Be Miss America. Be a Lookout, complete with Basilisk Slayer badge. Be the Ambassador from China. Be whatever you want, with a DIY brown paper bag sash to prove it. I started this project with the desire to make something special for my Girl Scout troop to wear as they represented China for World Thinking Day this year, but now that I’ve made several of these brown paper bag sashes, I’m excited by the possibilities!...
You can bring them inside and they’ll last for a while, preserve them and they’ll last for longer, or you can use them as templates to make these easy and beautiful felt leaf silhouettes that will last as long as you like. Supplies Leaves My kids and I have used both completely fresh leaves and pressed leaves. It’s more difficult to trace an accurate outline of a leaf when it’s fresh, but it does turn the project into one that can be done in less than an hour, instead of one that requires cooling your heels for a few weeks while your leaves are in the leaf press....
Of course, the way this year has been going, it’s much more likely that your button has pinged off explosively in the middle of a crowded room, probably while you, yourself, are at the center of attention, and it has first smacked someone important in the eye and then fallen… somewhere, probably deep in a crack between the floorboards. And that was your only pair of nice pants. Fortunately, sewing a button back on your pants is a super easy and low-fuss skill that requires only a basic amount of hand-eye coordination....
A key fob is a great solution for anyone who needs just a couple of things handy. It fits happily on one’s wrist when needed for ready access, and makes your stuff a LOT easier to find in a backpack or tote bag. And although you do have to purchase the hardware, the rest of it is simple to sew from scraps, making the key fob a great solution for the enthusiastically scrapbusting crafter, too!...
The clothes washer uses water, gas, and electricity to get your clothes clean. Here’s how to wash clothes using fewer resources. Our sister site Sustainablog shared a great list of five DIY washing machines that use human power to wash clothes rather than electricity. But these ain’t your great, great grandma’s washboard. These primitive machines use less water and less power than an electric machine. And they use less human power than those old-fashioned washing boards....
1. Chocolate Covered Cherries Elana’s Pantry gives us a wonderful recipe for creating chocolate covered cherries. They’re gluten free and sweetened with agave nectar making them much different from the boxed version at the drugstore. Next » Conversation Hearts 2. Conversation Hearts These little guys have always been a staple in Valentine’s Day celebrations. Who knew they could be so easy to make at home? Over on ireallylikefood, there is a recipe to help you do just that....
My kids and I have made a LOT of rolled beeswax candles. It’s kind of our thing. My kids have homemade rolled beeswax candles on their birthday cakes. They’re the tea lights that I put under my essential oil warmer, and the tapers that we have on the table for our “fancy” family dinners. You mostly make rolled beeswax candles in single colors, or perhaps by wrapping two different-colored beeswax sheets together....
You’d be surprised (or probably you wouldn’t, sigh) to see how many of the tutorials in craft books call for toxic ingredients or encourage wasteful consumption. Buying a bunch of plastic crap from the Dollar Store to paint and glue into different crap isn’t the “recycling” craft that many so-called professionals seem to think that it is! So I’m always on the lookout and reserve a special place in my heart for those craft books that truly do use eco-friendly methods and/or materials....
I LOVE these DIY newspaper seed starting pots, because you can make them as-needed, and there’s no waste-you plant your sprouted seedlings right in this pot, which decomposes to enrich the soil and allow your baby plant’s roots to spread. No trauma to the babies, nothing to carry to the trash bin–it’s a double win! DIY Newspaper Seed Starting Pots All you need are: newspaper. If you don’t take the newspaper yourself, just ask around....
I have told you about several methods for creating a wood stain in vibrant colors using liquid watercolors, and told you in the same breath that this method isn’t to be used for children who still mouth things, because it’s not waterproof. I have told you about several methods to seal wood to waterproof it, but warned you that these methods aren’t eco-friendly, because there isn’t an eco-friendly way to completely waterproof a toy like this....
What You Will Need: An old camping stool Scrap wood. Mine had already been white washed, so I left them like that. A drill or screwdriver Screws 5. Low VOC spray paint Sand paper How To Do It: Sand your camping stool. Then, clean it with a damp rag. Remove the fabric portion of the stool. This is an optional step, but I removed mine because it was in such a bad condition....
Each year on the Scottish isle of St Kilda, dozens of pufflings are stranded inland after the lights from the island disorient them. Rangers with the National Trust of Scotland rescue the babies by putting them into cotton drawstring bags to keep them safe before releasing them back into the sea. Property manager Susan Bain is asking anyone with sewing skills to pitch in making rescue bags to help The National Trust of Scotland stock up for this summer’s round of rescues....
One thing that I don’t think gets enough attention is the metal that we use in our crafting. Between chains, clasps, and wire for wrapping, metal plays a huge part in any handmade piece of jewelry. That metal can have a huge impact on the environment. A lot of conventional gold, silver and copper mining is devastating both to mountains and to the surrounding areas. Many mining companies use a process similar to strip mining, and the runoff from this practice pollutes soil and water, and displaces tens of thousands of people each year because of this pollution....
Vendor applications are now being accepted on our website thru July 6th. Last year we hosted 100 vendors from across the country, and will be accepting 120 for this year’s event. I’m giving Crafting a Green World the inside scoop, because we are aiming to make Strange Folk eco-friendly as well. The great thing about promoting indie craft shows is that they draw a huge following online. Many have been very successful at tapping into their target audience through MySpace, Facebook, or online ads....
Now they are expanding their selection of products made from waste to include rain barrels and composters made from discarded wooden wine barrels and cork boards made from used wine bottle corks. They’ve also expanded into making office products from various materials. The cork boards and other office products are available at Office Max stores. I am so in love with wine products. I use a lot of used wine products (bottles, labels, corks, etc) in my crafts....
Wine Bottle Garden Bed Start saving those empty bottles, and maybe get some friends to help! Instead of sending all of that pretty, colored glass to the bin, you can use it to line a garden bed. Upside down wine bottles are beautiful, durable, and add a lovely pop of recycled color to your garden! Next » Silverware Garden Marker [Wine Bottle Image: Creative Commons photo by Scrappy Annie, Shoe Garden Image: Creative Commons photo by torroid]
Ok, good. That’s just about everyone. Raise your hand if you try and reuse them for random things like other trash bags and carrying lunch to work? Great! I think that’s still a good chunk of you. Now, raise your hand if you still have all these bags and still don’t know what to do with them but refuse to throw them away? Yup, that’s what I thought. Well you’re in luck because this week I am going to explore a bit about what to do with all those plastic bags....
1. Recycled Milk Bottle Quilled Clock by Upcycle: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Upcycle: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint used milk bottles to make this beautiful clock! I love it’s modern look and the pop of red on the hands of the clock! Click over to their site and see how you can make your own cool and modern clock. 2. Old Dresser to New Desk by The Yellow House on 3rd Can you believe The Yellow House on 3rd transformed an old dresser into this awesome new desk?...
Next» Five Natural Face Paints DIY by Green Issues [Photo via Organized 31, used with permission]
For my younger daughter, Sydney, who is as roughneck as any little kid but who adores skirts and dresses, this lack came about with the chill autumn breeze, when I realized that she didn’t have any skirts or dresses that were made for cool weather. Fortunately, if there’s one thing that I have a shameful stash of, it’s vintage or thrifted fabric and clothing for reconstrution. Sweaters are so nice and soft and comfy, why on earth should they be worn only on one’s top half?...
