More stories
-
How to Replace the Zipper in a Pair of Pants
Be warned: pants zippers are tedious and painstaking to replace. What they are not, however, is difficult. If you’ve sewn with zippers before, and you’re comfortable using a zipper foot, you can make this repair. More
-
You Should Reclaim the Zippers from Your Old Pairs of Jeans
If you sew, and especially if you enjoy refashioning clothing or upcycling pieces to give them new lives, you should be reclaiming the zipper from every single pair of pants that wanders through your workshop. More
-
DIY Cushion Cover from a Blanket
No matter what cushion you’ve got that needs a washable, reusable cover, I’m not going to judge you. Instead, I’m going to show you how to make that cover from any handy blanket that you’ve got in your stash. More
-
Four Methods to Prepare the Pages of an Altered Book
Altering a book to use as a journal requires more than just scoring the perfect ancient tome. After you do a price check to make sure you’re upcycling trash, not destroying a national treasure, you have to physically prepare the book to receive your art, writing, and ephemera. More
-
The Revolution Will Not Be Government-Funded: The Auntie Sewing Squad and Mask Making as Craftivism
But if you were one of the 800 members of the Auntie Sewing Squad, you helped make over 250,000 fabric masks to donate to 200 communities around the country, prioritizing the vulnerable communities that were the most affected by COVID-19 and the most disenfranchised from the political power bases that informed community response. More
-
Is Your DIY Envelope Mailable? Here are the USPS Guidelines for Handmade Envelopes
My personal rule of thumb these days is that the more I love my letter and want it to reach its destination, the more standard I make the envelope. If you’re just playing around with some fun, low-stakes pieces, feel free to experiment with your most creative choices. If you really want your piece to arrive safely and on time, however, make you DIY envelopes just a *little* bit creative. More
-
20 DIY Hair Accessories to Make from Materials You Already Own
And homemade hair accessories, especially when they’re crafted from the scraps and stash of your craft supplies, or upcycled from other items, are an easy, fun way to add some personality to your wardrobe. More
-
Upcycled Hair Accessories: Stashbust a Scrunchie
Scrunchies are one of my favorite stashbuster projects. Like the other projects that I mentioned, scrunchies are very forgiving, so you can fudge fabric dimensions as needed to fit your scraps. More
-
Is Cement Eco-Friendly? Spoiler Alert: Not Really
The manufacturing process for making cement at its current large scale is highly toxic, and is one of the worst things happening to the environment at the moment. More
-
DIY Dancer: Upcycled Hair Ties Made from Tights
If you, too, are beholden to a continually evolving set of brand-new tights all year, every year, this little hack won’t cure your heartbreak, but it might make you feel maybe 3% better, at least if you or someone you love also has hair that occasionally needs to be tied back. More
-
Why Shein Sucks, and What You Should Wear Instead
But alas, Shein is yet another imported fast fashion outlet, even more insidiously unsustainable than the other imported fast fashion outlets.
So if Shein is so unsustainable, why is it so popular, especially with young adults who should know better? More
-
The Second-Hand Wedding Dress, and Other Eco-Friendly Wedding Choices
Want to have a meaningful wedding that doesn’t cater to the multi-billion-dollar wedding industry? Want to have a personalized wedding that celebrates your love as well as the ethical standards that guide your life? Want to wear and decorate with and eat and share only things you love, and that love the Earth? More
-
Leaning into the Discomfort, Part Three: 20 Ways to Upcycle 2-Liter Plastic Bottles
It turns out that plastic 2-liter bottles are sturdy and versatile, perfect for upcycling into a variety of fun projects! More
-
Leaning into the Discomfort, Part Two: 2-Liter Bottle Hanging Planters
I LOVE the hanging planters that these plastic bottles create. They’re extremely light, so I don’t have to worry about overburdening the curtain rods that I hang a million plants and suncatchers and other dangly things from. They’re self-watering, so I can leave them without worry when I travel, and the water reservoirs are transparent, so I can see when I need to refill them. More
-
Leaning into the Discomfort, Part One: How to Upcycle a 2-Liter Bottle into a Planter
Somehow, until I made the effort to really think about how I could reuse plastic 2-liter bottles, it never occurred to me that a plastic 2-liter bottle is a nearly perfect planter. It’s cheap. It’s sturdy. It’s light. It’s easy to modify to fit a variety of needs. More
-
This Mend Will Stay Mended! The Forever Fix to Thigh Rips in Your Jeans
Reinforcing that entire thigh area, both the rip and the surrounding real estate, with a denim patch, as well as quilting the snot out of that patch, stops the rip. More
-
Clothing Refashions: 18 Projects to Bring the 1970s Back
Whether you’re prepping for the next in a line of 1970s parties or just getting a head start on Halloween–or just love 1970s clothing!–check out my list of my favorite DIYs of 1970s fashions. More
-
Clothing Refashion: Another Way to DIY Bell Bottoms
This method results in a pair of bell bottoms that are wide and blousy and flowy. You couldn’t get away with wearing them in all circumstances, but they’re also super dramatic and super fun for every bell bottom-appropriate occasion. More
-
Clothing Refashion: DIY Bell Bottoms
Bell bottoms are a simple DIY, when made from an existing pair of well-fitting pants and some scrap fabric. More
-
20 Summer Camp Crafts for a Kid-Friendly Summer
Take a few pages out of the camp counselor handbook and check out my list of my favorite summer camp-style crafts. They’re all highly kid-approved, and you can very likely source all the necessary supplies from around your house, yard, or recycling bin. More
-
Summer Camp Crafts: All the Macrame Tutorials!
Below, you’ll find lots of macrame tutorials, ranging from beginner-friendly to ones that require more fine-motor finesse. More
-
Summer Camp Craft: Embroidery Floss Macrame Pendants
These embroidery floss macrame pendants are a little more challenging than, say, my yarn tassel or Ojo de Dios summer camp crafts, but I think they’re suitable for older elementary kids on up. More