Green Options » Juliet Ames

Cork, Not Just For Wine!

Juliet Ames — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:53:58 +0000

Cork is just one of those materials that I never give much thought to. It just keeps my wine fresh and makes a great organizational board. Lately, however, I have seen cork popping up more and more on Etsy and discovered that it is actually a great environmentally friendly product. Here is what I learned:

Cork is harvested from the outer layer of bark of the Cork Oak tree found mostly in the Mediterranean. The bark is harvested every ten years, with each harvest producing a softer batch of cork. By keeping these trees in production, they provide homes to wildlife in about 1800 acres of cork forests and provides many jobs to the people of who harvest the cork by hand. Cork is also 100% recyclable! Of course they can be used for these cool crafts, but companies like Yemm & Hart also collect donated wine corks to make products like tile flooring. This sustainability and ability to recycle make cork an environmentally conscious crafting choice!

These images are just a few cork crafts I discovered on Etsy! Check out their shops for even more!

Classic Chair Cork Coasters from Annacote
Cork Beehive Brooch from Ottoman
The UN-DIamond Cork Ring from Uncorked

Tell me about your cork crafts in a comment!

Join the Drink Pouch Brigade!

Juliet Ames — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:02:23 +0000

I couldn’t believe my eyes! Did I just see this recycled Capri Sun bag at Target? In amongst the pretty floral and pleather handbags, there they were, in all their green-crafted glory…recycled Capri Sun tote bags - at Target! Wow, green craft is really going mainstream. I had a vision of a young indie crafter, sitting on a mountain of money, drunk on Capri Sun, tied to her sewing machine cranking these bad-boys out. After some research though, I learned the real story and how we can help. TerraCycle, Capri Sun and Honest Kids have teamed up to help prevent the billions of juice packs that Americans drink each year from ending up in a land fill.

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Happy Earth Day Eve!

Juliet Ames — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:47:08 +0000

Earth Day is tomorrow and it is bound to be the most celebrated yet! It’s time to celebrate all of the accomplishments the green movement has made and to think about all that is left to do. This year, why not make some new Earth Day traditions to insure that the day will be fun and educational for our crafty kidlets, family and friends?

There are a lot of resources on the web to help you plan your events. K a bo ose is a family centered website with a whole section dedicated to celebrating Earth Day with the family. My favorite part, of course, are the crafts. This site has detailed instructions for creative recycled material crafts you can do on Earthday or any day! Some of my favorites projects include the coffee ground fossils, recycled crayon earth ornaments, and toothbrush bracelets.

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Reiter8, Upcycled Sail Art

Juliet Ames — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:07:46 +0000

Everyday I come across something on Etsy that surprises and gets me excited about the endless recycled craft possibilities. This week I came across reiter8, an upcycling crafter from Brooklyn that takes sailboat sails that would otherwise go to the dump and creates bags and pillows out of the canvas.

The designer came up with this idea while visiting her mother in Maine. After taking notice of the strong canvas material that made up the sails on a boat, she realized that this material would make a sturdy alternative material for bags and pillows all while saving them from going to landfills.

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Treecycle - Environmentally Friendly Packaging

Juliet Ames — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:29:17 +0000

Craft show season is almost upon us! Rejoice! It’s finally time to gather all your supplies and get ready to spend some hot summer days at shows selling your wares. Luckily, crafter extraordinaire Jen Menkhaus just told me about Treecycle, a company dedicated to education and access to environmentally friendly products. This site is great for crafters because they carry a huge supply of recycled paper bags, shipping boxes, jewelry boxes and more! In addition to a ton of products, Treecycle also has a huge page of links to offer information on environmental issues. In case you need reason to buy recycled products from Treecycle, they share this lovely list to explain how it helps…

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Recycled Plastic: Artist Call for Submissions

Juliet Ames — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:57:47 +0000

Lark Books is a fantastic publishing company that brought us all kinds of art and craft books including the addictive “500 Series.” Every year they publish 60-70 new titles and invite artists to submit work to be included in future books.

They now have a wonderful opportunity for artists that work with recycled plastics! I hope to see some submissions from our readers! To read the call for submissions…

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Happy Green Easter - Vegetable Dyed Easter Eggs

Juliet Ames — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:44:34 +0000

Easter is upon us again! This year, why not say goodbye to those prepackaged kits and dye your eggs with vegetables? For fantastic instructions to make beautiful eggs like those in this photo, please visit Billi-Jean of My Bountiful Life!

Photo copyright Billi-Jean.com. Used with permission.

Recycled Jewelry: Where Has Your Jewelry Been?

Juliet Ames — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:29:03 +0000

At the heart of the green crafting movement are artists using bizarre materials to make their crafts. I absolutely love making and wearing jewelry made out of unexpected materials. When has a gold heart necklace from the mall ever sparked a conversation in the way that a necklace made out of used car parts or broken plates has? You are sure to start some interesting dialog when wearing something from these three artists.

