Sure, that may not literally equal the giant K-Cup monster that destroys that nameless city like a boss in the video above, but it’s a damn good metaphor. Even Keurig’s inventor (who, to be fair, sold his invention and now has to watch it making millions of dollars that he does not get to have) claims that he sometimes regrets his invention, in part because of that environmental nightmare that is landfills full of K-Cups....
Like, here’s you, a friend of a friend, hosting a lovely barbecue and posting the photos on Facebook. Here’s me, sliding into your DMs: “Hey, Stranger! I saw you tagged a photo of [Friend] and OMG look how many 2-liter sodas you have on that table! Did y’all drink all those? If so, maybe I can swing by and pick up the empties?” Last week’s tutorial was a quick and easy way to upcycle a plastic 2-liter bottle into a planter....
It’s still probably a bit cold for outdoor shows, but it’s not too cold to get planning! Some of the outdoor show needs are similar to the setups for indoor shows. You still need tables or some other surface to showcase your goodies, linens, and some horizontal display solutions. Outdoor festivals tend to have bigger spaces – usually, 10 feet X 10 feet – and you’ll probably have a tent....
Want to eat candy made from sustainably raised ingredients harvested in fair trade environments? Want to make that candy yourself? Are you feeling lucky? If you answered YES to the three questions above, then this is the giveaway for you! Glee Gum is giving away your choice of any of their Make Your own Candy kits (check out my reviews of the Make Your own Gum kit, the Make Your own Gummies kit, and the Make Your own Chocolate kit to help you decide)....
After posting last week’s project, Upcycled Candle Holder into a Mini Easter Basket, I realized I completely skipped over St. Patrick’s Day! To get some inspiration, I visited Pinterest. I found an adorable St. Patrick’s Day banner tutorial from The Crafting Chicks that I loved! I especially liked the “leaves” of the shamrock that were made from hearts. Then, I remembered a post that I saw on TPcraft.com, where they made toilet paper rolls into hearts....
It’s ironic that such a relaxing, restoring and expressive activity—making art and crafts—can also be so toxic. Although legislation controlling many of the dangerous ingredients in hobby materials has recently been passed, exposure to certain art materials remains a health risk. CAGW pal Jennifer from Eco Child’s Play turned us onto an article from Care2 about arts & crafts supplies that I couldn’t resist sharing with you all. Adapted from Safe Substitutes: Non-Toxic Household Products by Gary Davis and Em Turner, the article brings to light the surprisingly abundant amount of dangerous chemicals and metals in common creative goods....
An organized, tidy craft storage system is the difference between a person who is uncommonly artistic and crafty and a person who is basically an extreme hoarder in need of a televised intervention. I am possibly across that line and on the extreme hoarder side, but there are some bright spots of clever organization here and there amidst the clutter. One of my favorite spots in my studio is the shelf of antique drawers once used in the 1930s-era general store that still stands on my property....
For all the ladies out there, I’m sure you’ve had this problem. You find a bra that fits so perfectly and is so comfortable, that you wear it until one day the wire starts poking out. Well don’t fret because a simple stitch will have you back in your favorite underthing lickity split. First step to fixing your favorite bra, is to put the wire back into the fabric. You can do this by snaking the wire into the fabric by pushing the fabric up over the wire and pushing the wire down a small portion at a time....
Feathers and leaves. Rocks and shells. Sticks and flowers. Acorns and sand. If you know a kid who loves nature crafts, then it’s worthwhile to provide that kid with a guidebook to the natural world, one that shows her the processes that form all the things that she enjoys creating with. In Outside: A Guide to Discovering Nature (which I received free from a publicist), you get all of that, along with handy, hand-drawn illustrations and diagrams, all written to the older child....
Lunch time at work or school can be wasteful and quite pricey. If you head to the cafeteria, you’re likely going to spend $6 to $7 for a less than healthy meal on a disposable plate with a side of paper napkins and plastic utensils. Over time, that adds up to tons of waste! Packing lunch definitely helps in the money department, and if you use a reusable bag, cloth napkin, and reusable utensils it can make a huge dent in terms of waste....
