Read on for several recipes for liquid soaps that you can make yourself–some are very frugal, some are very fancy, and some will clean your dishes or your laundry as well as your hands.
A reader wrote in not long ago wondering about where she could donate some gently used needlecraft supplies she’d inherited, since she wasn’t a needlecrafter herself.
Reader Question: What to Do with Needlecraft Supplies Read More 👉
This week I was researching some ideas for a wedding shower that I’m hosting at the end of this month. I came across this beautiful dessert table set up from Hostess With the Mostess and I thought, “I bet I could make that with recycled materials!” I couldn’t get the idea out of my head, so I decided to go ahead and give it a try with magazine pages!
How To: Recycled Rosettes Read More 👉
St. Patrick’s Day is next Saturday, March 17– have you crafted for it yet? The only projects I’ve made so far are the Toilet Paper Roll Shamrocks. I needed inspiration to make my St. Patrick’s Day even more crafty! To get all of us inspired, I found 5 fun and eco-friendly projects for us to try!
5 Fun and Eco-Friendly St. Patrick’s Day Projects! Read More 👉
I was taken aback when a reader recently asked if we could look into the rumor that Spoonflower outsources some of its printing production to South America and uses child labor. Organic cotton printed by a company that exploits children would be far from green, in my opinion!
Does Spoonflower outsource printing and use child labor? Read More 👉
Even though there are a lot of great manufacturers of reusable menstrual supplies out there, if you’re feeling crafty, there’s no reason why you couldn’t make nearly everything that you need all by yourself. When you DIY, you can make your stuff extra comfy, extra cute, of just the right absorbency, and even completely from stash, if you’re super-resourceful.
From Cloth Pads to Crocheted Tampons: DIY Menstrual Supplies Read More 👉
I’d do anything for that kid of mine, and armed with six rainbow-hued thrifted Prom and bridesmaid dresses, a ruffler foot for my sewing machine, and not a little hot glue, I made her Rainbow Fairy Dress a reality.
The trick with burlap is that for some reason it seems hard to find. Conventional fabric stores don’t often stock it, and it’s tricky to navigate online burlap resources. So, how’s a gal supposed to make a burlap fabric box? Fear not! I’ve dug around and found some resources for burlap, so you don’t have to do the legwork.
5 Resources for Finding Burlap Read More 👉
After posting last week’s project, Upcycled Candle Holder into a Mini Easter Basket, I realized I completely skipped over St. Patrick’s Day! To get some inspiration, I visited Pinterest. I found an adorable St. Patrick’s Day banner tutorial from The Crafting Chicks that I loved! I especially liked the “leaves” of the shamrock that were made from hearts. Then, I remembered a post that I saw on TPcraft.com, where they made toilet paper rolls into hearts. Combining the two amazing projects, I came up with toilet paper roll shamrocks!
Make a Shamrock from a Toilet Paper Roll Read More 👉
Do you want to share your green craft projects? We want to see them! Find out how to share your projects through our new Green Crafts Showcase!
Introducing The Green Crafts Showcase! Read More 👉
We have been all about the beeswax this week! Julie shared a recipe for natural beeswax furniture polish on Monday and then a whole roundup of beeswax crafts yesterday. I’ve got to say that as a vegan crafter, I want to get in on all this eco-friendly waxy action! But since beeswax comes from bees, that makes it off limits for vegan crafting purposes. So! I did a bit of digging and turned up a great vegan beeswax alternative!
Vegan Crafting Made Easy: A Vegan Beeswax Alternative Read More 👉
Because I’m always looking for a way to reduce the toxic chemicals that we keep in our home, I also like to make my own cleaning and bath supplies, and beeswax has proved itself to be just as versatile, and just as useful, in recipes that keep our house and bodies clean and happy as it is in all the other ways that we use it. Here are some of the best beeswax recipes for bath, body, and cleaning supplies that you can make yourself.
Bath and Body Beeswax Recipes (and a Few Recipes to Keep Your House Honey-Sweet, Too) Read More 👉
From my antique library table to my unfinished wood kitchen countertops to my children’s many wooden toys (especially the hand-stained wooden toys), my homemade beeswax wood polish keeps them all in good condition, with all-natural ingredients and scented with essential oils.
How-to: A Recipe for Natural Beeswax Wood Polish Read More 👉
If you’re shopping at conventional stores for tablescape supplies, chances are they’re not so eco-friendly. From linens to dishware to candles and centerpieces, there are lots of ways to make a tablescape that reflects your beliefs without sacrificing beauty. Here are some tablescape ideas to get you started…
Create a Beautiful Repurposed Tablescape! Read More 👉
It seems too early to even think about Easter, but items are already showing up in the stores! Before you spend money on items at the big box stores, try eco-friendly DIY projects like this one!
Upcycled Candle Holder into a Mini Easter Basket Read More 👉
Jill Porter recycles soda cans from drinks consumed by her family and friends. Then, she designs, cuts, embosses and assembles them into upcycled jewelry!
