Green Options » Books + Magazines

A Review of the Green Guide for Artists

Wenona Napolitano — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:27:08 +0000

Green Guide for Artists: Nontoxic Recipes, Green Art Ideas, & Resources for the Eco-Conscious Artist is the one book all green crafters and artists should have. It lists craft and art supplies that are green (and at a minimum less toxic) as well as gives recipes to make your own green supplies like natural paints and glues.

I had no idea that Gorilla Glue is “green”. My husband uses it all the time and I figured it was just another glue from the hardware store but it is actually non-toxic and VOC free. Though when I have performed searches for green supplies it never comes up.

That’s just one reason why this book is so great.

A Blank Canvas Book Awaiting Your Creativity

Wenona Napolitano — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:53:58 +0000

The Ready To Go Blank Canvas Book is a great craft project that can be used to create memories, gifts and more.

My problem is that I have a blank canvas in front of me and I can’t decide what to do with it.

A Review of Celebrate Green by Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson

Wenona Napolitano — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:14:43 +0000

Celebrate Green by mother daughter team Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson is the green book to have because it covers aspects of greening pretty much every holiday and celebration and it has some great ideas for the holidays that are currently coming our way.

Halloween is right around the corner and Celebrate Green has a lot to say about greening Halloween including some crafty things you can do yourself like make your own face paints, create fun costumes and decorations, even turn everyday ordinary objects into candy buckets and containers.

It’s also full of yummy recipes and fun ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Review of 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse

Wenona Napolitano — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:20:21 +0000

“Artists and crafters have always been recyclers, but for many, it has not only become a thrifty choice, it has become a moral imperative. 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse contains a cutting edge collection of the most inventive work being made with re-used, upcycled, and already existing materials. The work in this book ranges from clever and humble personal accessories to unique and important large-scale works of art, including paper art, fashion, jewelry, housewares, interiors, and installations.”

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New GreenCraft Magazine

Wenona Napolitano — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:21:49 +0000

Stampington and Company launched a new magazine on August 1st.

GreenCraft is their ode to all things green, recycled, upcycled and more.

In the premier issue you’ll find over 50 stylish and sustainable projects to inspire you.

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New Online Natural Marketplace Seeking Vendors

Kelly Rand — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:30:25 +0000

Abe’s Market, a new online natural marketplace, is about to launch and is looking for the latest and greatest natural products to create the best array of products for the site.

Abe’s will offer a comprehensive selection of all natural products, with the best and latest in health, beauty, food, home and consumer goods with the ease and convenience of the most modern e-commerce services. The site aims to be a place for customers to find their favorite natural brands as well as a place to discover some of the newest and unique undiscovered lines, as well as “meet” the creators of the brands and gain knowledge about the ingredients, processes and stories behind these products.

In addition to being the source for purchasing all-natural goods, Abe’s Market will be the place and opportunity for up and coming producers of natural products to feature, market, and grow their brands. Abe’s will continually seek out new brands and welcome new sellers to the site. Additionally, the Abe’s Market management team led by co-founders Richard Demb and Jon Polin, who have their professional experience in both natural businesses and the retail environment, will help these newer brands gain exposure with natural retailers to establish distribution.

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A Review of Green Crafts for Children By Emma Hardy

Wenona Napolitano — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:33:53 +0000

Ever time I pick up a new eco-craft book I am so amazed at the creativity I find inside and I swear I like each new one even more than the last, though every book I have found has fun, new ways to take old things and recycle or more accurately upcycle them into fabulous new items.

Green Crafts for Children: 35 Step-by-Step Projects Using Natural, Recycled, And Found Materials is full of cute, whimsical and super adorable crafts that kids, especially little girls, are going to love.
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A Review of The Wrapping Scarf Revolution by Patricia Lee

Wenona Napolitano — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:16:52 +0000

From the creator of the BOBO wrapping scarf comes the new book The Wrapping Scarf Revolution (Leisure Arts #4833).

