Published on April 21st, 2008
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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 »
Published on March 28th, 2008
When we first discussed a week dedicated to reusing plastic Easter eggs my first thoughts were “what?” So I turned to friends and family for help and inspiration but the replies were all the same: “What are they?”
The reason being that this seems to be one of the few holiday-related retail opportunities that the UK hasn’t latched onto yet - and from what I’ve learnt I really hope we don’t. Don’t get me wrong, we certainly know how to create seasonal waste - the amount of packaging for the millions of chocolate Easter eggs lining the shelves is obscene.
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Published on March 25th, 2008
I grew up thinking of plastic easter eggs as fun and harmless. They don’t wear out, so you can keep using them for years. They also come in handy if you need an impromptu set of maracas.
After seeing bags and bags of them at thrift stores, though, I realized that not everyone holds on to them forever. (Come to think of it, I’m not sure where my childhood set went. Note to self: interrogate mother about how she disposed of eggs.)
So if you’re not going to continue using them for festive holiday celebrations, or if you’ve found a stash that’s begging for re-use, what can you do? As we’ve seen, Kelly’s using hers to organize craft supplies. Autumn found a tutorial on felting wool eggs using the plastic ones as a base.
Now it’s my turn. I’ll pose it as a riddle. What do you get when you combine a pizza box and a few dozen plastic easter eggs? Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 24th, 2008
In keeping with this week’s theme of what to do with those pesky plastic eggs, I set out to find a worthy project. My enthusiasm was curbed when I came across reports of lead being found in these things.
At the risk of being the antagonist, telling you what not to do with them seems reasonable, albeit not crafty. At least I get to make a bullet list…
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 21st, 2008
Easter is upon us again! This year, why not say goodbye to those prepackaged kits and dye your eggs with vegetables? For fantastic intructions to make beautiful eggs like those in this photo, please visit Billi-Jean of My Bountiful Life!
Photo copyright Billi-Jean.com. Used with permission
Published on March 9th, 2008
A traditional Easter requires quite a bit of wasteful accoutrement. If you are trying to go green, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Maybe you’re already making preparations to color eggs with natural dyes, or even sprouting your own wheat berry grass for baskets instead of buying the plastic stuff.
You’re under intense pressure to find that perfect organic chocolate bunny. I could not, with a straight face, suggest that you attempt to weave baskets yourself when there exists such cute alternatives by a talented, green-minded crafter. Fisheye creates items using recycled and repurposed materials, including the Easter bag pictured above. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on February 4th, 2008
Valentine’s Day has become more of a headache then heartfelt for most. Poor men are inundated with commercials claiming that if they don’t go to a mall jewelry store, their lover’s family and friends will be completely disappointed in them. That little jewelry box must also be accompanied by chocolates, flowers and a card. And, don’t forget the reservations, guys! No wonder men are not much into this dreaded day. Is this really what women want? Here’s a suggestion for this year: avoid the commercialized, boring routine and have a green Valentine’s Day!
No worries if you don’t know the first thing about making gifts - it is easier then ever to find cool, recycled, handmade gifts online. Online boutique Zanisa is a great place to find all sorts of recycled, organic and sustainable gifts like this necklace from designer Liana Kabel, made from recycled Tupperware! And of course, Etsy is the fantastic place to find original handmade gifts. Check out the daily Valentine’s Showcase for ideas.
Even if you are not a crafter, this recycled heart project from A Little Hut, is totally achievable. All you need is a paper egg carton, some red paint, background card-stock and a box frame to create something that your lover won’t soon forget. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on January 28th, 2008
We have all had that indecisive moment at the home improvement store. Standing there, staring at the wall of paint samples for what seems like hours, every color starts to blend into the next in the same way that too many perfume samples start to smell alike. There is so much pressure, you might have to live with this color for the next 10 years, or more! There is only one way to handle this - pick up a handful of samples to take with you to stare at in the comfort of your own home. Once you have selected the perfect color, what happens to that leftover stack of color? It’s time to craft! (Please note: I said leftover - I am not endorsing stealing stacks of chips for crafting purposes!)
When I discovered Lisa Solomon on The Beholder, I fell in love. I would have never guessed that embroidering a simple paint chip could look so sophisticated. Her series of paint chip art plays with the fantastic descriptive names given to paint colors such as this one, Sparrow.
Another fantastic use for your reject color ideas is this colorful and functional card holder craft from Design Verb. There are incredibly detailed instructions and step-by-step photos on his blog. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on December 19th, 2007
Garland is such a classic way to decorate fireplace mantels, doorways, and windows during the holidays. We’ve still got plenty of time to get some decorations up before the season is over, so here are some great ideas for making your own.
If you have holiday cards piling up but no mantle to set them on, you can easily create a nifty garland with them. The folks over at Martha Stewart suggest you drape tinsel across a mirror to hang your cards on. If you don’t want to use tinsel or a mirror, you can just as well span a piece of ribbon, twine, or wire across a doorway to display your cards.
One of the most popular and simple crafts that we learned as kids was making paper chains, and now you can spiff them up a bit as an adult. Artist Shannon Riffe had the great idea to make use of misprinted artwork by cutting it up into strips to make chain garland.
You can use your own discarded artwork, magazine pages, junk mail, or just about any paper scraps you can get your hands on. Grab your glue, cut up your paper strips, and start linking your chain.
If you’re a fabric artist with baskets full of remnants just waiting for the perfect use, then take a hint from Sarah Neuburger of “The Small Object”. Taking strips of fabric, starch, and glue she make a chain garland that can be used year after year. Check out her blog for a detailed tutorial.
Have you got some more DIY Green Holiday Craft Ideas? Please comment, we’d love to hear about them!
[Images courtesy of
Martha Stewart and
The Small Object.]
Published on December 17th, 2007
This year I got a little creative and green with my gift-wrap ideas. Digging through my recycling pile I found many items that could easily stand in for the traditional store-bought supplies. Using alternative gift-wrap is great for the environment, super thrifty, and clever. Here are a few simple ideas you can try out this holiday season and year round:
- Use cardboard cereal boxes to package t-shirts, scarves, and gloves.
- Smaller cardboard food boxes are great for holding gifts like watches, jewelry, and wallets.
- Plastic grocery bags are a great substitute for tissue paper or foam peanuts.
- There are so many things you can use in place of wrapping paper. I especially love using colorful magazine pages, but you can also use newspaper, butcher paper, and paper grocery bags.
Another great idea is to create gift bags using reusable grocery and shopping totes. Shops like Envirosax and Reusable Bags carry a large selection of bags that are colorful, recycled, and affordable. You can also stop by your local grocery and craft stores to pick up simple canvas totes.
Here’s more great discussion on having a greener holiday!
[Images courtesy of
Envirosax and
Reusable Bags]
