If you have an animal, unless you make your own pet food, you probably have more feed sacks than you know what to do with. Or maybe you’re just throwing away all those bags of dog food, cat food, chicken feed, or horse feed? You don’t have to toss those bulky bags! Check out this list below, and see how easy it is to upcycle that empty sack into something super awesome: 1....
1. Felt Conversation Hearts First up Lavender and Limes offers a tutorial for making cute conversation hearts from scraps of felt. Next » Heart Garland
Check out this compilation of clips from their winter 2008 UK tour: PowerPlant performs the entire piece without using any conventional instruments. I think the industrial sound from the instruments goes really well with the harsh tone of the videos behind him. Import/Export is being released on CD and DVD on May 25th in the US, and Prokofiev and Burgess have a short US tour coming up in July. To read a bit more about the project, you can check out this interview with Prokofiev....
Does the chilly weather get you craving hot beverages? Sure, you could pick up a box of store-bought tea, but wouldn’t it be more fun to mix up your own creations? Store bought tea might be easier, but between the box it comes in, the tea bags, and those stapled-on paper tags, it can also mean a lot of waste. Some tea bags even come individually packaged in their own paper or plastic sleeves!...
I’ve been saving (or hoarding) several glass bottles for craft projects. This week, I looked at the bottles and admired their shape– their round middle reminded me of Santa Claus! I decided to transform one into a “subtle Santa” for decoration. Here’s how you can make your own! What You Will Need: A glass bottle Red paint. I used acrylic paint because that’s what I had on hand, but it’s not the greenest craft supply....
Our first question comes from one of Green Options‘ own, Noelle d’Estries. Q: I’d like to get my sister into knitting — what are the basic tools I should set her up with, along with these beginner books? – Noelle A: First off, I have to say congrats for getting your sister into knitting! Once she learns the basics, a whole world of creativity will open up to her and she will be forever grateful to you for bringing her into that world....
“Our Touch the Sky card is lovingly handcrafted in Rwanda by young people who have been orphaned by genocide or disease. All the paper is handmade from local Rwandan office waste, making it environmentally sustainable, too.” Cards for Africa exists to: improve the quality of life for orphaned youth in Rwanda. represent a diverse partnership of designers from both Rwanda and around the world. promote fair trade principles. support like-minded partners who believe in the future of Rwanda....
The weather is getting colder, and we have a handmade holiday on our minds! Handmade gifts have heart, are better for the environment, and, if you opt to buy, it supports independent artists! This is the very last installment of the 2009 Handmade Holidays, and we’d love to hear from you! Tell us all about your handmade holiday adventures! Christmas is just a couple of days away, and if you’re anything like me you’re pulling together a few last-minute gifts for the folks on your list....
Handmade greeting cards really are gifts from the heart, and they don’t even have to be elaborate and fancy to be touching and inspiring. I made this get-well-soon card for a friend, using recycled materials and a tutorial from my copy of Uncommon Cards: Stationery Made with Found Treasures, Recycled Objects, and a Little Imagination, given to me by the publicist. The card is certainly no work of art, but the secret is that it doesn’t have to be!...
Don’t stress out about cute wrapping paper, matching bows, and festive tags. If you’ve got some chalk and a little creativity, you’ve got almost everything you need to create a nicely-wrapped present with chalk art embellishments. Okay, you need two more secret ingredients: a brown paper bag (I use these for wrapping gifts all the time!) and hairspray. Wrap your present in a brown paper bag. A brown paper bag is the PERFECT base for chalk art....
Want an easy wardrobe make-over project, one that’s also quick to make, looks good, and is suitable even for the novice sewer? An upcycled tank top is a quick and easy sewing project to make from any old T-shirt. Because you’ll be cutting into the T-shirt and re-sewing the side seams, it’s suitable for any T-shirt that’s a little (or a lot) large on you; you can even cut down an adult’s T-shirt into a child’s tank top....
There are a ton of different ways to make your own eco-friendly business cards that are crafty, creative, and fit into someone’s wallet. But sometimes, if you’re an artist or a crafter, you have the chance to give out business cards that have a lot more flair. Business cards that you give out at a conference or networking event, with a purchase at a craft fair, or in a package that you’re shipping with an order from your etsy shop can afford to be a little fancier, and include a little bonus gift to make you memorable....
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!...
I promise that these DIY photo cards are even quicker and easier than driving to the store, looking at every single Hallmark greeting card on the rack, choosing one, paying for it, and driving home. These cards are also more personal than that store-bought greeting card doggerel, because you can use your favorite photo for the front. And they’ll be even greener on Monday, when I show you how to make lovely custom envelopes from upcycled paper for them!...
These are some of the traditional reasons why petticoats were worn, and they’re still good reasons today! While it is possible to find petticoats on the mass market, most petticoats have always been home-sewn, or couture made by a seamstress. Even when buying ready-made clothes became more common, people still sewed much of their own undergarments. And that’s why with petticoats, DIY really is one of the best and most accessible ways to get one!...
Those little notebooks at the Dollar Store sure are cute, but even cuter are the notebooks that you make yourself. These personalized notebooks that I made for the kids in my Girl Scout troop are upcycled from Girl Scout Cookie boxes (of course!) and stash paper. If you’ve already made all your Girl Scout cookie boxes into bookmarks, however, you can use any cardboard for this project. You will need:...
I mean, so what if the current covers are made from plastic so old that it’s started to yellow? So what if not only did they not match our formerly white walls, but they are way more obviously mismatched to our current, freshly-painted burgundy and grey walls? They’re still completely functional! Yes, I wanted covers that match my walls, but no, I didn’t want to buy something new and trash something old in the process....
Ed Note: We’re thrilled to have this guest post from Amanda Brandenberg of Ninth Street Notions! Amanda shows you how to turn a vintage bed sheet from the thrift store into a super sweet, retro circle skirt. I’m Amanda, from Ninth Street Notions. One of the main reasons I learned to sew was to be able to create great vintage fashions that fit. I also wanted it to be inexpensive for me to dress like some hip 1950s housewife....
This husband and wife team from Nova Scotia craft amazing earrings, pendants, bracelets, and rings from 100% post consumer decks. That begs the question: Where has your jewelry been? All the pieces are sealed with a non-toxic finish, so they will stand up to plenty of thrashing. 2ReVert is also committed to eco-friendly shipping. They use minimal amounts of packaging, and 100% recycled envelopes.
Need to find some kid crafts to keep your little ones entertained? These sites are packed with DIY ideas using eco-friendly materials. When I got pregnant, I swore that I wouldn’t become one of those bloggers who talks about her kid all the time. But now that my son is 10 months old, I’m coming to terms with the fact that my little guy dominates my thoughts basically all of the time....
