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Good liquid soap–the kind with no weird scents or dyes, or dangerous artificial ingredients (triclosan? Yikes!)–can be expensive. When you want to shop frugally, it can be easier to opt for the cheap liquid soap that has questionable ingredients, or the less expensive but still good bar soap even if you prefer liquid. If you’re a hard-core DIYer, however, you’ve grown used to the knowledge that you never have to do without anything that you desire, because you can probably make it for yourself, with better ingredients, using exactly the ingredients and scents that you prefer, a lot more cheaply than you can find store-bought....

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the MOO card giveaway! It was great to read all of your comments. We used a random number generator to choose our three winners and they are…. LittleSunday who said, “I could use them for scrapping!” Alice who said, “Since I sell knit stuff, I think those cards would be an excellent way to showcase the line of organic plant dyed yarns I will be featuring in my next line!...

For that reason, kids’ clothes are very well-suited for sewing with recycled materials. I’ve sewed smocked sundresses for my girls out of pillowcases, a pants and kimono shirt outfit for a newborn out of one blouse, two sturdy diaper covers out of a felted wool sweater. I was afraid of sewing from a pattern when I was a novice seamster, ironically, but now that I sew well, I enjoy using patterns to create more complicated clothing with attractive detailing and sophisticated elements....

Evites definitely have a place in our world. In fact, they’re the most eco-friendly way to send a party invitation, as they require the fewest resources to manufacture, send, and dispose of. But of course there’s still a place for the printed invitation, especially one that’s hand-crafted from eco-friendly materials, perhaps even hand-delivered. If you’re sending an invitation for a very special event, a physical invitation is a great way to help your guests feel special from the first moment....

Whether you want to make a larger, single project as a present, or something smaller to accompany a store-bought gift (my kid LOVES her insulated travel mug and electric kettle for her dorm room), here are one dozen homemade, themed gifts that any afficionado will love. Cup Candle A homemade candle poured in a vintage cup is so cute, and it’s the perfect cozy accompaniment to your favorite reading nook....

Sewing for kids gets harder as they get older. Those once straight little noodles evolve into curves, and unpredictable growth spurts mean that you never know quite how a pattern is going to fit in all its dimensions–not to mention how it’s going to fit after the next growth spurt! One of my favorite children’s pattern companies is Oliver +S, but this School Bus T-shirt is the first pattern of theirs that I’ve sewn for a tween....

The garden is a place for growing flowers, chasing butterflies…and preschooler math games. Start planning now for a spring and summer full of learning! The garden is a place for growing flowers, chasing butterflies…even impromptu tag. But you can slip some preschooler math games in without drawing too much attention to yourself. Spring and summer are coming, so it’s the perfect time to start planning and plant the seeds of learning....

Map lampshade Make map bunting — if you can, use hemp twine! Make your own map shoes DIY map dining room chairs Make map paper chains Vintage map decoupaged pots Map gift wrap Use maps to line your dresser drawers — just switch out the sheet music with maps Create a map topped table Make a map wall DIY map wallet Cover thrifted picture frames with maps Cut up a map and then frame the pieces Glue a map to an old window DIY map coasters Make a map Altoids tin DIY wood pallet map Add a map to the back of a vintage clock Turn a large map into a TV frame DIY map pendant light Recycled road map cork board Map covered buffet Map wall paper Update old birdhouses with maps Vintage map wooden blocks Make map paper beads Woven map basket Line a suitcase with vintage maps Map and burlap soup can pencil holders Map page roses DIY map feathers Map jar lanterns DIY map wreath How to make a map gift bow Jenga block and map key chain Fish scale map art — use eco-friendly scrapbook paper, if possible....

We’ve all got pieces of furniture that look like they’re on the way out. When I first moved to Atlanta, a friend gave me a coffee table. I had no money and very little furniture, so I was grateful even though the table was sort of…well…it was ugly, alright? It was an ugly, ugly table. Rather than pitch it, I decided to give it a fresh coat of white paint and try my hand at a mosaic....

If you’re looking for ideas or wondering what artists are doing with garbage and crafty recycled, upcycled, and reused materials than this book is for you. 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew (1000 Series, Quarry Books 1, 2009) is full of stylish art, crafty ideas, and outlandish designs made from everyday materials that were discarded. Personally I would love to see more crafty ideas that are practical and useful though I love art for arts sake as well, especially when materials are reused and recycled....

