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It’s business on one side, and a party on the other! Or in this case–it’s Girl Scout khaki on one side, and pretty pink on the other! My kiddo wanted a dressier version of her Girl Scout uniform, but I also know good and well that she is simply not going to wear a khaki skirt for any reason other than a dressy Girl Scout occasion. I’m not one to enjoy sewing something that will get little use, so yes, I made her the khaki skirt that she wanted, but I made it reversible, with some pink prints from my stash that I know she’ll enjoy wearing every other day....

Now I am completely torn on this topic. On one hand I adore books and destroying one is like blasphemy to me. On the other hand the beauty of these wearable works of art, these “literary jewels” by designer Jeremy May are so stunning and so unique that I think they are simply gorgeous. Let me show you some of the designs and you be the judge. Here is how Littlefly describes the jewelry:...

Conventional modeling clay is not the greenest craft supply out there. What are the alternatives? Reader Tyler writes: I was able to find a couple of recipes, but since I don’t work with proper modeling clay, it’s hard to say whether these are going to do the trick. If any of you have a modeling clay recipe that you’d like to share, let us know in the comments! Modeling Clay Recipes Here are the recipes I found that might be helpful:...

I was shocked to read this morning about the tragic deaths of Whip Up founder Kathreen Ricketson and her partner, Rob Shugg. The couple was on vacation in Australia with their two children. Their children are safe and staying with relatives right now. Ricketson was a cornerstone of the crafty community. Whip Up has inspired countless crafters to get making, and her legacy is going to live on as that site continues to inspire!...

Do you have a bench or a chair that’s got good bones but the fabric is either torn or…well…ugly? Give it a brand new life by reupholstering it! You can use these instructions for reupholstering a chair seat, a bench, or any other cushion that has a hard back on it. My in-laws gave us a beautiful little bench that’s so perfect for our foyer! It’s just the right height for dropping my purse on the way in, and it’s not so wide that it crowds our house’s little entryway....

Spring Cleaning for Your Home Spring cleaning checklist for the kitchen Homemade two ingredient wood polish Homemade all purpose cleaner Natural options for wood floor polish Disinfect naturally with homemade cleaning wipes Homemade laundry soap Alternative cleaning cloths Homemade drain cleaner DIY natural/organic carpet cleaners Homemade soft scrub recipe 10 best products for cleaning dishes naturally 5 natural remedies for deodorizing your refrigerator How to clean an oven without toxic easy-off Kitchen tip: how to clean your blender Clean out your craft room Using citrus fruits to clean your house Make infused vinegar for cleaning Make your own liquid soap DIY laundry starch spray Soapnuts: plastic free hypoallergenic cleaning 10 houseplants that clean indoor air Breathe easy with natural air fresheners Improve your indoor air quality 18 ways to clean with lemon and salt Spring Cleaning for Your Car Homemade car cleaning products Wash your car without wasting water Make your own natural car air freshener The eco-friendly car washing guide Spring Cleaning for Your Yard Eco-friendly ways to eliminate ants Greener pool cleaners Natural ways to trap mosquitoes and insects Organic pest control 6 natural weed control solutions The sustainable way to keep your garden pond clean Spring Cleaning for Your Body and Soul Spring cleaning your beauty kit: are your products past their prime?...

Plates, teapots, cups and saucers are all over your local thrift store. They are never in short supply and you can make some fantastic things using any one of these plentiful kitchen items. So, search your cupboards or head down to the thrift store and start making some of these awesome projects! Next » Teapot Lamp 1. Teapot Lamp Over on Country Living, they give us a no-drilling-required tutorial on making a teapot lamp....

Pumpkin Nook has a good recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds. They give you lots of different flavor variations that would be fun to play with and the rest of the site is fun to explore for other pumpkin related recipes. Choosing Raw gives an excellent recipe for pumpkin milk using the seeds. Pumpkin milk is a delicious, nutritious alternative to dairy milk that is perfect for the season. Fran’s House of Ayurveda shows us how to make pumpkin butter using the seeds....

From the site: SINGER® Sewing Company and CRAFT Magazine are excited to present a contest for all you resourceful sewers around the world! Both SINGER and CRAFT like a good party but hate to waste resources on disposable decorations that just end up in landfills. We know you can help us come up with fantastic ideas that are hip and cool as well as eco-friendly. For a four-week period, crafters can submit pictures online of party decorations that they have made from “upcycled” materials (or things that they already have in the house) to the flickr group called ‘The Upcyclist Party Contest‘....

