Crafting a Green World

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Name how many men you know who own power tools.

Name how many men you know who own a sewing machine.

You might be shaking your head thinking, “Well, that’s obvious.”… because I tailored my request to resonate with women.

If you’re a guy, you’re probably wondering, “What is this crazy bitch getting at?” That’s OK, because I’m banking on the fact that most of our readers are, in fact, the gentler sex.

Maker Faire blows most craft shows out of the water in terms of vendors and exhibits. With an estimated turnout of 65,000 attendees, and over 500 “makers” exhibiting, it was almost surreal to witness. Though giving my presentations occupied me for a couple hours, I was free to roam the rest of the weekend, and still didn’t get to see everything. One thing I observed almost doesn’t need to be said. Male makers were a minority in the crafty corners of the event, and though women had a definite presence in the technology arena, they still seemed largely outnumbered, especially in robotics and other mechanical applications. Read the rest of this entry »

Nearly two weeks ago I hopped on a plane to San Francisco(again) and translated a presentation based on my “Make Like a Tree” articles into binary code, so the computer programmers would understand it.

Maker Faire is much more than your average craft show. Around every corner, you’ll find a a pointless yet poignant doodad, a jaw-dropping technology demonstration, or the tools and materials that invite you to imagine the possibilities…because we hope to inspire others to make stuff too.

Why is this reconnection to our creativity so important? It was one purpose-driven thought from ordinary individuals that invented the wheel, set out to cross the Atlantic, and revealed the fabric of space-time. Making things, both literal and existential, pulls us through history, and simultaneously brings humanity to the verge of a collapsing eco-system. Most of us had no hand in executing modern manufacturing techniques, but we must use both hands to fix them.

Eco-consciousness was a dominant theme throughout this event. The concerns are now common knowledge, and solutions are surprisingly revealed through grass root efforts. Read the rest of this entry »

For those of you on the West coast, this weekend is an amazing 2 day event packed full to the brim with DIY goodness. Put on by Make Magazine and Craft Magazine, Maker Faire celebrates things people create themselves—from electronic gizmos, to “slow made” foods and homemade clothes. The event is a non-stop “wow-fest” where surprises and inspiration are as ubiquitous as the festival air.

The 2008 Bay Area Maker Faire will put a special emphasis on “Green” living. There will be a huge exhibit featuring Farm Aid’s Homegrown Village, a local farmer’s market, Swap-O-Rama-Rama’s giant used clothing swap, DIY workshops and fashion show, Bazaar Bizarre’s crafts fair, a live Prius plug-in car conversion from Bay Area’s Calcars.org, and much, much more.

The Swap-O-Rama-Rama is a huge clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops. Bring a bag of your unwanted clothes to swap with other participants and then learn to make modifications or totally transform your new finds. Recycling reused clothing has never been more fun.

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Earth Day is tomorrow and it is bound to be the most celebrated yet! It’s time to celebrate all of the accomplishments the green movement has made and to think about all that is left to do. This year, why not make some new Earth Day traditions to insure that the day will be fun and educational for our crafty kidlets, family and friends?

There are a lot of resources on the web to help you plan your events. Kaboose is a family centered website with a whole section dedicated to celebrating Earth Day with the family. My favorite part, of course, are the crafts. This site has detailed instructions for creative recycled material crafts you can do on Earthday or any day! Some of my favorites projects include the coffee ground fossils, recycled crayon earth ornaments, and toothbrush bracelets. Read the rest of this entry »

Last March in Pittsburgh, the first annual Craft Congress was held. Fifty organizers and icons of the indie craft movement gathered over a weekend to share knowledge and eat cupcakes. I was lucky enough to be one of them. The cupcakes were delicious.

As my plane took off from St. Louis that Friday morning, I anticipated someone there would explain how to promote a craft show into the stratosphere and run it like clockwork. The feeling crept in that my event was a speck of dust in comparison to what others had accomplished, regardless that we had nearly 100 vendors for Strange Folk’s maiden voyage. Certainly, I questioned the validity of my involvement in what seemed a definitive moment of this growing subculture.

Read the rest of this entry »

Drilling for oil in Alaska has been a hot environmental topic for the past few years, but it hasn’t been mentioned in the Green Options network for over 6 months. United States primary election coverage has taken center stage is most news outlets, and though the state of our planet is a key part of the debates, it hasn’t stopped the current administration from trying to make their own “progress” on the issue.

Most people don’t know about the US government’s plans to pass legislation that will allow leasing rights for oil drilling in the polar bear habitats of Alaska. Green non-profit Sierra Club has been working hard to raise awareness about this highly controversial plan that has been since buried to the back of most newspapers.

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The December edition of Poppytalk Handmade is now online!

What’s that you say? You haven’t heard of Poppytalk Handmade? It’s a “monthly online street market curated by [blogger] Poppytalk to showcase, buy and sell handmade goods of emerging design talent from around the world.”

What great goodies is this crafty farmer’s market offering this month? Who better to explain it than Miss Poppytalk herself: Read the rest of this entry »

Thanksgiving is done and gone, but humans still have a lot to be thankful for; planet Earth, for example. The holiday shopping season is in full swing and this is the perfect time to show both your home and your loved ones how much you care for them by buying sustainable, handmade gifts.

Why buy handmade? The Buy Handmade Pledge answers that question in intelligent and humorous detail - worth checking out for every shopper.

A global group of crafters and artists, including several in New Jersey, is hoping to change the face of gift-giving this holiday season. The message: consumers have options beyond mass-produced items made from virgin materials. Read the rest of this entry »