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Earth Love’n Gift Wrap Specifications: Two 24” x 36” sheets per package (wraps extra large shirt box) Available in flat pack or rolls 100% post-consumer fiber, processed chlorine-free premium quality paper Vegetable-based ink Cut lines and environmental information on reverse side Lovingly packaged by adults with developmental challenges Made in the U.S.A. 2 flat sheets are $4.75 1 roll with two sheets $5.35 In addition to their eco-friendly gift wrap they also have apparel gift boxes made from recycled paper, natural ribbon that easily biodegrades, and even tissue paper made from recycled materials....

The party turned out great! My favorite DIY of the party was definitely those button garlands, which my kid decided to add to her permanent bedroom decor, she liked them so much, but these spooky old key party favors came in a close second. They were easy to make, and they’re the kind of custom creation that you’d never find in a big-box store. Kids love old keys, especially if they’re kind of weird or even a little spooky....

Eco-friendly craft supplies are not just brand new items made from eco-friendly, organic, sustainable, recycled or recyclable materials. Some eco-friendly materials are conventional materials that have been around for awhile and you may find them at yard sales or second hand stores. In fact, buying your craft supplies second-hand is a great way to keep it green. Sites like Etsy, Localmart, eBay and Craigslist are great resources for finding gently-used craft supplies, whether we’re talking conventional supplies like colored pencils or more offbeat craft supplies like wine corks or vintage buttons....

If you love Amy Butler’s fabric designs you will swoon over her paper line. The Lotus Collection, by the famed fabric and surface designer, is printed with soy-based inks on post-consumer waste recycled paper. Lotus products come in recycled pakaging made from 95% post-consumer waste. What’s more is the packaging is reusable. The back card stock of the paper pads is printed with cut-outs that can be used as embellishments....

Sara Lee Parker Textiles is an Athens, GA-based company that creates hand screen-printed organic textiles. She was also featured in the Georgia edition of Southern Living Magazine this June, so if you live in Georgia, check it out! Parker runs her textile company with her husband, and she was kind enough to do a little Q&A with us about what she does, why she does it, and what working so closely with your husband is like....

Nina has started a Flickr group to showcase all your projects made with Swanky Swell fabrics. If you post photos you will get free shipping on your next purchase. Nina has kicked off the group with a couple amazing projects of her own like this Chinese chippendale chair featuring the foliage design and the amazing wingback chair at top featuring the raindrops design. Be sure to check out these other Fab Fabrics made in the USA:...

I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas is full of tips, expert advice, crafts, recipes, decorating ideas and pretty much everything you need to make the holidays more eco-friendly. The holidays are always a little bit stressful no matter how well you plan or prepare. When money is an issue it can get really stressful. One thing I really adore about I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas is that so many of the crafts for gifts and decorations are made with items I have lying around the house....

She now makes the coolest hand sewn toddler t-shirts (and pixie hats) made from 100% organic cotton and recycled fabric. Have an old Poison t-shirt from 1986 that you just can’t seem to toss? Why not give it new life with Sweet Pepita?

Yeah, you can make dozens and dozens of your own concrete mosaics for the same price as one of those mosaic kits, and even more cheaply, if you use found and natural objects for the mosaic tiles, and recycle plastic packaging for the concrete molds. Seriously, the only material that you need to buy to make concrete mosaics is the concrete. And yes, you can buy fancy-pants mosaic concrete if you want to spend the money, but you can also head on down to your local mom and pop hardware store and just buy yourself some…concrete....

With Father’s Day and graduations coming up, a modded-out necktie is a perfect gift to have handy, and it’s easy as pie to dress up a thrifted necktie with a custom applique made from recycled felt! Since ties are pretty narrow, this is also a great project for felt scraps that you might have saved up. As you can see in the photo above, I went with a lovebird tie for my sweetie, but you could do any design you like....

