Doorsteps & Gardens
Recyclon Flying Saucer
Build the little UFO from the pavement scene with a paper-plate saucer, clear dome and bright green alien pilot.
Recyclon Flying Saucer is a small, mock-official act of civic daftness: visible, removable, cheap and much easier than explaining Earth politics to a bin.
Suggested slogan: Recyclons Welcome
Best for
- front gardens
- plant pots
- private paths
You’ll need
- paper plates or cardboard circles
- foil
- clear packaging for a dome
- green paper or small toy alien
- short cardboard tubes
- tape or glue
How to make it
- Make a shallow saucer from two plates or cardboard circles.
- Cover it with foil and add small rim details.
- Create a clear dome from safe recycled packaging.
- Place a green paper alien or toy inside.
- Add short tube legs and test that it stands flat.
- Display it on private ground away from feet and wheels.
Copy this wording
- “Alien parking only.”
- “Take me to your recycling.”
- “UFO: Unidentified Friendly Object.”
- “Diplomatic landing in progress.”
Make it more ridiculous
- Add tiny headlights from foil circles.
- Make a cardboard landing pad.
- Put a mini flag beside the alien.
Keep it sensible
- Use blunt, lightweight materials; keep the saucer on private ground and away from steps, pavements and wheels.
- Use private property or get permission first.
- Keep exits, pavements, roads, shared spaces and safety notices clear.
For more boundaries that keep the nonsense cheerful, read the Tiny Rulebook or the guide.
Photo tip
Photograph close enough to show the joke, but crop out faces, house numbers, car plates, street signs, private letters and neighbours who did not volunteer for intergalactic administration.
How to remove it
- Peel tape slowly rather than yanking it.
- Untie string and save reusable pieces.
- Recycle clean card and paper.
- Wipe any chalk pen or residue with a suitable cleaner for that surface.
Tiny version
Make one handwritten A4 sign, place it somewhere you control, enjoy the tiny constitutional incident for five minutes, then remove it cleanly.
Big version
Build a three-part display with a headline sign, a fictional department, props, and one completely unnecessary label for maximum bureaucratic nonsense.
Why it works
The tiny UFO is the punchline of the whole display: after all the serious rockets and signs, a small alien has simply parked by the door.
Use two paper plates or shallow cardboard circles for the saucer. Cover them with foil, add small card circles around the rim, and make legs from short cardboard tubes. For the dome, use clean clear packaging, half a plastic bauble, or a transparent food tub if safe and available.
A green paper ball, painted cork or small toy can be the alien. Keep the saucer low, stable and light, and bring it inside if wind starts behaving like an intergalactic menace.