make handicrafts. Children nowadays have few playgrounds and are regularly on their smartphones. I think simple instructional videos will help them have more meaningful toys,” Nghia said.

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