You have enough cups to drink tea out of–take a few teacups out of your stash and make some of these teacup crafts, instead! 1. bird feeder. The birds want to eat off of elegant china, too! 2. candle stand. This stand requires both the teacup and saucer, but of course they don’t have to match. 3. chalkboard business card holder. This is a brilliant way to show off your business cards....

When deciding on what needles to invest in, you’ll want to consider what type of knitter you are and what type of projects you’re interested in. A fair amount of patterns, from sweaters to scarves, call for U.S. size 8/5 mm or 10/6 mm needles. So you’ll probably want to own these sizes. If you find yourself enamored by sock making you’ll want to stock up on U.S. size 0/2mm and 1/2....

Did your backpack USED to have cheap-o zipper pulls that totally sucked and then fell off, leaving you with nothing to grip? The zipper pulls that you’re going to replace them with are NOT going to suck–I guarantee it! Maybe you were a studious little kid and won a lot of academic awards, like I did, or maybe you’re just a good garage sale and thrift store shopper. Either way, grab up a handful of old award medals, some vintage jewelry, and some pliers, and check out how to replace your janky zipper pulls with these excellent, sturdy, striking zipper pulls made from vintage medals....

Unlike my paper-covered switch plates, these fabric-covered ones can’t be sealed. That means that they’re not a good choice for an outlet cover that gets a lot of use. They work very well, though, for a couple of particularly hard to reach but easy to see outlets in my family room. I also went ahead and pulled the trigger on redoing a very visible switch plate. If the Covid numbers get high again I’m probably going to freak out and replace that one with something I can scrub, but until then, I’m delighted with it....

If you’re the crafty type, and you’ve got a good bit of ingenuity, you can find yourself walking down the aisle not in a mass-produced, factory-made wedding dress, but in your very own hand-sewn, custom-made original. Whether you’re upcycling, remaking, or sewing your wedding dress from scratch, check out these free wedding dress patterns and tutorials to get you started. The DIY wedding dress process. Regardless of the fabric or style or pattern of wedding dress that you choose, THIS is the basic process that you’ll follow....

You don’t even have to actually tell the recipient of your thank-you card that it’s written on recycled elephant poop paper. But why wouldn’t you? Mr. Ellie Pooh is a small company that makes eco-friendly, fair trade papers from 50% recycled post-consumer paper and 50% Sri Lankan elephant dung. Their products are available at fair trade and other specialty stores (I bought the note cards in these photos at the Cincinnati Zoo)....

Located in Monroe, Wisconsin, Homestead boasts a healthy and happy flock of 92 sheep and a couple of alpacas and great pyrenees that help protect the sheep. Homestead takes great pride in the care of their flock. Their happiness and good care is their utmost concern. All of the fiber from the sheep is washed and dyed on the farm. Most of it ends up for sale after being carded....

This yarn is also a very elegant and soft fiber. The silk lends its smooth texture to the sometimes rough cotton to create a peaceful yarn. Cotton-Silk Natural comes in relaxing colors created with plant dyes. It is available in five different subtle monotone verigates. These restful colors are created with such things as sandalwood and herbs and flowers. I find the most soothing colors of this yarn to be Mint and Blush....

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to share one of the pieces I just put together for my craft booth— “I Love You” wall art! What You Will Need: Three picture frames. I found mine at a thrift store. Sheet music or other recycled paper Scissors A pencil Scrapbook paper. Scrapbook paper isn’t the greenest craft supply, so consider using products like the Green Stack Collection, Eco-Friendly Recycled Scrapbook Paper, and Recycled Kraft Paper for Scrapbooking....

And I buy the vodka that comes in the skull-shaped bottle. I drink all that alcohol (but responsibly, you know. Reasonably!), but you all know that really what I’m buying is the bottle that I’m then going to upcycle into something weird. So if you, too, buy skull-shaped vodka bottles mostly so that you, too, can do something cool with them after you’ve enjoyed the vodka, then check out this list of my favorite ways to upcycle that Crystal Head Vodka skull bottle!...