I found a set of three mountain pictures at a garage sale about a year ago. They weren’t my taste, so they sat in my closet until inspiration finally hit– chalkboard paint!
Upcycle a Piece of Art into a Chalkboard! Read More 👉
Back in October we asked you guys what kinds of things you’d like more help reusing or upcycling, and you had some great questions, both via comment and email. We’ve addressed quite a few of them, from how to reuse old jeans to new ideas for old books, but there was one question that’s been stumping me for ages: how can crafters upcycle e-waste?
Reader Question: Crafting with E-Waste Read More 👉
I went into my roommate’s room a few days ago and she had her jewelry on a lid from a candle. I loved it’s simplicity, so I told her that I was stealing her idea, but making it a tad bit prettier! Here’s how you can make your own upcycled jewelry tray!
Upcycled Lid Jewelry Tray Read More 👉
It’s super simple – and fun! – to create custom DIY art using old book pages! Here’s how I made this space art for our baby’s nursery.
Kids love to make their own jewelry, and these pendants, crafted from upcycled cardboard, are especially fun to create and wear. The pendants cost no money, slip easily inside a letter to a pen pal, and, if the kid gets tired of wearing them, can be tossed right back into the recycling bin.
How-to: Kid-Made Recycled Cardboard Pendants Read More 👉
Beeswax cut-outs take seconds to make, and can be used to decorate candles (even boring store-bought ones!), make candles of their own, or just hang out in your house and look pretty.
How-to: Make Beeswax Cut-outs to Decorate Candles (or Your House) Read More 👉
Remember those Crafting a Green World forums we asked you guys about back in November? We didn’t forget! Our awesome developer has been working with us to find a solution, and we are so close to launching them!
Green Crafts Forums Update! Read More 👉
I found an old lampshade at a thrift store and thought it was the perfect shape for my vintage lamp. I didn’t like the fabric on the outside, though, so I decided to give it a makeover!
Thrift Store Lampshade Makeover! Read More 👉
As I shared in the Wine Corks to Wall Art post, I was given a large bag of wine corks to craft with. Through Pinterest, I came across these adorable wine cork magnets on Etsy and thought, “I bet I could make those myself!” They’re super simple to make, so collect your corks and get crafty!
How To: Wine Cork Magnets Read More 👉
Colorful building blocks made out of ice are an inviting toy any time of year, but they take on added interest in the winter. They’re easy to make out of a variety of stash and upcycled containers, and everyone will enjoy using them to build outdoor structures that, if it’s below freezing outside, will actually stick around long enough to be played with over and over again.
How-to: Ice Building Blocks for Outdoor Play Read More 👉
Solid lotion contains all the ingredients that are really good for you, like coconut oil and shea butter, but none of the artificial ingredients that make it squeezable through a plastic bottle. A solid lotion bar just sits on your dresser looking pretty until you need it, and then melts with your body heat into your skin right where you want it.
Store-bought solid lotion bars can be REALLY expensive, but DIY solid lotion is an easy homemade project–all you have to do is melt, stir, and pour!
How-to: Homemade Solid Body Lotion for Natural Skin Care Read More 👉
Happy almost new year, you guys! It’s been an awesome crafty year, and we are all so glad that you guys could share it with us! We love reading your emails and comments, and we can’t wait to make 2013 just as fantastical.
While visiting family this week, I noticed my mom received a stack of Christmas cards from family and friends. She had a genius idea that I just had to share! Several of the cards had beautiful graphics that weren’t too “Christmasy” and were worth saving, so she decided to frame them!
Recycling Christmas Cards: Framed Art Read More 👉
I saw this fantastic pin on Pinterest on how to make a bucket list board. The idea is to write your bucket list items and hang them up on the board. Once you’ve completed an item, you put it in the bucket. It’s a great way to visualize items you would like to complete. I decided to create a New Years goal board so that I can visualize and remember all of my goals for the New Year!
New Years Goal Board Read More 👉
Need some ideas for how to reuse old jeans in your closet? We have you covered!
Want to snazz up your pine cones, AND keep them forever?
Here are three different easy methods for making your own dipped pine cones – they’re gorgeous, they may even match your wall colors, and you can keep them just about indefinitely. Even better? Pine cones are free! Just head out to your back yard or to the park with the kids and a basket and collect those natural craft supplies to your hearts’ content!
Decorative Dipped Pinecones: Three Methods Read More 👉
Store-bought wrapping paper offends me for a lot of reasons–the wasted money, the wasted resources, the energy misspent on buying ephemeral window dressing instead of focusing on family time.
And yet brown paper bags and sheets of newspaper, the go-to gift wrap for the thrifty and eco-minded, aren’t so much…well…cute.
To solve the cuteness dilemma, I spent a lot of effort decorating my first several packages with various upcycled materials and stash components. And then…
…I did something different.
Yes, I DID Wrap All of My Christmas Presents in Newspaper and Brown Paper Bags Read More 👉
Is holiday stress getting you down? Indulge in a little self care and whip up some soothing bath salts to relax your muscles and help quiet your mind.
