We’re super-excited to share this reclaimed cardboard box project from Monica T. Blas! Her play city is so cute and looks like a lot of fun. Monica has a new ebook of upcycled crafts that’s coming out soon, and you can check out deets on that below!
Create a Play City from Upcycled Boxes Read More 👉
Can you believe that next Monday is October 1st? In preparation, I was browsing Pinterest for unique pumpkin ideas. I came across this awesome tutorial from Two Paper Divas and knew I had to try it! Instead of using scrapbook paper, though, I decided to make this project even more eco-friendly by using book pages!
Recycled Paper Pumpkins! Read More 👉
Need a gift bag, or a box of exactly a certain size?
Check out my personal collection of my favorite templates and patterns for DIY bags and boxes of all shapes and sizes, along with my suggestions for what recycled or scrap materials would be best to make each from.
Bags and Boxes that You Can Build out of Recycled Materials Read More 👉
Don’t you just love crafting with old maps? They add a beautiful sense of place and nostalgia to paper craft projects! Got some old maps handy but not sure what to do with them? We’ve got you covered with a few fun map craft projects!
Don’t you just love old maps? Whether they’re from a town where you used to live or a special road trip, maps remind us of where we’ve been. Next time you discover an old map, you can make a paper garland instead of tossing it in the recycle bin. What I love best about this project is that it’s super simple, and it’s scalable. I used 7 hearts to decorate a wall shelf, but you could cut out dozens and make one to hang all the way across a wall!
DIY: Make a Reclaimed Paper Heart Garland from an Old Map Read More 👉
Alcohol ink is the perfect pigment for painting on non-porous surfaces like plastic or metal, but it’s also crazy expensive. Make DIY alcohol ink instead!
Fortunately, you can make your own DIY alcohol ink using the rubbing alcohol in your medicine cabinet and that stash of dried-out markers cluttering your art supplies cabinet. The DIY alcohol ink works great, costs basically nothing, and helps recycle those resource-wasteful markers.
DIY Alcohol Ink Made from Upcycled Markers Read More 👉
I’m so excited for fall that I’m already coming up with fall craft projects. My first mission this week was to make a fall wreath for our front door!
How To: Recycled Paper Wreath for Fall Read More 👉
If you can’t get enough of smash books, check out my review of Mahe Zehra Husain’s newest e-book, The Ultimate Guide to Smash Books, Smashing and Making Your Own Upcycled Smash Books, then read to the end to learn how to receive your own free copy, as well as The Ultimate Guide to Upcycling and a series of video classes on upcycling paint chips into greeting cards.
Review of The Ultimate Guide to Smash Books, by Mahe Zehra Husain–and a Giveaway! Read More 👉
A message in a bottle makes a fun invitation for a pirate- or ocean-themed party. You can make this invitation almost entirely out of upcycled materials, and yes–you can mail it!
How-to: Make a Message in a Bottle Party Invitation out of Upcycled Materials Read More 👉
Coffee staining is an easy way to give an antique look to paper. Here’s how to antique paper with a simple coffee staining technique.
How To Antique Paper Using Coffee Staining Read More 👉
Father’s Day is just around the corner. Now that you’ve found that perfect gift for dad, let’s wrap it up! I love upcycling newspaper and brown bags for gift wraps because they’re so readily available around the house. For this Father’s Day, instead of putting a bow on your upcycled gift wrap, let’s spice it up for dad with things he loves.
These sewn business cards, which utilize two layers of scrap fabric, a recycled paper base, and your complete business information, are a little more work than your ordinary business card, but they’re beautiful, eco-friendly, quite thrifty, and they’ll certainly stand out in a crowd. Here’s how to make them:
How-to: Recycled Paper and Scrap Fabric Business Cards Read More 👉
Even though it’s a little more work to create these particular business cards, made from colorful paper and stamped and embellished, they offer a lot more impact than your ordinary card. And since these business cards are made entirely from recycled paper and cardstock, they’re also eco-friendly and absolutely free.