This ring is hand carved from a used number 11 pool ball…yes, a pool ball! How cool! Eleanor Salazar of PoolBallRings is an artist from Maine who can hand carve any color or number ball you like, in your size, and have it to you in two weeks. She even makes earrings. What a great gift for the pool shark in your life!

The 2ReVert shop asks, “Where has your Jewelry Been?” Being that these earring are made from used skateboards, one never knows what kind of trouble they got into in their last life. That is the best part about jewelry made from repurposed objects, the back-story (or perceived back-story) adds so much interest and personality to a piece.

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Green Crafter Highlight: Meet Sweet Pepita!

Juliet Ames — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:23:35 +0000

Even our littlest crafters deserve hip eco-friendly clothing, and that is exactly what you will find at Sweet Pepita. This green crafter extraordinaire dropped her metalsmithing tools for a sewing machine after the birth of her daughter Pepita, in an effort to make environmentally conscious and Pepita friendly clothing.

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?

Recycled Newspaper Crafts

Juliet Ames — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:22:05 +0000

Here at Crafting in a Green World, we clearly like crafting with recycling paper! Emma’s post on maps and Autumn’s posts on recycling folded paper and Playing Card Bags made me want to risk the paper cuts to craft. I am discovering, through writing these blog posts, that I am pretty fascinated in paper crafts too. I have already tackled junk mail, paint chips, and old photos, but as I pack up my recycling for the week, I noticed a kind of paper then gets no love, newspaper! Sure, we have all used it to pack a box, but think of all the possibilities!

One of my favorite ideas from Emma’s map post was the adorable Paper Cotton Bird. I could not resist sharing this one made out of newspaper. This Etsy seller from England pays great attention to detail as she hand stitches each bird with embroidery thread using her own pattern. They are so darn adorable, I can’t stand it.

When talking about recycled newspaper crafts, I must mention Newspaper Jewelry. I had the pleasure of seeing these in person, and they really are spectacular. This stuning pendant is made up of newspaper headlines that were hand formed into beads and stitched together with Swarovski Crystal beads.

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Recycled Glass Art

Juliet Ames — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:38:00 +0000

I am having such a great time discovering artists using recycled materials in their crafts. I was so excited about this recycled glass artist, I could barely wait until Monday to share it with the CAGW readers!

John Bassett has been making these amazing glass panels and sculptures since 1979, long before green crafting was all the rage. John creates his works of art out of used bottles, chandelier parts, and other glass scraps. John says that his interests are in light, structure, line, texture, balance and color in that order.

I know most of us do not have the means to whip up art with our empty beer bottles, but I just had to share the wonderful way one artist has. So, I guess until I build a glass studio in my house, I will just put my bottles on the curb for recycling.

For more about glass recycling, check out glass recycling facts from A Recyling Revolution.

Recycled Photo Collage

Juliet Ames — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:42:42 +0000

I forgot how much fun it is to make a collage but after seeing this collage by Justyn Hegreberg, I can’t wait to dive in!

Justyn’s work is so interesting and original because he uses recycled photographs (mostly doubles and blurry snapshots collected from Craigslist) and a paper shredder to create his signature look.

I love this idea to use a paper shredder to cut the paper, just think of the possibilities!

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Upcycle!

Juliet Ames — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:27:14 +0000

My new favorite word is “upcycle. “A German chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough coined the term in their 2002 book, ‘Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.’ To upcycle simply means to use waste products to make useful things.

Upcycling is what Tsia Carson, one of the brains behind SuperNaturale, is all about. In case you have not seen it yet, SuperNaturale is a fantastic site dedicated to all things DIY with an online magazine, bulletin boards and blogs. Carson’s book ‘Craftivity: 40 Projects for the DIY Lifestyle,‘ is based on her website and features 40 projects to turn your trash into treasure. As Anda from Etsy Storque says, “After only a few pages, you should be itching to visit a local thrift store, the back of your closet, or the dumpster behind your apartment for interesting (and free) supplies.”

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Green Craft Supply Alert!

Juliet Ames — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:22:33 +0000

I have just discovered Smencils and had to share them with the world! Smencils are gourmet scented pencils made from 100% recycled newspaper. You can even see the layers of newspapers when they are sharpened! The Smencil World website not only offers original Smencils, but also a colored variety, mini kits and home kits for the do-it-yourselfer!

They can customize for business or events and work with organizations to make fundraising kits. What a great way to promote your green business or raise money for a cause! Sure, there are recycled newspaper pencils on the market, but where else can you find pencils that smell like your favorite fruit or dessert? Life is too short to leave your sense of smell out of the experience of writing a letter!

Have a Green Valentine’s Day!

Juliet Ames — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:00:51 +0000

Valentine’s Day has become more of a headache then heartfelt for most. Poor men are inundated with commercials claiming that if they don’t go to a mall jewelry store, their lover’s family and friends will be completely disappointed in them. That little jewelry box must also be accompanied by chocolates, flowers and a card. And, don’t forget the reservations, guys! No wonder men are not much into this dreaded day. Is this really what women want? Here’s a suggestion for this year: avoid the commercialized, boring routine and have a green Valentine’s Day!

