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 👉
Which of these DIY non-toxic paints and wood sealants would YOU use on a child’s toy?
Reader Question: Non-Toxic Paint for Wooden Toys Read More 👉
Sara Lee Parker Textiles is an Athens, GA-based company that creates hand screen-printed organic textiles.
She was also featured in the Georgia edition of Southern Living Magazine this June, so if you live in Georgia, check it out! Parker runs her textile company with her husband, and she was kind enough to do a little Q&A with us about what she does, why she does it, and what working so closely with your husband is like.
Fab Fabrics: Hemp/Organic Cotton Prints from Sara Lee Parker Textiles Read More 👉
Do you remember my Upcycled Candle Holder into a Mini Easter Basket post? Well, I decided to give my candle holders another makeover so that I could use them daily, instead of once a year. Grab your candle holders, candle jars, or any small jar that you may have, and transform them into colorful organizers!
How To: Upcycle Candle Holders into Colorful Organizers! Read More 👉
Do you have any mismatched silverware at home? Perhaps you’ve found some beautiful silverware at a thrift store before. Put all that beautiful silverware to good use with these amazing and unique projects!
Each month, we Crafting a Green World hosts the Green Crafts Showcase, where you guys can submit your eco-friendly craft projects! At the end of the month, we choose our faves and share them right here. Here’s how to enter!
Reminder: Enter the Green Crafts Showcase Read More 👉
You think you don’t have time to do a good job to get all the paper and all the glue completely off of your glass jars, but you really do. My method for removing the sticky labels from glass jars takes about twenty minutes, but you can do it with as many glass jars as you have, all at the same time. Gather up a big collection of jars that need to have their labels removed, and you can do the job in far less time than it would take to peel the labels off by hand.
How-to: Another Way to Remove Labels from Glass Jars Read More 👉
The Lil Blue Boo Recycled T-Shirt Sienna Dress is written to be used with upcycled T-shirts, and because of this, it has some real advantages over conventional sewing patterns.
Review: The Lil Blue Boo Recycled T-Shirt Sienna Dress Pattern Read More 👉
If you had told me that I’d be talking passionately about the 2012 Farm Bill on a crafting website, I would have never believed it, but a recent proposed amendment to the monster bill could have a big impact for green crafters by making it legal to grow hemp in the U.S. But will it pass?
Could the Farm Bill Legalize Growing Hemp in the U.S.? Read More 👉
Have you seen this Fourth of July post from Martha Stewart? I absolutely loved the red, white, and blue pom-poms she used to decorate the buffet table for the Fourth of July, so I decided to make my own eco-friendly version!
How To: Eco-Friendly “Sparklers” Read More 👉
We’ve done several projects before with book pages, but what about the entire book? My degree is in English so I’m obsessed with books– especially vintage/antique books that have tons of character. They’re such a beautiful and simple way to decorate! Here are 5 ways you can give an old book new life!
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 👉
I talked on Wednesday about more of the trouble with conventional cotton, but don’t fret, my fellow seamsters! There are plenty of organic cotton resources out there to help you sew cute without any green guilt.
Clean Cotton: 16 Organic Cotton Resources Read More 👉
Last week on Pinterest, I came across an adorable Tie Pot from Make It and Love It. I thought I would make my own eco-friendly version using an empty coffee can and newspaper. This tie pot has so many possibilities and is the perfect gift for any dad! Let’s get started!
How To: Eco-Friendly Father’s Day Tie Pot Read More 👉
Father’s Day is right around the corner on June 17! Instead of spending money at big box stores, make your gift extra special by making it yourself! Here are 5 adorable ideas to get you started.
We’ve talked about the dirty side of cotton here before. Conventional cotton is an issue that’s really close to my heart, so when I read the latest battle between big ag and Indian farmers, I thought I’d share it here.
Dirty Cotton: Indian Cotton Farmers Devastated Read More 👉
You CAN recycle most of a Crayola marker. It’s messy work, and it’s time-consuming, but it’s also a great lesson for kids (and for us!) about the obligations of responsible consumerism.
How-to: Recycle Crayola Markers Read More 👉