I know spoon wear has been around for a while, but it’s one of those things that I always forget about until confronted with it. It is a very clever craft that recycles the ordinary and turns it into the extraordinary. Thinking that these rings are the cat’s meow I purchased a fork ring which now sits comfortably on my hand. Want one of your own? A quick trip through Etsy brought up a couple of designers that specialize in this area and are doing a fantastic job of it....

I’ve explored lots of resources for purchasing sound, sturdy, eco-friendly building blocks, but they’re pricey, of course. And I’ve explored lots of methods for crafting my own building blocks, but without some great tools and some serious woodworking skills, crafting perfect, accurate building blocks is really difficult. Unless you have a tree in your yard, that is! Here’s a quick tutorial, utilizing a minimum of power tools, for crafting some great building blocks from the simplest material in the world- a fallen tree branch: You will need:...

If you go shopping, here are two things that you can say about crackers: If you own a dehydrator, however, and have a taste for adventure, you can stay home and say this: “I love you, Crackers! You’re so good for me, so tasty, and you didn’t cost that much to make, at all!!!” These homemade dehydrated crackers are delicious. They’re made entirely of seeds and nuts, so they’re SO good for you....

With two spindle dowels, a vintage feed sack, and a little webbing Ki created this easy, graphic flower trug for carrying cut flowers from the garden. She used the webbing (you could also use an organic twill tape or sturdy ribbon) to create loops to fit snuggle over the spindles. With one spindle on each end of the feed sack you can load your trug up with flowers and easily carry them with the spindle handles....

When the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced that it was deaccessioning part of its textile collection, artist Robert Fontenot was on the scene. He hit up three separate auctions and acquired 50 pieces, almost half of the items the museum was getting rid of. The resulting work is sometimes arty, sometimes functional, and all beautiful! He embroiders the accession number into each finished piece. The project is still a work in progress, and I just love this quote from his artist’s statement: “Although each item has not yet been used, each item can have a use....

We’ve heard the comparisons that this recession looks very much like the great depression. It is hitting everyone’s pocket book, no matter your socioeconomic status. This free fall to the bottom isn’t discriminating. So why should you craft when there is even less disposable income for you to play with? Well here are my top reasons you should craft when times are tough: Make new clothes or fix up your old: With a little sewing know how you can make pants into quilts, pants into bags, or upcycle any old thing into something new to you....

So I’m pretty excited about Knit Picks Simply Cotton yarn. Simply cotton is 100% organic cotton yarn available in worsted and sport weight. See how strong and soft it looks?! Beyond being 100% organic, the yarn is free of bleach and dyes. It comes in four neutral and naturally occurring colors called Marshmallow, Malted Milk, Ginger and Toffee. Mmmm all so delicious sounding, even good enough to knit with! Since the colors are naturally occurring each skein might be slightly darker or lighter but that is a small price to pay for this lusciously soft and beautiful organic yarn....

As with any new exercise, please be cautious and consult your doctor before trying anything too terribly strenuous. This week, we’re looking at the aches and pains associated with hours of scrapbooking. All of that cutting, gluing, and hunching over the table is tough on your body. Maybe you’ve got a little bit of eyestrain from focusing on little details, too? Don’t despair! We’ve got some poses just for you....

In other words, it’s perfect! Because it’s so accessible and has so much variety, felt is also the perfect material for Christmas crafts. Whether you’ve got kids to entertain or you want something stunningly detailed for yourself, you’ll find a felt Christmas craft on this list that’s perfect for you. Candy Cane Garland Thanks to all the colors that felt comes in, you can garland yourself with some VERY improbable candy cane flavors!...

Fortunately, re-using and upcycling some of that trash cuts WAY down on how much of your Easter festivities end up in the waste stream. Read on for some of my favorite ways to upcycle the most common types of Easter trash. Egg Cartons egg carton seed starters. Did you buy more cartons of eggs than usual? Upcycle those empty cartons into easy seed starter pots! math manipulative. You can turn both Styrofoam and cardboard egg cartons into some very clever math manipulatives....

Instead, check out my favorite eco-friendly friendship bracelet tutorials, below. All of these tutorials are free offerings by indie artists and crafters. Using green materials like cotton embroidery floss, natural embellishments like wood or shells, and glass or porcelain beads, these tutorials result in friendship bracelets that Taylor Swift AND the planet would love! Friendship Bracelets Made with Looms, Wheels, and Other Tools These bracelets utilize a homemade wheel, jig, loom, or a tool like a crochet hook....