If you have ever checked out BOBO wraps but were too intimidated to buy one because of the complex wrapping then this book is for you- filled with step by step detailed instructions to help you wrap these beautiful scarves.

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A Review of the Book Sew with Sara

Wenona Napolitano — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:06:41 +0000

The one thing I have always wanted to learn how to do, but have never gotten around to it, is sewing. Sure I can do the basics like stitch a seam back together or sew a button back on but when it comes to using a sewing machine…I am totally intimidated. I don’t even know where to start.

I don’t want my daughter’s creativity to be thwarted like mine. Not being able to sew has limited my crafty creations. I design a lot of things, many which never come in being because I can’t sew.

The book Sew with Sara: PJs, Pillows, Bags & More–Fun Stuff to Keep, Give, SELL! is a great way to get my daughter interested in sewing.

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A Review of Craftcycle by Heidi Boyd

Wenona Napolitano — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:07:36 +0000

Craftcycle by Heidi Boyd is one of the newest eco-crafting books to hit the bookshelves and one of the best. With super creative, crafty and ingenious ideas this book is a keeper.

With over 100 eco-friendly projects plus eco-living tips and ideas, this is a book that is going to be on many “greenies” wish lists.
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Upcycling Inspiration: Recycle LACMA

Becky Striepe — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:00:31 +0000

When the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced that it was deaccessioning part of its textile collection, artist Robert Fontenot was on the scene. He hit up three separate auctions and acquired 50 pieces, almost half of the items the museum was getting rid of. The resulting work is sometimes arty, sometimes functional, and all beautiful! He embroiders the accession number into each finished piece.

The project is still a work in progress, and I just love this quote from his artist’s statement: “Although each item has not yet been used, each item can have a use.” Yes! I think that can apply to materials in a much larger sense, and his work is a fantastic reminder that old pieces can take on a whole new life with just a little bit of love.

Want to get your upcycle on? Thrift stores and even the back of your closet are full of textiles that can take on a whole new life! Here are a few ideas to get you going:

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A Review of The Green Crafter

Wenona Napolitano — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:47:39 +0000

The Green Crafter: 52 Eco Friendly Projects for Every Week of the Year is a cute book by Richela Fabian Morgan.

In the book you’ll find a bunch of cute eco-craft projects for adults and kids. You’ll find detailed directions for fun projects like sock monkeys, very awesome paper dolls, garden butterflies, paper flowers, rock animals, ghosts on a string, photo ball ornaments, and keepsake boxes…just to name a few of my favorites.
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A Review of the Big Green Book of Recycled Crafts

Wenona Napolitano — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:15:34 +0000

The Big Green Book of Recycled Crafts ( Leisure Arts #4802) is a collection of fun and fabulous crafts made from all kinds of trashy, upcycled products.

I see quite a few old favorites in this Leisure Arts publication from other Leisure Arts books including the Trash to Treasure books.

I also see a few new crafts and one that I am thrilled to have found the instructions for.
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Crafty Green Book Review: Pretty Little Potholders

Julie Finn — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:53:40 +0000

As part of the Pretty Little series, Pretty Little Potholders has step-by-step instructions and some patterns for several very different kinds of potholders.

Since I won’t be wearing any of these potholders, this crafty green book review, unlike my review of Weekend Sewing or The Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing, doesn’t have to think about whether or not the patterns are appropriate for my body. Instead, I’ll look at whether the patterns look like something I would actually want to make for myself or for gifts.

I’m also interested, in this review, in how amenable the patterns and instructions are to the use of natural or recycled materials. Are natural or recycled materials asked for, or, even if they’re not, can I easily see places in which they could be substituted?

