This is how it works: When you sign up to join the Drink Pouch Brigade, TerraCycle will mail out 4 prepaid collection bags to your address. Once a collection bag is filled at least 100 drink pouches simply drop it off at a UPS drop off location and Honest Tea will donate $.02 per Capri Sun, Kool Aid and Honest Kids drink pouches and $.01 per other drink pouch you collect to the charity of your choice....
Two-liter plastic bottles, grrr!!! One of my Girl Scouts, however, also recently gave me a piece of excellent advice: lean into the discomfort. Her advice was technically not about recycling, mind you, but about my certainty that I was going to die during a snorkeling trip that I had signed up to chaperone without exactly realizing that I, too, would be expected to snorkel, ahem. But, I think that it applies....
My house sprawls a bit, and suffers from a dearth of windows that the sun can shine in, so I especially enjoy the way that suncatchers share out whatever direct sunlight does find its way inside. This tutorial would also work to make an outdoor suncatcher, although you’ll need to be more mindful of your materials. The metal jump rings that I’m using, for instance, are a little thin to withstand much weathering, and I’d use something stronger–ideally something that could withstand rust better–if I wanted to place my suncatcher outdoors....
This DIY infused vinegar isn’t for pouring onto your salads. It’s for making DIY cleaning supplies that actually smell good for once! If you make your own cleaning supplies, do you ever get jealous that you can’t have all those fancy-sounding, clean-smelling orange and lemon and pine cleaners? If you buy your cleaning supplies, don’t you wish that you were using products with fewer unknown, probably toxic ingredients, perhaps products that you could quickly (and cheaply!...
These are eco-friendly gifts even the most tech savvy, computer geek may love. Founded in 1991, Motherboard specializes in the manufacturing of high quality gift products utilizing reclaimed circuit boards and other fun and unique materials. These products capture the intrinsic beauty of technology while providing an environmentally friendly alternative to the circuit boards being disposed of in landfills. Each product may vary by color and pattern making every item unique – virtually one of a kind....
1. acorn bells. An alternative to using whole acorns in your craft projects is to use just the acorn caps. Bells make a sweet substitute! 2. acorn marbles. This is another cute substitute for an acorn. 3. acorn wreath. This takes some time to pull together, but when you’re finished, you’ll have a fabulous showpiece for your front door. 4. apple prints. These look especially pretty done on linen and made into a bunting....
The T-shirt that my kid’s American Girl doll, Penny, is wearing above didn’t require me to sew a single stitch. All I had to do was cut one straight line, and I think it turned out as cute as if I’d sewn the entire thing by hand. The secret? Baby onesies. Newborn babies are longer than American Girl dolls, but are pretty similar in size around the waist. The graphics on a baby onesie are also already automatically sized to look natural on a doll T-shirt (you can read my rant about how to correctly size prints for doll clothes here)....
You can DIY cooking equipment every bit as good from two tin cans, a cardboard box, and candlewax. This tin can stove absolutely free AND made from resources that would otherwise enter the waste stream. It’s also ultralight and super sturdy, making it a great option for backpacking. The tin can stove has been a standard Girl Scout hack for generations (there’s a reference to it in my 1950 Girl Scout Handbook!...
A long time ago, I found this ugly picture frame at a garage sale for $3.00. I used it for another project and spray painted it silver. Since then, though, I’ve changed things around and have had the frame in the back of my closet. Then, my amazing friend Erin went to Amsterdam and brought back a beautiful scarf for me. I can’t make myself wear it — not because I don’t love it, but I’m so afraid of ruining it....
In these increasingly harder economic times, knowing some basic sewing techniques can help fix common rips and tears that will help extend your wardrobe. So over the next couple of weeks I will be highlighting some simple ways to fix up and mend your clothes. These fixes are worth more than the pennies spent on materials and are not only good for your wallet but good for the environment to boot....
And because I’ve never met a Special Interest I didn’t want to share (ad nauseum, whether you like it or not), here are my current favorite mini quilt block tutorials and projects online. If you make a mini quilt block, too, then we can squee over them TOGETHER! Quilt As You Go Scrappy Mini Quilt Block This quilt as you go block is my favorite, because it is the best at scrap-busting!...
There’s something so sweet about little origami puffy hearts! You can buy special strips of paper just for making puffy hearts, but you can also fold your own out of whatever reclaimed paper you like! You just need strips that are about 1″ X 6″, and you can cut them from junk mail, vintage stationery, magazines pages, old notebook paper…really, you’re only limited by what paper you have on hand. You can really make this mobile out of any origami shapes you like!...
Back in 2012, I showed off my Star Wars T-shirt quilt top to you. I told you all about how I’d constructed it over the past six months from thrifted Star Wars T-shirts that it had taken me years to collect. I shared details of the log cabin style that I’d used to piece it, and the color scheme that I’d selected that would enable me to best utilize my stash fabric....
Here’s a question from one of our readers: I want to make wooden toys for my daughter, but cannot figure out what kind of paint to use. I want to use something non-toxic & safe to chew on as she is 9 months old & everything goes in her mouth! I would like to use something vibrant & am willing to seal them as well. I have read that beeswax is a good sealant; is this correct?...
Want to make your coffee area look organized and pretty? Recycle your old jars into cute canisters for your sugar, cream, and coffee beans! What You Will Need: Recycled jars with lids Glue. If you can, use eco-glue! Recycled paper. I used book pages. Scissors A permanent marker A pencil How To Do It: With a pencil, draw a coffee cup on your recycled paper. Then, outline it with your permanent marker....
Is upcycling still a great solution when it’s a craft with American flags? Mind you, we’re not talking about the kind of Old Glory that’s been flown above a capitol building or rested on a veteran’s coffin, here. What about a faded, vintage flag that’s been hiding in your grandma’s closet for 40 years? Or a dozen or so of those little stick flags that get handed out like candy at Independence Day parades?...
Take, for example, these adorable bird coin purses from Etsy seller Bird Versus Bird which are made from vinyl scraps from a sign shop. Imagine how many vinyl banners from State Fair corndog stands are filling up landfills? Yuck. This seller also uses repurposed and recyclable materials for packaging in order to reduce waste. This “Beer-merang” necklace earned its name from the boomerang shape and the fact that it was made using the plastic rings from a 6 pack of PBR beer....
Soak in Sola by Amy Butler is a biodegradable, phosphate-free, rinse-free fabric wash made in collaboration with Soak. Soak’s fiber-friendly cleanser is designed for the most delicate hand-washables, including quilts, knits, cross-stitch, and lingerie. The no-rinse solution has even been used for pets and stuffed animals. This limited edition version is scented with Amy’s signature fragrance called Sola. They say Sola is a soft comforting fragrance like an evening walk through the garden....
Bust out your stash of glass jars and make these vintage-looking apothecary jars! I love using vintage jars in little vignettes when I’m decorating, but they can be hard to find at thrift stores sometimes. Tricia from Simplicity in the South used free printable labels to decoupage herself some vintage-style apothecary jars. She used spice jars from Wal-Mart, but this tutorial would work well with any smooth glass jar. I think that a mix of different shapes and sizes would look really cool!...
Nothing says autumn to me like slurping down a few apple cider slushies. My nephews had them when they went apple picking in Virginia about four years ago. They were just little squirts back then (ages 4, 4, and 2) but they still remember the sweet taste of those slushies. So this week, I’m heading home for Thanksgiving and we’re going to bang out some autumn memories by making some totally delicious homemade apple cider slushies....
