Towamensing Elementary students recently had a chance to show off their creative side while getting a lesson on the environment as well.

Winners of the school’s first recycled book character contest were announced earlier this week, with first- and second-place recipients named for each of three grade categories; kindergarten and first grade, second and third grade, and fourth through sixth grade.

“The contest was open to everyone in the school, and we received 33 entires,” said Towamensing librarian Kristin Heller. “We were very excited with the response. A few years ago, we did a contest where students could create their favorite characters on a pumpkin.”

This time around, the body and head of the characters had to be made out of recycled materials.

“I love cats,” said McKenzie Campbell, who created Splat the Cat. “We used garbage bags, and his whiskers are made out of fishing line. We used a plastic bottle on the inside and newspaper. There is wire in his tail.”

Campbell was the first-place winner in the second and third grade category.

“I didn’t think I was going to win,” she said. “I was very excited.”

Second-place finisher Autumn Kulak created the Grinch, topping it off with one of her very own Christmas hats. On Thursday, she recounted the moment she found she had a winner.

“I was waiting to pack up and I was worried we were going to be late for parent pickup because they still hadn’t lined me up,” she said. “When I heard my name get called, I just jumped with excitement. We ran down to the library.”

Each student got to vote for one character in their age category. Staff members were also able to vote.

Ayden Silfies took home first prize for the kindergarten and first grade group with his SpongeBob SquarePants creation.

“That’s my favorite cartoon so I made him using construction paper, toilet paper rolls and a box,” Silfies said.

Nathan Shafer finished second in that age group with Super Narwhal.

First- and second-place winners got gift certificates to the Towamensing book fair next week.

Ashley Swanger, a Diary of a Wimpy Kid fan, won first prize for fourth- through sixth-graders.

“I made Greg Heffley using the bottom of a cake container, a wire hanger, pipe cleaners, felt and a garbage bag in the back,” she said.

Levi Getz took home second place with Gerald the Giraffe.