Here, then, is what I decided about Pretty Little Potholders.
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Crafty Green Book Review: Organic Crafts by Kimberly Monaghan

Julie Finn — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:02:58 +0000

Organic Crafts: 75 Earth-Friendly Art Activities, by Kimberly Monaghan, is technically a crafting book for children, but as I played with some of the projects in it with my girls, I noticed that many of the projects had the kind of simple-looking sophistication–an effect, I’m sure, of the usage of natural materials to create the projects–that I really like to see in the projects that I, myself, do.

And so, this green crafty book review will look a little different than my review of Weekend Sewing or the Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing. I’m starting from the presumption that many of the projects in Organic Crafts will be too simple to appeal to an adult crafting for herself, and that’s okay.

Some projects, however, are pretty awesome, and it’s those that I’m going to review.
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Making Old Books into New Treasures

Jamie Ervin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:56:13 +0000

Tonight I’ve been pondering crafts involving old books. Obviously collector books, library quality books and books we just plain love get pampered and kept on our shelves and tables…

What about the rest? Obsolete manuals, damaged books, those which have only kind of survived the toddler years… where do they go, what do they become?

Disclaimer: If a book is not salvageable (or any parts of it that are beyond reuse), please tear it apart and recycle it.

If books are in good shape and no longer needed in your household, please consider donating them to a hospital or shelter. A great idea for children is to have a book exchange party or a books for the children’s hospital party (ask everyone to bring their gently used books to donate).

Here are some great ideas I found for making a book into something new.
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Crafty Green Book Review: Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing

Julie Finn — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:56:07 +0000

As I mentioned in my review for Weekend Sewing, here are my criteria for a crafty green book review:

How amenable is the book to using (or how easy are the instructions to modify to include) natural or recycled materials?

How appropriate is the book’s sizing for my body, if it includes adult clothing projects (I have a 42″ chest, a 36″ waist, and I’m 5′2″)?

How reader-friendly are the instructions (I have at least the basic skills for any craft, with my best skills being in sewing, probably, but since I’m self-taught in everything there are often huge gaps in my knowledge)?

Here, then, based on those criteria, is my book review of Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing, by Kathy Cano-Murillo.
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Crafters Are Naturally Green

Wenona Napolitano — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:46:42 +0000

Something about being a crafter just automatically makes you green to a certain extent since most of the time we use whatever we find to make our little baubles and treasures.

Remember the Trash to Treasure books that Leisure Arts started putting out back in the nineties? I loved those. I was always amazed that they could take things like crushed soda cans and old takeout containers and turn them into crafty works of art and cute little gifts.
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Chronicle Books Holds Biggest Sale of the Year

Julie Finn — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:34:18 +0000

One of my favorite publishing companies, Chronicle Books, is holding its biggest sale of the year through August 5, with 35% off your purchase plus free shipping when you use the promo code FRIENDS at checkout.

I like Chronicle Books for a lot of reasons, some of them a little random–their e-postcards, their manuscript submission policy, and the awesomeness of their craft and graphic design books.

One of the really cool things about the book selection at Chronicle is that so much of it is eco-friendly, and so much of it emphasizes the DIY lifestyle over mass-market consumer culture.

Here are some of my favorites:
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Green Crafting Book Review: Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross

Julie Finn — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:59:44 +0000

I check out a lot of craft books from my public library, and when I happen to have a little extra cash on hand, I might buy one of my favorites. I rarely follow the instructions or tutorials inside just exactly, however–I always tweak them to fit within the boundaries of my Green Crafting Manifesto. The way I evaluate a book, then, is dependent on the following criteria:

How amenable is the book to using (or how easy are the instructions to modify to include) natural or recycled materials?

How appropriate is the book’s sizing for my body, if it includes adult clothing projects (I have a 42″ chest, a 36″ waist, and I’m 5′2″)?

How reader-friendly are the instructions (I have at least the basic skills for any craft, with my best skills being in sewing, probably, but since I’m self-taught in everything there are often huge gaps in my knowledge)?

Here, then, based on those criteria, is my review of Weekend Sewing, by Heather Ross:
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