How-to: Make Recycled Paper Business Cards Using Your Sewing Machine Read More 👉
Need some crafty washi tape inspiration? We’ve got you covered!
5 Washi Tape Craft Projects Read More 👉
Well, tomorrow is June 1st and you know what that means– Father’s Day is right around the corner! Is your dad just too hard to shop for? Most of the time, we get my dad a gift card because we’re just not sure what to get him. I know that sounds boring, but gift cards don’t have to be boring! I saw this paper tool box pin on pinterest this week and thought, “I bet I could make one of those to hold a gift card!” Dress up your gift card with this adorable eco-friendly tool box gift card holder!
DIY Father’s Day Gift Idea: Eco-Friendly Tool Box Gift Card Holder Read More 👉
Isn’t washi tape just beautiful? Japanese paper tape comes in all sorts of colors and patterns, but unfortunately it’s pretty expensive and it’s not the most eco-frienly craft supply, either. Don’t fret, though, green crafty peeps! With a little patience and just a few materials you can create your very own washi tape!
How-to: DIY Washi Tape from Reclaimed Paper Read More 👉
A couple days’ worth of newspapers (stored somewhere sanitary) is plenty to make enough paper popcorn cones for everybody at your party, and if you’re feeling especially mitchy-matchy, the finished cones are easy to dye in your preferred colors.
How-to: Make Upcycled Newspaper Popcorn Holders Read More 👉
Using the PotMaker, you can make plant pots from recycled newspaper with just a little folding and a few twists of the wrist. Is that any better than using the origami method to make newspaper pots?
Review: The PotMaker Makes Plant Pots from Recycled Newspaper Read More 👉
The problem with many store-bought notebooks is that they’re often made from virgin paper, which means you’re cutting down new trees for that grocery list or to write down your latest craft project inspiration. Store bought notebooks also just plain lack character, don’t they? Instead of hitting the big box store, why not whip up your very own notebook from recycled materials? Here are a few projects to get you started!
5 DIY Recycled Notebooks Read More 👉
If you can’t stop the flow of junk mail, at least you can craft with it! Collect yourself some security envelopes, and you can make a sweet, miniature notepad to jot down ideas, phone numbers, and anything else that strikes you while you’re on the go.
How to Make a Notepad out of Junk Mail Read More 👉
Smash books are quicker, easier, and more creatively amenable to recycled components than traditional scrapbooks can be, and frankly I much prefer the look of a smash book to that of your typical carefully engineered scrapbook. If you’d like some more examples, then please feel free to take a look below at my own upcycled smash book–it’s by no means perfect, but the beauty of a smash book is that it isn’t meant to be perfect. Instead, it’s meant to be meaningful, fun, crafted with lots of upcycled materials and stash components, and beloved by its recipient.
Project Show-and-Tell: An Upcycled Smash Book for My Anniversary Read More 👉
This year I wanted to make an upcycled smash book, rather than buy one that uses all new materials. Here’s how you can make your own!
How-to: Make an Upcycled Smash Book Read More 👉
Using tools ranging from scissors to drills, using materials ranging from fallen tree branches to clamshell packaging, and, most importantly, using absolutely no additional money, I’ve been able to make a wide variety of sturdy buttons for all my sewing and craft projects. Check out the following tutorials to see how to make some DIY buttons of your own.
DIY Buttons: Make Your Own Buttons from Natural or Recycled Materials Read More 👉
I’m currently working on a project to revamp our clipboards from dust-catching shelf-clutterers into something actually usable–otherwise, they’re off to Goodwill next weekend–but until then, check out with me these DIY upcycled clipboard projects from across the web. Clipboards actually ARE useful!
Upcycled Clipboard Projects: You Never Knew that an Old Clipboard Could be This Useful! Read More 👉
The new year is all about changes, and that probably means ridding your walls of those outdated calendars from last year, right? It also seems to be The Month of Promotional Calendars, when unwanted calendars from businesses flood our mailboxes. Rather than toss all of that paper into the recycle bin, you can get crafty and turn those old calendars into something new. Here are some crafty uses for old calendars to get you started!
