It’s still sweltering here in Atlanta during the day, but we’ve had some nice cool mornings and evenings lately. Fall is in the air, and this light, cozy t-shirt scarf is just right for those cool-but-not-cold times of day. I know, t-shirt scarves are kind of old news, but the ones I’ve made have always been that spaghetti-style: lots of skinny pieces of stretched jersey. Those are fun to make and cute, but chances are you’ve seen a thousand of them by now....
In the Spring on Ecolocalizer we featured the start of the Yahoo! Green “Make it Green” Competition. Now with only one week left, the possibilities for new entries are endless. If you have a brilliant eco-creative idea, and want to see it manufactured for real, then enter now. Yahoo! Green explains: So what is most popular idea so far? Well, the top idea now shown on the Yahoo! Green “Make it Green” Competition site is plant fiber diapers....
Paper N Stitch is an amazing online exhibition space created specifically to promote talented artists, designers, makers selling handmade goods, and indie boutiques. The exhibition space is currently curated monthly and showcases the best of the best in handmade highlights on an international level. The Paper n Stitch Blog is a constant source of inspiration too. Shown above is the Studio Fuller shop from their recent reviews, and below are their picks from Blue Thimble’s hand screen prints and textile art....
Salsa was the first idea that came to mind since I have fresh peppers in my garden as well as tomatoes. So I gave it a try. And it’s been a tremendous success! Even my husband and sons are now eating fresh vegetables from the garden. Here’s my recipe for fresh salsa straight from the garden to use up the last of the summer bounty. What I didn’t have on hand I sourced locally from the Framer’s Market and a neighbor....
Needless to say, my kids have high standards. They’re unimpressed by your average, ordinary, string a few beads and stick on a few stickers children’s craft kits. Instead, they prefer unusual projects that they haven’t already done a million times, with interesting materials that they don’t necessarily get to work with every day, instructions that are do-able and somewhat free-form, and a result that looks good and does what it’s supposed to do....
An available, efficient repair infrastructure could contribute significantly to a reduced waste stream: why toss and replace when you can fix it, right? Unfortunately, not only have we gotten out of that mindset (because of cheaply available products often made under less-than-ideal conditions), but, in many cases, manufacturers are preventing us from repairing their products when they break. Really? If you’ve paid for a product, don’t you have a right to repair it?...
The Scrap Lab Design Contest is looking to find innovative and sustainable designs made of scrap that shows how to recycle waste materials in the form of new products like furniture, accessories, or artwork. Professional designers, design students and amateur designers or anyone from all around the world who is interested in recycling waste materials is encouraged to enter. And the best part is, participants can actively take part by voting for the best designs of other members or commenting on submissions and leaving messages....
If your friends and family are anything like mine, you probably have a mantle covered in greeting cards by now. Of course, some cards are special and go right into the memory box after New Year’s, but there are some that would probably end up in the recycle bin. Why not use your crafty skills to give them a new life instead? Here’s a little round up of some fun ways to upcycle those old greeting cards....
A bar of soap is easy to carve even with simple, blunt, household tools, which makes it an extremely satisfying activity for a kid, who probably doesn’t get a lot of chances to carve something these days. If you make or buy organic, natural-ingredients soap, soap carving is also a wholesome activity, and it won’t add anything to the waste stream, because Mrs. Soap Creature up there is just going to end up in the bathtub tonight!...
I headed out to the Summer Indie Craft Experience on June 8th and 9th here in Atlanta to scope out the green crafty scene there. There were quite a few crafters using upcycled, organic, and other eco-friendly materials, and I’m profiling some of my favorites here on the site. I was lucky enough to chat with Jamie Smith about her handmade jewelry and was struck not just by how lovely her work is but how she collects her materials....
I got the chance to chat with the ladies over at Celbrate Green about green crafting, and it got me thinking about why choosing eco-friendly craft supplies is important to me. It also made me curious about you guys! What made you decide to ditch conventional craft supplies in favor of one that are better for the planet? What does green crafting mean to you? I’ll tell you mine, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!...
Although I’m not a drinker, I was given a huge bag of wine corks to craft with! I was inspired by Sustainablog’s 8+ Ways to Upcycle Wine Corks Creatively post and decided to transform my wine corks into wall art. This project would be perfect for a wine lover’s Christmas gift– plus, it’s super easy to make! What You Will Need: Wine corks A picture frame. I used an old door from an entertainment center....
This photo shoot with Jack-o-lanterns on our heads is one of the funnest Halloween activities I’ve done yet in my life. And I used to get paid actual cash money to work in a haunted house and scare the snot out of people! And happily enough, this pumpkinhead photo shoot is also one of the most eco-friendly Halloween activities! You don’t need any single-serve candy with assorted wrappers. There are no costume components to source....
Turn a camera into a bank Need a place to save your spare change? Forget the ceramic pig, you can make your own bank from an old camera with this tutorial from Dear Wallet. Make a vintage camera lamp This is one of those ideas where I desperately wished that I was Carrie from Lovely Etc. because she’s a genius. She gives us awesome step-by-step instructions on how to wire a camera to create a lamp!...
Happy National Popcorn Day! I know that you love popcorn as much as I do, so I hope that you’ll also be as stoked as I am about this giant list of recipes and eco-friendly crafts all about POPCORN!!! 1. candle holder. Popcorn kernels poured in a dish or vase will do a fine job of holding a candle upright. 2. crows in the corn game. Little kids will think this is just a fun game–only you will know that they’re also practicing their fine motor skills and counting concepts....
The solution to all of this? Printables! I know printables can get a bad rap, but you really can make printables eco-friendly. And when you do, you can also save SOOO much time, effort, gas money, and product packaging by printing your own class valentines–and your kids can have exactly the valentines that they want! Below, check out my list of my favorite printable class valentines. They’re all free to download and print, and some are even editable....
Perhaps you want to make something holiday-specific, or perhaps now is the perfect time to simply give your table a new style. Whatever you’re in the mood for, a new table runner is an easy way to transform the look of your table setting. Below, I’ve got my favorite tutorials for quilted table runners that will breathe new life into your decorating. Look for tutorials that are perfect for beginners as well as for tutorials designed for those looking for an advanced challenge....
If you’re a novice sewer, strip quilts are a great place to start your quilting journey. Think of the ease of sewing one nice, long, straight hem–you can definitely sew one nice, long, straight hem! But if you’re an advanced sewer, a strip quilt is such a welcoming place to exercise your creativity. You can play with not just color and pattern, but with fabric widths and placement, with angles and with insets....
You check out this list of my favorite dried flower crafts! Whether you pick a project right from this list or use it to inspire you to create your very own project, you’ll find lots of wonderful ways to use dried flowers right here! 1. Beads Incorporate dried flower petals into homemade beads for a charm bracelet. 2. Botanical Facial Steam This tutorial uses store-bought dried flowers, but now you know how to make your own!...
Sensory activities are great for kids and for parents: your child gets to have fun and learn while you get a few minutes of quiet time. Experiencing all of those new smells, textures and colors helps your child’s development. Kids also tend to get engrossed in sensory play, so you can maybe sneak in a quiet cup of coffee. Everybody wins with sensory activities! I know, I’m always talking about sneaking in a cup of coffee....
