Picking up fallen sticks around the yard is less of a hassle when you have something more fun to do with them than just tossing them in the ubiquitous brush pile by the street.
Nature Crafts to Make Using the Sticks from Your Yard Read More 👉
Cardboard is a terrific material to reuse for kids’ crafts because it’s so sturdy, and it’s amenable to a wide variety of media, from duct tape to spray paint.
Reader Question Answered: Reusing Cardboard for Kid-Friendly Crafts Read More 👉
We love a good upcycled craft project around here, so when Michael Welsh wanted to send me a review copy of his book, How to Make Crafts using Recycled Materials, I took him up on the offer.
Book Review: How to Make Crafts Using Recycled Materials Read More 👉
I know I say this every month, but all of your projects really do amaze me! There are so many projects that I wish I would have come up with myself. Without further adieu, here are the incredible top 5 projects from the July Green Crafts Showcase!
Top 5 Projects from the July Green Crafts Showcase Read More 👉
As I mentioned last week, my roommate – Crystal – is a musician. Specifically, though, her main instrument is drums. We decided to showcase our love for music right in our living room by upcycling old drums into side tables!
How To: Upcycle an Old Drum into a Side Table Read More 👉
Instead of buying your next dog bed at the store, you can sew your own using an old sheet set or one you find at the thrift store!
How-to: Make a Dog Bed from Reclaimed Bedding 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 👉
Did you read our review of Dalai Mama Waldorf doll clothing patterns?
Did you enter the giveaway for three free clothing patterns from the Dalai Mama etsy shop?
If you did, read on to see if you’re our lucky winner!
Announcing the Winner of Three Waldorf Doll Clothing Patterns from Dalai Mama Patterns Read More 👉
On Wednesday, we shared a video tutorial on how to make your own fingerpaint, but let’s be honest here: you are busy. Sometimes, you just don’t want to do everything from scratch, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of! I did a little digging and found a few companies that make fingerpaints that are much healthier and more eco-friendly than the conventional ones you’d find on store shelves.
Three Companies that Make Eco-Friendly Fingerpaints Read More 👉
One of our awesome readers, Abby, asked if we had any projects for old computer parts. In response to her question, we put together a round-up of 5 cool crafts with old computer parts! Grab your keyboards, circuit boards, etc, and get crafty!
Reader Question: Cool Crafts with Old Computer Parts Read More 👉
My roommate, Crystal, had a blank wall in her room that desperately needed to be filled. She’s a musician, so naturally, we pulled out some records and upcycled them into really cool wall art!
How To: Upcycled Vinyl Records Into Wall Art Read More 👉
What kiddo doesn’t love to fingerpaint, right? The thing about commercial fingerpaints is they are often full of not-so-natural ingredients, including petroleum products, and the packaging is none to green, either. Rather than deal with plastic packaging and questionable ingredients, you can make your own finger paint with ingredients that you probably have in the kitchen right now!
How-to: Make Your Own Fingerpaint with Kitchen Ingredients [video] Read More 👉
Dalai Mama Patterns is offering one lucky winner their choice of three Waldorf doll clothing patterns from the Dalai Mama Patterns etsy shop. Check out my review of the Zoe Dress and the Hunter and Cameron Pants, and then read on to see how you can enter the giveaway.
Giveaway: Win Three Waldorf Doll Clothing Patterns from Dalai Mama Patterns Read More 👉
Making clothes for your Waldorf dolls is a cinch with the right patterns. Doll clothing is small, so it’s a great way to use up your scrap bin or remake a kid’s favorite outgrown clothing into something cute. Check out my review of Dalai Mama Patterns, and stay tuned for a Waldorf doll clothing pattern giveaway!
Review of Dalai Mama Patterns Waldorf Doll Clothing Patterns–and a Giveaway! Read More 👉
I got the chance to chat with the ladies over at Celbrate Green about green crafting, and it got me thinking about why choosing eco-friendly craft supplies is important to me. It also made me curious about you guys! What made you decide to ditch conventional craft supplies in favor of one that are better for the planet? What does green crafting mean to you? I’ll tell you mine, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Why do you craft green? Read More 👉
I absolutely love collecting old buttons because I feel like each one tells a story. If you like collecting buttons as much as I do, consider making these beautiful button projects! They’re a great way to showcase your button collection and add a bit of color to your life!
Last weekend my roommates and I found an adorable china cabinet at a garage sale for $25. Besides a few pretty dishes, though, we didn’t have a lot to put in the china cabinet. I dug through my craft stash and found three tin cans– perfect for something decorative!
How To: Upycled Decorative Cans Read More 👉
Crafter Rachel Mash creates art pieces using finger printing ink and stamp pads and wants her work to be a little bit greener.
