Quilt more sustainably with these tips on upcycling quilting materials!
A simple re-telling of the classic “three Rs” idea, recreated by the lovely folks at the GAIA Foundation, in London. The new version has seven main ideas: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Re-…
Grandma reused everything + so should you. Here are 12 ways to reuse household items so that you, too, can save money by wasting less.
Quilt more sustainably with these tips on upcycling quilting materials!
I love Sugru's Fixer's Manifesto! A lot of these items we've seen before, in such manifestos as Mister Jalopy's Owner's Manifesto or the iFixit Repair
We all recycle paper and plastic and glass in our homes. We all know how important it is to reduce the waste and reuse old objects. Thanks to my city's initiative I even do compost. But I realized that my kids don't really understand the very essence of recycling nor they understand why we do
Only 9% of plastic waste produced from 1950–2015 was recycled. A waste hierarchy urges individuals to only resort to recycling when necessary.
An old upright refrigerator was resurrected into an ice chest that would be the envy of any backyard party.
Wist je dat je heel veel dingen in huis een tweede leven kunt geven? Vandaag deel ik 10 tips om lege glazen potten opnieuw te gebruiken.
Need some good upcycling ideas? Learn how to repurpose five common household items you might be chucking in the trash. These small eco-friendly changes will help you save money, benefit the environment, and feel better about yourself!
Finding new things to reuse is a fantastic way to save money in your personal budget! This list of 52 things to reuse to save money will have your bank account filling over and over again!
Tons of tips anyone can use to save money while sewing, from patterns to notions and fabric. Can sewing save you money? YES, if you are strategic!
This post is not about a new recycling idea but about a new website that should be known by our lectors! This site is called "Recycled Market" and it is a
Want to generate more engagement on social media? Here are 10 creative ideas on what to post on social media for higher engagement.
Your soda cans are crushed, your water bottles are reusable, and your bank statements are paperless. You’ve even found dozens of creative ways to reuse empty essential oil bottles. You deserve the hig
Any Amazon fan knows that when you shop on Amazon.co.uk you end up with a lot of boxes. Many are much larger than needed for the items inside. Finding ways to reuse these boxes is a great way to reduce your overall impact from your shopping online.
Babybel Lip Balm: There are many chapstick and lip balm recipes out there, but this one is perfect for emergencies. There's no need for specialized cosmetic supplies or even containers... You can re-use the tube you just finished, and if you don't already have them i…
If you are unsure of how to be sustainable or unsure of where to start, here are 15 Easy Ways To Ease Into Zero-Waste Living. Even if you're completely overwhelmed by the idea of being sustainable, these tips will show you how easy it can be.
If you're trying to reduce waste, take a look at this list of reusable items that you should actually hang on to for other purposes.
Sometimes it's hard to start on your zero waste journey. Here, I give 5 super easy tips to transition to zero waste, and they're affordable too!