Green Crafter Profile: Upcycled Jewelry from JMP Designs Read More 👉
Of course, I could have hit up the big box store for a table runner, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, those store-bought situations tend to involve either conventional cotton or some type of polyester, and they’re made in far-off factories. Who knows what the labor practices are there, right? Instead, I hit my stash and whipped up this reclaimed table runner that’s exactly the right size for my new sideboard. Here’s how you can make a table runner of your own!
How-to: Make a Repurposed Table Runner 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 👉
Whether you’d like to use a wax seal on a letter, a gift, or your own altered art, this candle + stamp method is just as quick and easy as using traditional sealing wax supplies–and it’s cheaper!
How-to: Craft DIY Wax Seals Using Crayons and Stamps 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 👉
Have you made our DIY Crochet Lace Necklace, our Vegan Jewelry, or our 5 Minute Headband and now you just need something to display your creations? Well, this week I decided it would be a great time to find some solutions for all of our beautiful jewelry. The following are 10 incredible projects that were created to showcase and organize our jewelry collections and are made with repurposed items!
What do you get when you combine an ugly thrift store frame and a beautiful scarf? A gorgeous piece of art!
Old Frame + Scarf = A Masterpiece Read More 👉
It can be tricky to scale your production up and keep that packaging green. Minimal packaging is always best, but when it comes to beauty products there are some things that just need a package. You can’t exactly spoon a glob of lip gloss into your customer’s hand, right?
Reader Question: Eco-Friendly Containers for Beauty Products Read More 👉
DIY chewing gum can be a surprisingly eco-friendly project (hint–it’s the chicle), but be warned: in the process of making this chewing gum from a kit, I got a really, really, REALLY bad DIY chewing gum-making injury.
Were you one of our 25 winners of The Christmas Guide to Upcycling, by Mahe Zehra Husain? Check here to see!
Giveaway Announcement: Winners of The Christmas Guide to Upcycling, by Mahe Zehra Husain Read More 👉
We’ve talked some about the joys of burlap before. Burlap is made from jute, a very low-impact plant to grow. Not only that, it’s pretty easy to get second hand burlap, if you know where to look. Local coffee shops, especially ones that roast their own beans, tend to be rich with big, empty burlap sacks. If you frequent a local coffee shop, get friendly with the staff and ask nicely – I bet they’ll be happy to give you a burlap sack or two!
5 Awesome Ways to Repurpose a Burlap Coffee Sack Read More 👉
Do you have a lot of candles around your home like I do? What do you do with the jar once your candle has burned out? Put it to good use and create something sweet for Valentine’s Day like this decorated Valentine’s Day jar!
Create Something Sweet with an Upcycled Candle Jar Read More 👉
I’ve had a few conversations recently about eco-friendly crafts and supplies that have made it really clear to me that green crafting is not a black and white thing. Like so many other things, there’s definitely a continuum with green crafting, and lately I’ve started to wonder how “green” a project needs to be for it to be an eco craft.
What does green crafting mean to you? Read More 👉
Twenty-five people will win a copy of Mahe Zehra Husain’s ebook, The Christmas Guide to Upcycling. Enter now, and one of those winners could be you!
Giveaway: Win a Copy of The Christmas Guide to Upcycling, by Mahe Zehra Husain Read More 👉
If you’re a recycled artist or crafter, you may think that you know everything that can be done with old soda cans and plastic packaging, but trust me–Mahe Zehra Husain has some very new things to teach you (and something to give you, as well–read on for the details!).
Green Crafter Book Review: Crafty Cans and Perplexing Plastic, by Mahe Zehra Husain Read More 👉
Between gifts and a night out on the town, Valentine’s day can get pretty pricey, but it doesn’t have to be! Instead of heading out to dinner this year, why not whip up a romantic meal for two and transform your living- or dining-room into a perfect Valentine’s day date spot?
Every year I receive some of these yummy chocolates, as I’m sure most people do too (or I shamefully buy them for myself!). Once the chocolates are gone, though, the average person would think these cute boxes don’t really have a purpose. However, if you have a crafty, eco-friendly mind like me, these adorable hearts can have new life! What did I do? I created awesome wall art!
Upcycle Your Chocolate Heart Boxes into Wall Art! Read More 👉
Do you drink soda? Perhaps you’re a bit of a soda addict? Hopefully you already recycle your soda cans, but if you want, save a few to complete these 5 awesome projects!
Brr! It’s getting chilly out there again. Wristwarmers can add an extra layer of cozy to your winter look, but the store-bought kind often aren’t the most eco-friendly. Chances are, they’re mass-produced in a factory using conventional cotton (with all of the issues that come along with it). You can skip the human rights and environmental issues, though, and make your very own set of wristwarmers out of a thrift store sweater instead! Here’s how.
How-to: Make Lovebird Wristwarmers from Sweater Sleeves Read More 👉
Fortunately, one of the most common points of breakage in an umbrella–that tip that comes unmoored from the metal support–is quite simple to repair.
