Five Quick Green Craft Projects

5 minute coastersOne thing that I hear from a lot of folks is that they aren’t into crafting because they don’t have time. Nonsense, I say! Sure, some craft projects are time consuming and require lots of detail and care, but you don’t need hours and hours of free time to get crafty!

Why work crafting into your busy schedule? Of course, it’s easier to just buy what you want at the store, but around here we’re all about keeping it eco-friendly. That can mean using our crafty skills to divert waste from the landfill, choosing eco-friendly materials, or making reusable crafts to replace the disposables in our lives. Unless you have the cash to always buy fair trade and organic products, chances are that making some things yourself is the greenest way to go.

What a lot of folks find is that once they start crafting, they get hooked. There’s a satisfaction that comes with making something with your own two hands, and once you start, you’ll want to do it over and over. Here are a few quickie craft projects to get you making!

  1. Two Minute Coasters (pictured above). I spotted these when I went to my friend Jeanee’s house for cocktails. She served our drinks up on these pinked fabric coasters that she whipped up. All you need is some scrap fabric, a ruler, tailor’s chalk, and a pair of pinking shears. Measure a 4″ square onto your fabric and trace it with the tailor’s chalk, then use your pinking shears to cut out your coasters. That’s it! You’ll probably want to use medium to heavy weight fabric for this one, since you’re not going to sew a backing on.
  2. Five Minute Tank Top Tote. Craftbits shows you how to transform an old tank top into an eco-friendly tote that you can use for groceries, a trip to the beach, or anywhere else that you need a roomy bag.
  3. No-Sew Draft Dodger. A draft dodger is a tube of fabric that can help keep the cold air from sneaking in under windows and doors. If you’ve got a couple of knee socks that have lost their partners, you can repurpose them into a draft dodger, no sewing required!
  4. Reuseable Swiffer Cover. Swiffers are very convenient, but those disposable pads are incredibly wasteful. Over at Sewplicity, you can learn to make a reusable Swiffer cover in 10 minutes.
  5. Fabric Covered Folders. If you work in an office, manila folders are sometimes a fact of life. You can make yours adorable and make them last longer by covering them with fabric. Less waste, more cute!

Whoever said craftin’ ain’t easy totally had it wrong. So spill it, crafty friends! What quickie projects would you add to this list?

[Photo by Becky Striepe]

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