Let's face it, eating well is expensive... or it can be. Buying produce that is either organically grown (or biodynamically) is not cheap. But ingesting
Upcycling items that are on the verge of being discarded into functional objects you’ll actually want to keep around isn’t only thrifty and good for the environment—it’s also a great creative challenge for the common crafter looking to get innovative. Don’t know where to start? Environmental expert Danny Seo (whose birthday is on Earth Day) inspires you to think outside the crafting box in his new book “Upcycling: Create Beautiful Things With the Stuff You Already Have” (Running Press, 2011). We tapped Danny’s brain to get a true idea of the mind of an avid upcycler, and got a few ideas that’ll have you running to the thrift store, stat. First things first: Why dedicate a whole book to upcycling? It's never been done before is one reason, but also it's really the only way I know how to craft. I've been doing these regular segments on “The Today Show” where I've been determined to prove to Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb that turning trash into treasure can be a beautiful thing. They are so critical (in a loving way) of each thing I've ever done. I remember when I showed them these upcycled crayons I made and they both said "I like this!" I felt redemption. So I wanted each project in this book to basically be Kathie Lee and Hoda approved...there are 100 in there that I know they’ll love. When did you start upcycling and what was the first project you made? When I was a kid, I begged my mother to let me stop in a junk store that we would pass all the time. My mother never wanted to stop because she couldn't imagine a) paying money for trash, and b) going inside a dark and dusty store. But one day she finally did stop and I found myself in heaven, rummaging through piles of stuff, seeing what I could find. I saw a stack of chairs for $5, bought them and scrubbed them clean. I realized if I unscrewed the seat cushion, covered it with an old argyle sweater I had and reattached it, I'd have sweater chairs! That project—which I made when I was 11—is still one of my most popular upcycling projects ever. What comes first—the project or the materials? The materials. I love to walk through a Goodwill store and just see what people in general are tossing out or donating. One of my stylists once suggested I come up with projects using those fancy orange Hermes boxes and I flat-out refused: Who has stacks of those boxes? I sure don't. But going to Goodwill lets me see ordinary things like picture frames, silk flowers, cassette tapes, chipped dishes and Crock-Pots in a whole new way. You've been dubbed an "environmental lifestyle expert." What exactly does this mean to you? I launched an environmental group for kids on my 12th birthday with a few friends and grew it into the largest teenage eco group in the country by the time I was 18. I’ve always cared about the environment. I always had this urge to be creative, too. It wasn't until I was in my 20s that I realized I could marry the two together and not only create a business around it, but stay true to both my environmental and creative roots. I still can't believe I get paid to do what I do. How can the everyday crafter start upcycling? See what you have a lot of. Empty your junk drawers, your recycling bins, the pile of "stuff" you've been meaning to donate. Play around with it. You’ll make mistakes and things will come out looking horrendous, but no money is lost because you started off with trash to begin with. Flip through my book “Upcycled” and get inspired. Come up with your own ideas—there are lots of techniques in the book that may inspire something totally new. What's a personal favorite project featured in your new book? The ceramic silk flowers for sure. Everyone has ugly silk flowers you just don't know what to do with. Dipping them in wet plaster is such an easy but unexpected way to make them look, well, just like ceramic. It was the very first project I came up with for the book and it remains my all-time fave. Other than upcycling, what does your day-to-day life consist of? A lot of design boards, writing, blogging and calls. I have a whole collection of eco-friendly home products sold nationally in stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods under the Danny Seo name. We're constantly coming up with new ideas for bedding, towels, home decor and more. Right now, I'm working on a recycled gold jewelry collection and shopping flea markets, thrift shops and antique stores for inspiration pieces—so much fun. And finally, what else are you making? Working on the follow-up book! “Upcycled Celebrations” will be out next year with lots of ideas for parties, holidays and more. This book is so much fun to create, but it was a little weird to be making Christmas ornaments in the summer. In an excerpt from Danny Seo's "Upcycling" he explains how to turn tequila bottles into oil lanterns
Here's how to throw a party with absolutely zero waste -- no disposable plates, cups, napkins or silverware.
Great piece in the NYT yesterday morning about a group of individuals in the Netherlands who, as a small but meaningful way to help reduce waste in the community, have organized the first ever Repair Cafe. Got an iron that’s burning your shirts, a sweater with holes, a vacuum cleaner not sucking up its share […]
It's been a bit of a process the past few years switching over to more and more reusable items in our household but I'm so glad that we put in the time and effort to reuse more and reduce our waste. Since it can feel like a bit of an overwhelming process to switch over your life to more reusable items, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite items we use (and some that are on my to-get-soon-list) and you can get them all easily from Amazon too!
America Recycles when: November 15th Day Symbolize: set aside to remind everyone how important recycling is When started: November 15, 1997 Survey says..... 7 out of 10 Americans say they recycle as much as they can If you are interested in learning what you can and can not recycle check out this list
Looking for some creative inspiration before your next trip to the thrift store? This collection of repurposed projects is perfect for you!
After you make a pot of coffee, don't throw the coffee grounds away. There are so many amazing ways you can reuse coffee grounds.