10 Ways to Upcycle an Old Calendar Read More 👉
This treat box tutorial requires no glue and no tape. All that you need is a calendar, a ruler, and a pair of scissors!
How-to: Turn an Old Calendar into a Treat Box Read More 👉
So whether you’ll punch your pages and put them into a three-ring binder create your own multi-folio hand-bound book, I encourage you to consider crafting your own daily planner this year. If you’re still on the fence, here are some of the types of pages that I’ll be including in my own planner–if the thought of all these handy organizational tools that I’ll have at my fingertips makes you jealous, then you’re halfway to a DIY planner of your own.
Easy Organizational Pages to Include in Your Daily Planner Read More 👉
Because desk calendars are made of that most versatile of craft materials–paper!!!–you’ll find that you can make some pretty great projects with them using some of our favorite methods here at CAGW. Here are five tutorials to get you started.
Reader Question Answered: Upcycling a Daily Calendar Read More 👉
As always, I couldn’t resist scouring this year’s Indie Craft Experience for new green crafters on the scene, and the folks at Reuse First really stood out to me. Jeremiah and Michelle’s mix of sweet and cheeky paper goods totally caught my eye, and they were kind enough to answer some questions about what they do and why they do it! Their insights into waste, reuse, and consumerism are really refreshing.
Talking Waste, Consumerism, and Reuse with Reuse First Read More 👉
Ah, crayons…such versatile, waxy, brightly pigmented goodness! My little girls have a couple of nice boxes of unbroken, new-ish crayons reserved for schoolwork and special art projects, and a giant bin of broken, half-wrapped, stubby, old crayons, gathered here and there and everywhere, that we use for everything else.
Old crayons may seem like a nuisance to have underfoot, but they are incredible art supplies, and you can make some surprisingly sophisticated creations with them. Here are five projects, from canvas art to kid crafts, to get you started
I have a habit of hoarding things like shoe boxes, newspapers, scrap paper, etc., because I know they can be recycled into a project. An incredible blog called Spunky Junk shared this project on how to use shoe box lids as wall art. Shoe box lids are less expensive than canvas and it’s a great way to recycle! So, I took my shoe box lid, newspaper, and scrap paper and combined it into my own personal wall art!
How-to: Newspaper Art Read More 👉
Not only are they launching an eco-friendly line of cards, but they want to give away three sets to some lucky Crafting a Green World readers! Since I know lots of you guys own crafty businesses, I thought you might dig a chance to try out some eco-friendly promo materials from a small company. There are a few ways that you can enter to win your set of 100 MOO cards…
Giveaway: Win a Pack of 100 New “Green” Cards from MOO Read More 👉
If you’re an avid thrifter, it’s easy as pie to find well-loved books to craft with. Have you amassed a collection of books that need a crafty makeover? Here are 10 projects to get you started!
10 Crafty Ideas for Old Books Read More 👉
Confession time: I am obsessed with bunting. Anything strung up in a row just seems strikes me as so sweet and eye-catching. When one of my very favorite people had a birthday coming up, I decided to whip up a bit of bunting for his party. He’s an amazing writer, so book pages felt like the perfect medium for his birthday streamer. Here’s how you can make your own!
How-to: Make Glue-Free Book Page Bunting Read More 👉
Hand-dipping paper in beeswax gives it the patina of an antique and is a chemical-free way to preserve it. Here’s how to make your own beeswax paper.
How to Make Beeswax-Coated Paper Read More 👉
Leave those nasty foam stickers on the store shelf and show your kids how easy it is to make your own custom reusable stickers. While you’re at it, make yourself some stickers for your scrapbook, and that’s one more aisle that you don’t have to shop!
Make Reusable Stickers from Upcycled Paper Read More 👉