Reader Question: Natural Finger-Printing or Stamp Ink 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 👉
No matter what your craft, chances are your space could use a little more organizational oomph, but organizers from the big box store come with a big impact. They’re often made with plastic and shipped all over the world. Boo on that! We craft green, and we want our spaces to be green too, right? Instead of heading to the store, check out these upcycled organizers for your craft room instead!
Often times you can find random drawers at thrift stores or garage sales– instead of passing them by, you repurpose one into a handy organizer!
Repurposed Organizer from a Desk Drawer Read More 👉
Where I live, school starts on August 6th, which is a mere 3 weeks away! Have you started thinking about school supplies for your children yet? Instead of spending money at big box stores on products that are far from eco-friendly, consider making some of your own school supplies! Here are 5 projects to get you started!
Did you miss the deadline for the last Green Crafts Showcase? Don’t despair! We do a showcase every month, so you can enter right now for this month’s showcase.
Enter This Month’s Green Crafts Showcase Read More 👉
The City Museum is formed primarily from the detritus of the city of St. Louis, using salvaged tiles to cover the walls and floors in mosaics, salvaged gargoyles to spray water into the two-storey indoor fountain, and two salvaged airplanes that are part of the outdoor jungle gym created with steel springs, iron walkways, an old trolley, and a giant ball pit.
And yes, you get to climb all over it.
St. Louis City Museum Turns Architectural Salvage into an Urban Playground Read More 👉
If you have a baby gift of your own that needs to be crafted, whether it’s Doctor Who themed or not, check out the ideas below. They’re all made using recycled and upcycled materials, so not only are they crafty, but they’re also eco-friendly (and way cheaper than a store-bought gift!).
Handmade Gifts for the New Baby Made from Upcycled and Recycled Materials Read More 👉
Have you come across the adorable picture frame wreaths on Pinterest like this one from A Glimpse Inside? I think they are so creative and colorful compared to the average wreath! I decided to make my own eco-friendly version of a picture frame wreath using recycled materials. Grab an empty picture frame and some recycled paper to make your own!
How To: Eco-Friendly Picture Frame Wreath Read More 👉
It’s time for more green crafts goodness from our Green Crafts Showcase! Like I said in the Top 5 Projects from the May Green Crafts Showcase post, please visit each of these sites and encourage them with your sweet comments!Here’s the top 5 projects from June:
Top 5 Projects from the June Green Crafts Showcase! Read More 👉
When you cut a glass bottle, you basically score the glass to weaken it and then use hot water to stress that fracture so the bottle breaks. A thorough sanding, and you’re ready to use an old wine or beer bottle as a tumbler, a vase, or anything you can dream up. The trouble with the scoring part is that it’s really hard to get an even cut when you’re doing it free hand.
Kinkajou: Simplifying the Bottle Cutter Read More 👉
Before our trip to Disney World this fall, my kiddos and I have been spending the summer crafting our own Disney souvenirs, primarily from upcycled and recycled materials. The stuff that we’re making is cute, it’s Disney-themed, and it will hopefully at least cool down the consumerist frenzy for Disney stuff that we can’t help but be bombarded with in Orlando this fall.
Pirates, Princesses, and Mouse Ears: Upcycled Disney Crafts Read More 👉
Read on for six projects designed to make perfect use of a single upcycled flat sheet.
Six Crafty Green Ways to Upcycle Flat Bed Sheets Read More 👉
You could head to the big box store for your planter-y needs, but why buy something produced in a factory and shipped thousands of miles when you can whip up cute, DIY planters from reclaimed materials instead? Here are some ideas to get you going!
As my roommate went through her old clothes this week, she could not let go of one particular shirt. She loved the graphic, but she had outgrown the shirt. A previous post, Reader Tip: T-Shirt as Art, came to mind and I made this adorable wall art for her! If you have old t-shirts that you can no longer wear, but want to keep, this is the perfect project for you!
How To: T-Shirt Wall Art Read More 👉
The Fourth of July is just a few days away! If you’re hosting a get-together at your home and want to make some eco-friendly decorations, or if you just want to create some crafts with your kiddos, you need to check out these awesome tutorials!
5 Eco-Friendly Craft Ideas for the Fourth of July! Read More 👉
As simplicity goes, this tin can planter is really as easy as it gets! If you’re not into planting succulents, you can also use other small space plants like herbs or flowers. You could even cluster together a bunch of tin can pots with herbs in them to create a miniature indoor herb garden! Who says you need a back yard to grow your own food?
How-to: Tin Can Planter Read More 👉
A bar of soap is easy to carve even with simple, blunt, household tools, which makes it an extremely satisfying activity for a kid, who probably doesn’t get a lot of chances to carve something these days. If you make or buy organic, natural-ingredients soap, soap carving is also a wholesome activity, and it won’t add anything to the waste stream.
Summer Craft: Soap Carving for Kids Read More 👉