No worries if you don’t know the first thing about making gifts - it is easier then ever to find cool, recycled, handmade gifts online. Online boutique Zanisa is a great place to find all sorts of recycled, organic and sustainable gifts like this necklace from designer Liana Kabel, made from recycled Tupperware! And of course, Etsy is the fantastic place to find original handmade gifts. Check out the daily Valentine’s Showcase for ideas.

Even if you are not a crafter, this recycled heart project from A Little Hut, is totally achievable. All you need is a paper egg carton, some red paint, background card-stock and a box frame to create something that your lover won’t soon forget.

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New Life For Leftover Paint Chips

Juliet Ames — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:39:40 +0000

We have all had that indecisive moment at the home improvement store. Standing there, staring at the wall of paint samples for what seems like hours, every color starts to blend into the next in the same way that too many perfume samples start to smell alike. There is so much pressure, you might have to live with this color for the next 10 years, or more! There is only one way to handle this - pick up a handful of samples to take with you to stare at in the comfort of your own home. Once you have selected the perfect color, what happens to that leftover stack of color? It’s time to craft! (Please note: I said leftover - I am not endorsing stealing stacks of chips for crafting purposes!)

When I discovered Lisa Solomon on The Beholder, I fell in love. I would have never guessed that embroidering a simple paint chip could look so sophisticated. Her series of paint chip art plays with the fantastic descriptive names given to paint colors such as this one, Sparrow.

Another fantastic use for your reject color ideas is this colorful and functional card holder craft from Design Verb. There are incredibly detailed instructions and step-by-step photos on his blog.

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Junk Mail Love - Part II

Juliet Ames — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:45:12 +0000

So, the kidlets are home from school today, bugging you for something to do, and you are hiding on the computer, catching up on blogs? Why not turn the computer off (after reading this, of course) and work on a junk mail craft together?

Paper bead making is a great craft for your little fashionista and is pretty simple to do. Using only junk mail, a toothpick and glue, this project is an easy way to get in a casual lesson on green living.

First, scour your junk mail pile and old magazines for colorful shiny paper to create your beads. The shiny varnished paper is pretty strong, brightly colored, and somewhat water proof. It is also more expensive to recycle, making it perfect for a project like this. Once your paper is selected, simply follow the following easy steps from HGTV:

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Junk Mail Love - Part I

Juliet Ames — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:34:31 +0000

The book “50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth” listed stopping unwanted junk mail as its #2 recommendation. Some interesting junk mail statistics from the book include: Each year, 100 million trees are used to produce junk mail; 250,000 homes could be heated with one day’s supply of junk mail; and Americans receive almost 4 million tons of junk mail every year. Yikes! And I thought these unwanted ads were just an annoyance! Luckily there are ways to stop junk mail, but you might want it to keep it coming when you see all you can do with it.

Paper artist Patricia Zapata of A Little Hut created these amazing works of art as a solution to her junk mail problem. The framed piece is made up of tiny strips of newsprint randomly glued to card-stock. It was then covered with an abstract floral card-stock frame. See a video podcast of her process on the Craftzine blog. Patricia’s adorable junk mail trees are simply made of junk mail and bristol paper. A detailed tutorial can be found on her blog. These simple processes can be translated into thousands of projects. Thanks Patricia, for sharing your junk mail love!

There are so many junk mail projects, I could not fit them all in one post. Share your project in a comment and you could be featured in a future post! Stay tuned for more!

[Images courtesy of A Little Hut.]

So Much Plastic, So Little Time!

Juliet Ames — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:45:45 +0000

According to The Environmental Literacy Council, plastics make up 25% of all waste in landfills when buried. It is a good thing that crafters are finding ways to appropriate this versitale and plentiful material into their creations.

Take, for example, these adorable bird coin purses from Etsy seller Bird Versus Bird which are made from vinyl scraps from a sign shop. Imagine how many vinyl banners from State Fair corndog stands are filling up landfills? Yuck. This seller also uses repurposed and recyclable materials for packaging in order to reduce waste.

This “Beer-merang” necklace earned its name from the boomerang shape and the fact that it was made using the plastic rings from a 6 pack of PBR beer. Saving critters lives, recycling, and looking cool, that is what it is all about! Check out Muse Glass for more styles.

If you have ever visited the record section of a thrift store, you will know that they have more discarded vinyl there then anyone knows what to do with. How many Kenny Rogers records does one store need? Nature Vs. Machine brings us this stunning vinyl record and sterling silver lotus necklace. Kenny Rogers never looked so good!

We all have some records laying around, don’t we? Instead of adding to a landfill or the thrift store collection, why not make some funky chip bowls like this one? Check out these instructions from Instructables to find out just how easy it is. (Just make sure that your record is not valuable collector’s first!) I think I know what to do with my old Alvin and the Chipmunks album!

There are so many ways to use recycled plastics in crafting - I could go on all day! Feel free to share your plastic crafts in a comment!

[Images courtesy of Bird versus Bird, Muse Glass, Nature vs. Machine, and Instructables.]