Never mind that the girls win and thus should get to buy their choice, a sewing machine, instead of the boys’ rowboat (also an awesome choice), but they eventually decide to compromise by instead buying a color TV(!!!)–my point is that the card house that those six children supposedly built was huge and only fell down when the dog knocked it over, whereas I can’t reliably stand four cards up together to build so much as a box without it all collapsing as soon as I take my hand away....

Sewing an entire alphabet is a lot of work, but I’ve also found that just sewing a few letters here and there, a monogram for a new couple or a child’s name for her birthday present, doesn’t take any more time than it does to make or purchase any other gift, and it makes for a much more personal and well-appreciated gesture. You can sew this alphabet out of organic cotton fabric and organic plant-based stuffing, or out of absolutely anything that you can pick up from the thrift store and poke a needle through–I’ve sewn letters out of vinyl shower curtains, for goodness sake!...

I mean, I have glasses! And headphones! And sensory issues! Fortunately, it’s really not hard to add a zipper to the front of a hoodie. And what you get in return is a comfy, zip-up hoodie that will leave your glasses, headphones, and sensory sensitivities intact. Before you begin, though, there are a few cons to keep in mind: If you’re on the fence about this project, there’s no harm in buying a super cheap thrift store hoodie to experiment with before you cut up your favorite hoodie....

Vinegar works well as a cleaner because of its acidity. Baking soda is a mild base, which makes it great at dissolving grease. Baking soda is also abrasive, which makes it great for scrubbing. When to Not Clean with Baking Soda and Vinegar The properties that make baking soda and vinegar great cleaning agents also mean that you should proceed with caution. Here are some cases where you should back away from the bottle and the box:...

The bummer thing about drilling through glass, though, is that it requires a couple of special tools, and a very specific setup. That glass drilling bit that you’ll need costs something like fourteen to eighteen dollars, depending on where you buy it, and if you choose to get up to your glass drilling hijinks in winter, like me, you, too, will find yourself freezing your fingers off in your unheated garage while you do this project....

Now that holiday craziness is winding down, settle in and do a bit of crafting that’s just for you. Here’s how to make a blanket scarf. It’s a quick, easy, and satisfying sewing project that even beginners can do! This tutorial comes from our friends at Sustainablog, who are all about reducing waste through crafting, recycling, reusing, and reclaiming. Julia Marchand wrote this tutorial as a gift idea, but it’s also a fun way to treat yourself!...

It’s fine, though. I do LOVE the hexagonal rainbow quilt block coasters that I sewed four years ago–rather, I love the single one of those that still exists in my family room!–but change is fun. Anyway, a new set of coasters is a great way to destash a bit of my quilting cotton! For this project, I was specifically excited about destashing the last bit of a super cute honeybee print that I’ve had for quite a while and was down to its very last 1/16 or so of a yard....

Al Gore has been all over the airwaves recently proposing a challenge for America to eradicate the use of fossil fuels by 2018. I’m picking up what he’s putting down. It’s like dealing with that friend who’s always late by telling them to meet you 15 minutes earlier than when you plan to arrive. Alternative energy is the top priority of the environmental agenda, and rightly so. It slightly dwarfs the significance of making snow globes out of baby food jars....

Jen’s most recent project is the Back to Basics ebook. It’s an essential guide to mending and repair, and I’m thrilled that she asked Crafting a Green World to contribute a tute. You can learn how to re-cover a chair or stool cushion along with a ton of other mending and repairing skills from other contributing crafters. Q&A with Jen Gale from Make Do and Mend-able CAGW: What inspired you to create the Back to Basics E-Book?...

To my endless irritation, my refrigerator isn’t magnetic, but I’ve made up for it by DIYing a giant magnetic wall in the kitchen, and a smaller one in the family room. I love displaying all the greeting cards, A+ schoolwork, concert tickets, and assorted other tchotchkes that one generally puts on a magnet board, but to be honest, my favorite things to display are the magnets, themselves! Magnets are a great way to upcycle all kinds of cute little things that you’d love to have on display but that are too wee for mounting and framing....