The materials for this task were collected from around the UCSB campus over the course of about a week. I rummaged through trashcans, checked spots for litter, and raided the trash at the Theater department's scene shop (where I do work, so they let me have the stuff we can't find any more uses for). The crew at the scene shop are a pretty creative bunch, so a sizable chunk of our trash goes to some sculpture or repurposing project or another.
All in all I used
-An old light housing bit. We were tossing a bunch of these, and the other folks from the shop couldn't get enough of. I live in the dorms, so I was limited in my ability to take and use them, but one guy took a couple to make some planters, and someone else grabbed one to use as the base of a helmet for a juggernaut costume they are working on.
-Someone's chemistry notes.
-An old bit of t-shirt I found in a dumpster, with some interesting designs on it.
-A bunch of shells (most crab and other assorted beach detritus) found on the beach and around campus.
-Sea glass
-Old advertisements from an old newspaper
-The manual to a very old screwgun the shop was throwing out (I grabbed the gun as well, to use in a later project).

I did have to purchase some glue to put it all together, sadly.

Step one, as with many things, was to strategically (and randomly) burn things. Mostly, I like the shapes and colors burned cloth and paper takes, especially old or heavily ink-covered paper.

Step two was to dip all the flexible stuff in glue/water and paste it onto the lighting house.

Step three attached the shells and bits of wire to the house.

Afte the thing was done, I took it to the faculty club, which has a fenced off pool/dining area that students aren't allowed into, hopped the fence, and put the finished...thing... proudly onto one of their ledges.