The book covers giving to deserving charities as well as using quilts as an activist tool. There are patterns and projects to replicate those the organizations make as well as where to donate your creation if you so choose. From veterans to kids, Quilting for Peace covers a wide range of issues in which sewing has brought people together for a cause. We asked Katherine to stop by talk a bit about her book and quilting from an environmental perspective....
ReadyMade is putting out a call to the DIY community and wants you to submit your most functional, creative, beautiful, interesting, and sustainable DIY ideas to the ReadyMade 100. The ReadyMade 100 is a brand new annual contest designed to celebrate the best 100 projects from the world of DIY. From now until December 15, entrants can upload their projects to ReadyMade.com in these categories: Home & Garden, Food & Entertaining, Design, Craft, Fashion & Style, Culture, Travel & Places, and Technology & Work....
The coffee can light fixture I wrote about a few months ago made it to the list. I’m not surprised as the industrial look is fabulous. Other things you’ll find on the list include cool creations for your home and garden like a solar garden shower and a wall of books. Check out ReadyMade’s top 20 projects from 2010 and you might find something that inspires a new project for your home....
Back in 2006, one of my super awesome friends gifted me with an adjustable tailor’s mannequin. Obviously, I was over the moon! Mannequins are not cheap, and I’d been coveting one to take product photos and start making some clothes for myself. Six years and dozens of craft shows later, that mannequin was kind of in shambles. The plastic was cracking, so it was kind of collapsing in on itself in places, and the felt that covered the body was stretched and saggy....
Perhaps you decide to start an indie band. Perhaps you want your zine to go viral. Perhaps you play Roller Derby. The Bleeding Heartland Rollergirls are looking for some fresh meat, I hear. If you have any reason, ANY reason at all, to want a large number of pinback buttons, I doubt that you want to pay shipping to have them mass-produced in some sweatshop on foreign soil, or receive a bunch of cheap, poorly designed crap in exchange for your hard-earned moolah....
Sewing Green is chock full of fun diy projects made from repurposed materials or organic fabrics. And if you’re like me, you can’t wait to get your hands on it! Well here on Crafting a Green World we’ll be giving a copy of this book away to one lucky reader! That’s right you can win Sewing Green! Woo hoo! So how do you enter? Read the directions over on the Giveaway post....
It’s simple to create this DIY patriotic button art project from our sister site, Feel Good Style! This week I’ll be sharing some fun Fourth of July crafts, and I wanted to share this idea that I shared at our sister site, Feel Good Style. This project would be fantastic for your mantle, decorating a Fourth of July get together, or you could use it as a picture frame wreath. It’s so simple to make, too!...
It’s still very possible to find authentic vintage sewing patterns in antique stores–and even at thrift stores and yard sales, where they’re sold extra cheap because people don’t realize the value of what they’re selling!–but once you’ve got your hands on a genuine vintage sewing pattern, you still might be stymied. Sizing often doesn’t reflect today’s bodies, and women’s styles relied on foundational garments that aren’t common now. I mean, maybe you wear a girdle and a bullet bra every day?...
So get your thinking caps on, brush up on your upcycling and take that trash and turn it into treasure for the SMART Art ‘Trash into Treasure’ competition. Your sculpture, functional item, photograph, video or music could net you fame and fortune, or a winning cash prize, as long as you can show reuse. First Place will receive a $2,000 Cash Award: Future exhibition opportunity in a highly visible San Francisco venue or museum Featured in the online Art Gallery of the SMART Art Competition Displayed as part of the Plastiki Art Exhibit...
The neat thing about Virgin Fest, is that they are committed to being as green as possible. They had a whole exhibit based on their efforts, called the Green Spot. At the exhibit you learned that all of the paper products, t-shirts and other “merch” were sourced from organic cotton, recycled content and corn based plastics. Generators used biofuels and composting bins were placed next to recycle bins. It was wonderful to know that even though music festivals are large events, small changes can make a big difference....
