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I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about the difference between craft and art. Primarily my question is: if I am a crafter, at what point do I become an artist? My perception has always been that those who came up with the idea in the first place, posted that first photo, created that first tutorial – they were the artists of the crafting world. The artists were the ones with the creativity, the ideas, the tools, and the skills to create something the world has never seen before, and to inspire others to follow their lead....

Wooden building blocks are also just a terrific toy to provide for kids, on a lot of levels. They promote creative, unplugged play, building math and motor skills, and, depending on their provenance and production, they have a better chance at being a really great environmental choice, as well. Better than Legos, definitely. And yet, wooden building blocks are also a toy that tends to cost a LOT of money....

Store-bought plastic plant pots offend me for some reason. I don’t know if I hate them more because they’re plastic or hate them more because they’re store-bought, but either way, I’m of the school of thought that you really ought to be growing your flowers in coffee cans or homemade planters, not the store-bought stuff. Good thing (I guess?) that my kids couldn’t hang onto the dishes this week, then, because I was needing something larger to put some propagated rosemary (you propagate rosemary about the same way that you propagate wandering Jew) in, and these broken coffee mugs were just the trick!...

Monika Nowaczyk’s family fled communist Poland when she was 6 years old. They relocated to Canada, and it was on this journey that she picked up knitting and crochet. Maybe this formative event is what opened her heart to the plights of Cambodians evicted from their homes and relocated to areas far from the city centers, where it was hard to make a living. Years later, Monika read about a group in Bangladesh that was supporting over 2000 families through knitted goods, and something sparked: In the summer of 2009, Monika launched Cambodia Knits, which she’s financing with her own savings and money from family and friends....

Y’all know we LOVE our toilet paper tube crafts here at CAGW! We love them for better or for worse–even comments by some VERY unhappy commenters in our big toilet paper tube crafts round-up can’t dissuade us from sharing more cardboard tube crafts made from those delightfully free cardboard treasures! And unless you use both dishcloths AND cloth toilet wipes, you know you’ve got a steady supply of this craft material....

We love recycled felt around here! It comes in a rainbow of colors, diverts plastic waste from the landfill, and is just a joy to cut, glue, and sew. Do you need some craft ideas for your stash of recycled felt? We’ve got you covered with these 10 projects! Not all crafting felt is recycled, so check your labels carefully when you’re shopping. Kunin makes Eco-Fi or Rainbow Classic felt, and this is the only brand of felt I know of that’s made from recycled plastic....

I suppose I could drive an hour or so to the closest Ikea and grab some low cost organization supplies but what I like most is making use of old things for organization. I call it organization with eco-style. And as one of my craft resolutions for 2011 is to get organized I’ve been searching for some new inspiration to see if anyone is using items I might have on hand....

I’ve got my own favorites of 2016, but this particular post is all about YOU. What were YOUR favorite posts in 2016? Thanks to site stats, here they are (in descending order): 10. The 20 Best Bird Feeders That You Can Make Y’all LOVE to feed the birds! Until we moved to our current house, which has actual windows, I didn’t quite understand the pleasure, myself, but now I’m super into it, too....

Artist Molly Evans uses craftivism hilariously to draw attention to end-of-semester waste. Evans calls the projet Lionel Stitchie, and she says that the project was: If you went to college or live in a college town, you’re probably familiar with end-of-semester waste, right? As college students graduate and move away, they often ditch the cheap furniture from their apartments and dorm rooms. Tons of totally usable materials get discarded around college campuses every year, and it’s a terrible shame....

Here are some crafty ideas to get you started on the road to reuse! Next » Make your own cloth napkins

or 250 Aluminum Can Granny Square Tote Bags… or 1000 Aluminum Can Maracas for your kids, because music can help fill the void in your financially depleted soul… or you could smelt all of it into molds to make mod lawn furniture. The possibilities are endless. Bottoms up, my crafty friends! Image courtesy of sandossu

1. Recycled T-Shirt Ornaments by I Still Love You (via Skip to My Lou) Grab an old t-shirt and transform it into an adorable ornament! Melissa shares how she decorated her entire tree with them one year. They are so simple to make, yet they add a large visual interest to your tree! Head on over to Skip to My Lou to see how you can make them! If you are in the market for superclone Replica Rolex watches, Replica Rolex Expert is the place to go!...

Got some mason jar lids with no jars to go with them? Turn that old lid into a DIY picture frame. It makes a great gift! We talk a lot about mason jar crafts around here, but a lot of those craft ideas don’t use the lids. If you’re like me, you’ve probably got a little stash of mason jar lids that no longer have jars to go with them. Here’s a fun little craft idea to turn that a mason jar lid and ring into a DIY picture frame....

Supplies Small box (I used an old candy box) 10 Water bottle caps Craft paint (I used yellow and orange) Decorate Duck tape (various widths) Letter punches (X and O) Glue Craft foam or construction paper Scissors Paint brushes Directions When you’re done playing your DIY Tic Tac Toe game, store the Xs and Os inside the box. This is great for keeping things tidy. But it also make the game portable!...

Not every cardboard box need apply for such a prestigious assignment, but some cardboard boxes are just as sturdy as some similarly-sized plastic or particle board shelves. I could probably stand on the cardboard box that my kid’s latest pair of headphones came in and not dent it. This makes it absolutely perfect for displaying my beautiful (and cumbersomely large) rock collection. To cover up the ugly parts of your box and make it suitable for display, you have numerous options....

Easter is coming up next week, and if you’re trying to make it a cruelty-free holiday or have guests with egg or dairy allergies coming for brunch, these vegan Easter cupcakes are the answer! In this recipe, fluffy vanilla cupcakes are the basket, and you top them with homemade, vibrant green frosting for your “Easter Grass.” Jellybeans are the eggs in your cute little edible Easter baskets! You don’t have to be vegan to make these cupcakes....

DIY Scrabble tile magnets are one of the easiest craft projects in the world, and happily, they also look amazing! They’re my favorite kind of magnet to have on the fridge, especially when you use a magnet back strong enough that your Scrabble tile magnets can actually hold things, not just look cute. These DIY Scrabble tile magnets look cute AND hold things, and here’s how you make them!...

Does it matter that this gorgeous dresser came from the side of the road? Not to me! Painting is about the easiest way to refinish a piece of furniture, especially if it’s got some laminate parts. It’s not terribly tricky, either, and the most time-intensive part of it is waiting for various pieces to dry. Here’s how I turned this particular side-of-the-road find into my new TV stand with plenty of storage:...

The Eco Arts Awards, an annual competition to honor artistic expressions for ecology, is accepting entries now through January 15, 2013. If you’re the grand prize winner, you’ll score $2,000 for your craftily repurposed creation. The Eco Arts Awards offers prizes in six categories, including that of Repurposed Materials in Art and Design. Although the entry fee is a whopping $30 per entry, the prizes consist of a total of $12,500, split between six third place winners, six second place winners, six first place winners, and one grand prize winner....

How many times have you considered repairing something, only to figure out that it would be cheaper just to buy a new one? Was it your phone? Your TV? Your car? How many times has something broken, and you’ve bought a new one without even considering repairing the old one? Was it your microwave? Your camera? Your computer? One of the reasons why it’s so hard to even consider repairing something rather than replacing it is that the companies that manufacture your products, in collusion with the government, are deliberately making them impossible to repair on your own, and difficult and expensive to repair even with professional help....