Treat Yourself: DIY Scented Bath Salts to Bust Your Stress Read More 👉
Isn’t it hard to part with the beautiful Christmas cards that you receive from family and friends? Last year I made a New Years banner from Christmas cards and Becky has shared Seven Ways to Recycle Greeting Cards, but here are 5 more ways you can recycle all of those gorgeous cards!
Although I’m not a drinker, I was given a huge bag of wine corks to craft with! I was inspired by Sustainablog’s 8+ Ways to Upcycle Wine Corks Creatively post and decided to transform my wine corks into wall art. This project would be perfect for a wine lover’s Christmas gift– plus, it’s super easy to make!
Wine Corks to Wall Art Read More 👉
Uh oh! Did you realize that there are some folks that slipped through the cracks on your Christmas list? Don’t despair! We’ve got some simple handmade last-minute gift ideas that you can whip up for anyone on your list.
Worried that in twenty years you’ll have trouble remembering what it was that your little kid wanted more than anything else for Christmas this year?
Record their wish lists for posterity with an ornament!
Cinnamon dough is as easy to make (and as fun play with!) as play dough, and the ornaments that you can make with cinnamon dough are both sturdy and sweet-smelling.
How-to: Cinnamon Dough Ornaments that Smell Delicious and Last Forever Read More 👉
When you picture Mount Everest, you probably imagine a pristine, snow-covered peak, a lonely climber making his way to the very top, and maybe a small campfire or campsite where weary hikers take a break from the trail for the night. What you probably don’t picture is tons – literal tons – of litter.
Nepali Artists Turn Mt. Everest Trash into Art Read More 👉
This week I searched Pinterest to find a cute way to give small gifts this Christmas. I saw several projects of the traditional laced mittens and laced stockings, and thought it would be great for small items! I simply added an eco-friendly twist by using book pages. If you want to impress your co-workers with a cute gift, or dress up that gift card for a friend, this is the perfect project for you!
Recycled “Mitten” Gift Holder Read More 👉
If you follow us on Pinterest, you probably saw this idea from Alisa Burke that Becky pinned to our board. I’ve also seen these beautiful pieces of art from Creative Genius Art, too. I fell in love with the idea, so I decided to make my own version for Christmas gifts!
A Quick and Eco-Friendly Christmas Gift! Read More 👉
Got a foodie friend on your shopping list? Give the gift of homemade granola!g
My kids LOVE to make ice cream in their Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker. But is it worth the fuss?
Depends.
Review: DIY Ice Cream with the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker Read More 👉
Here’s how to turn yesterday’s newspaper into a temporary toy that your kids will love using to increase their spatial reasoning abilities.
How-to: Build Newspaper Structures with Your Kids–It’s a Toy that You Can Recycle! Read More 👉
A friend of mine in Hawaii sent me a photo of these DIY beer can “ornaments,” and they were too hilarious not to share with you guys! Obviously, these are meant to be a joke decoration, but there are lots of fun ornaments that you actually can make from empty soda cans. Check out our 10 ideas.
Spotted: Beer Can “Ornaments” in Hawaii (+ 10 soda can ornament ideas!) Read More 👉
Seriously, you guys have incredible eco-friendly craft ideas every month! Here are my 5 favorite projects from November’s Green Crafts Showcase:
Top 5 Projects from the November Green Crafts Showcase Read More 👉
I really miss all of the homemade ornaments that I would put on our Christmas tree when I was growing up. I loved the stories they brought each year as we put them on the tree. In order to start my own “stories,” I’ve been trying to make my own Christmas ornaments. Last year I made these fabulous recycled magazine ornaments and this year I was inspired by Craftapalooza’s button wreath!
Button Wreath Ornament Read More 👉
There’s something so sweet about little origami puffy hearts!
If you’re fond of making rolled beeswax candles (it’s an easy, fun, kid-friendly craft, and beeswax candles are much healthier than store-bought, petroleum-based candles), then you’ve had to answer the following question:
Where on earth do you BUY those honeycomb beeswax sheets?!?
Honeycomb beeswax sheets are rarely found at local, indie crafts stores (although you can request that they be stocked), rarely found at big-box crafts stores, rarely found at the honey farm booth at your neighborhood farmer’s marker.
I buy my honeycomb beeswax sheets online from Knorr Beeswax, and here’s what I think of them.
Review: Rolled Beeswax Honeycomb Sheets from Knorr Beeswax Read More 👉
A roller shade is easy to repair. Replacing the torn section with fabric won’t hinder the shade’s performance, and considering how roller shades are about the cheapest and most crappy-looking window covering available, anyway, the repair will actually vastly improve the overall look of the entire window treatment.
Here’s how to repair a torn roller shade with fabric that you already own, making it look even better than it did when you first bought it.
How-to: Repair a Roller Shade with Fabric Read More 👉
We love recycled felt around here! It comes in a rainbow of colors, diverts plastic waste from the landfill, and is just a joy to cut, glue, and sew. Do you need some craft ideas for your stash of recycled felt? We’ve got you covered with these 10 projects!
