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I’ve long incorporated the embellishments into other projects, but those old photos remain! At 4″x6″, they’re too small to frame (unless as a collage, so stay tuned for that!), but they’re big on happy memories that I can’t stand to throw away. My babies are nearly grown now, but they used to be so SMALL!!! Here, then, are my favorite ways to upcycle photographs. I love turning these old photos that I never look at into all-new decorations and utilitarian items, giving them new lives and incorporating those happy memories into even more parts of my home....

Here are some ideas for what you can put on YOUR upcycled mandalas, whether you make them from CDs, DVDs, or scratched record albums: 1. button mandala. This is a great way to use up a big stash of boring buttons, because even the black and white ones (which you know you have tons of) look gorgeous in a mandala pattern. 2. candle holder. The tutorial calls for three CDs, with the top CD embellished as a mandala, if you wish....

The lids don’t fit properly once they’re opened, which is a shame, or I could use them to store the food we’re making. The necks are smaller than the jars, which makes it annoying to feed him out of them, or I could use them as dishes. (Might do that anyway, actually, since we tossed out all the plastic in the kitchen a while back thanks to reports about safety issues on our sister blog Eco Child’s Play....

Why do you craft and buy handmade? Do you do it because it’s eco-friendly? Because you choose to avoid those big box stores? If you’re reading here, chances are part of the reason you craft is because you care about the planet. Whatever your reason, the new year is the perfect time to think about what crafting means to you and how you want to grow as a crafter next year....

Well not these scraps. 2nd Time Cotton is a yarn that is made from cotton scraps from the garment industry. Composed of 75% reclaimed cotton and 25% acrylic, the cotton is bright, fun and most importantly it gets the scraps off the cutting room floor and into your crafty hands. Just think, with each skein of this yarn, you are helping divert the destined for landfill cotton, into a new life as hat, mitten, scarf or sweater....

They offer a 70/30 blend of organic wool and alpaca that comes in a natural range of colors. No dye is used and the fleece is what dictates the color outcome. While there is no color modification, that doesn’t mean the colors suffer. Natural, Oatmeal, Camel, Slate and Mink are quite lovely and rich. They also offer a line perfect for knitting up baby wear. It is 85% organic wool and 15% baby alpaca....

I love accessories (jewelry, hair pins, headbands, etc.) and I have a lot of great pieces, but I don’t like my accessory storage: a cloth bag. Earrings get lost, necklaces get tangled, the headbands are always in the way, and I forget what pieces I have in the first place. What about you? Have you made our DIY Crochet Lace Necklace, our Vegan Jewelry, or our 5 Minute Headband and now you just need something to display your creations?...

For a lot of DIY decor projects, a few coats of plain old house paint are all you need to turn a found or thrifted piece into something special. Earlier this week I reviewed a zero VOC paint and primer combo from Olympic Paint. Since then, I’ve been looking for some fun DIY decor projects to put this low-odor, less toxic paint to good use! Some DIY decor projects lend themselves better to house paint than others....

I absolutely love collecting old buttons because I feel like each one tells a story. If you like collecting buttons as much as I do, consider making these beautiful button projects! They’re a great way to showcase your button collection and add a bit of color to your life! 1. Button Art from Busted Button and I Really Should Be Sleeping Busted Button created adorable elephant art (pictured above) out of blue, green, and red buttons!...

It can sometimes be kind of tiring, mentally, to be me. However, to focus–for holiday gifts given to adults by my children, I prefer 1) that they be primarily handmade by the children, and 2) that they function as workable gifts on their own. The adults should appreciate and like the gifts, and find a place for them, because of the gifts themselves, not just the fact that the gifts came from my own clever and adorable children....

Have you been looking at your wardrobe and thinking, “I have nothing to wear for summer!” After reading Julie’s post about how to upcycle a t-shirt into a tank-top, I was inspired to find more refashioning ideas. Instead of buying new clothes and shoes, upcycle some of your old ones! Here are 5 amazing tutorials to get you started: 1. Ruffled T-Strap Flip-Flop Refashion by Make It and Love It Do you have some old flip-flops that need a boost?...

Advent Calendars 1. Christmas Tree To Decorate Make this project simpler by using a stash panel of plywood, instead of buying new. Kids will LOVE adding a new ornament every day! 2. Embroidery Hoop https://www.instagram.com/p/_fAtrTtvGv/ Here’s an Advent calendar that you can completely disassemble between holidays. Just don’t plan any new embroidery projects for December! 3. Pallet Tree The wood for this Christmas tree Advent calendar is upcycled pallet wood. With paper origami decorations, it’s quite eco-friendly!...

1. Felt Baby Booties This project found on Martha Stewart would be loved by mom and baby alike. They’re super simple to make and the personalization possibilities are endless. 2. Towel Burp Cloth Over on Prudent Baby, there is an easy project that uses a piece of fabric and a terry cloth towel to create a burp cloth. There is also a link to a pocket baby bib that would make a fantastic gift set....

Wow. What a month! Did you make it all the way to the end without buying any new craft supplies? It was certainly hard, especially when confronted with those sewing machine attachments. We ended up with some really great entries into the Stash Bust Contest and the lucky winner will be announced very soon! Thank you all for following along and for your participation. We think it was a rousing success....

Instead of finding one eco-product here and one there, Earth Safe Finishes has paints, stains, sealers, varnishes, waxes, glazes and even fabric dyes…all in eco-friendly formulas. Finally! I’ve been searching the web and I’ll find a company that sells one product, maybe paint. Then I’ll have to order from another company that sells eco-friendly clear coats. And if I want any fancy, smancy stuff…forget about it. But now there are Earth Safe Finishes Generation Green products....

This is the perfect opportunity to take a vacation, get crafty, learn about the business aspect of creating, and meet a community of people who are as passionate as you are about crafting! The producers of Craftcation explain: Events and topics include: Indie Business: how to start a crafty business, maximizing social media, blogging, in’s & out’s of indie craft shows, etsy, wholesaling, merchandising, accounting, legal issues, branding, website design, marketing on a budget and more....

Summer is here! That means cookouts, porch parties, and backyard picnics! You can fancy up your next outdoor shindig with this easy peasy fabric scrap banner. Here’s what you need to make one: 11 8″ x 8″ scraps one 8″ x 8″ piece of scrap cardboard or heavy paper pinking shears about 100″ of bias tape or ribbon two clothespins Grab your piece of cardboard and cut out a triangle that’s 8″ on each side and 7″ across the top, like the one pictured to the right there....

In the crafts section, the winner is 350 Save Mother Earth by PEACEANDALLTHATJAZZ. In the t-shirt design section, the winner is Equilibrium 350 by artoo1121. See the winners here, and congratulations to both of them! As Kelly told us back in June, the Creativity 350 partnership and contest was launched to draw creative energy and attention to 350.org’s goal of reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide to 350 parts per million to stave off dangerous climate change....

What is it about babies that makes us want to shower them with gifts? I can’t resist cute baby things, but my inner green crafter tsks at those consumerist impulses. When I can I try to make things for my little guy instead of buying, and I bet that I’m not the only crafter that does that! Need some ideas for DIY baby toys to keep your kiddo entertained without hurting the planet?...

Warming Sugar Scrub– Guys, I’ve been using this scrub almost every day since I first started making it a few weeks ago. It is the best! Lavender Lemongrass Soap – Soothing, homemade soap is a beautiful stocking stuffer. Bath Salts – Scented bath salts in a mason jar with a custom, printable label is a simple DIY beauty gift perfect for holiday giving! Body Butter – You can choose your own scent adventure to customize this DIY beauty gift for your recipient!...