Green Options

Join me in the Etsy Virtual Labs as I talk about shopping green on Etsy - Today!

In conjunction with my Guest Curatorial post on the Storque, I will be sidling up to my computer to share some awesome Etsy finds that are both amazing and green to boot in a Shop Live.

If you’ve never participated in a virtual labs, this is a great way to [...]

If you haven’t heard the economy is in the drink. It seems every time I turn around there is more news of another bank or company on the brink, with no foreseeable end in sight.

We’ve heard the comparisons that this recession looks very much like the great depression. It is hitting everyone’s pocket book, no matter your socioeconomic status. This free fall to the bottom isn’t discriminating.

So why should you craft when there is even less disposable income for you to play with? Well here are my top reasons you should craft when times are tough:

Crafters and quilters usually build up a fabric stash over many years of collecting.  A fabric stash is usually filled with fabrics they couldn’t resist and knew someday they’d find the perfect project for.  I think most crafters and quilters would be frightened to be stash-less.  A fabric stash can serve as inspiration and always provides security knowing there is a project hiding in there somewhere.

Well, what to do if you have decided to craft green and have no stash?  Start building one.  

One of the fastest and most affordable ways to build a stash is by buying small cuts of fabrics you love.  There are so many eco-friendly fabric sources that sell fabric mix packs and remnant bags perfect for starting a new stash.  Here is a round-up of my favorite sources for eco-friendly fabric scraps and remnants.

Wednesday more sad news in the world of DIY publications: CRAFTzine, the cousin to MAKEzine, will stop issuing their epic how-to print volume after this, their 10th Issue. The magazine will continue to exist as an online-only publication at craftzine.com.

After getting down and dirty with your craft, there’s that dreaded task of cleanup. This simple task can get a little more dicey once the paint, marker, oil pastel or glue finds itself outside of the protected craft area. So to help, here’s a list of green cleaning products that you can use to clean up after craft time using supplies that you already have in your house.

If you’re crafting with the environment in mind, more than likely your materials are water based. These spills can be quickly and easily swiped up with water and a rag.

If wondering hands happen to get crayon or pencil marks on the wall, a little baking soda and water should do the trick.

Mark Montano affixes an urban corsage on actress Anya Monzikova

The Sundance Film Festival kicked off on January 15th and wrapped up yesterday. In amongst the films and snow, celebrity attendees participated in green crafting at an event called The Green Lodge with Mark Montano author of The Big Ass Book of Crafts. The craft-a-thon was sponsored by Amazing EcoGlue from Eclectic Products, Inc.

The Green Lodge focused on eco-crafting by using products that can be recycled, upcycled and restyled. Celebrities including KayCee Stroh of High School Musical cast, Aubrey O’Day from Making of the Band 3, actress Anya Monzikova from Tropic Thunder and a Deal or No Deal alumna, and Alice Greczyn from Privileged and Lincoln Heights, were were inspired to create eco-chic and sustainably stylish projects and gifts alongside the expert crafter and designer.

Tomorrow in the U.S. is the eventful day where our president-elect becomes our 44th president. Being lucky enough to live in Washington, D.C. I plan on braving the crowds and the cold to participate in history.

One thing that has taken hold throughout this historic campaign is the slow rise of political art. Remember the McCain earrings and all the amazing DIY that was found at the DNC?

Art has played a huge role in the president-elect’s campaign. You only have to look at Shepard Fairey’s now ubiquitous Hope poster to see the affect. Political art and craft is just one way to stump for a cause, or show support for a president-elect.

Obama paraphernalia has been popping up all over the city. It is mostly cheap t-shirts and buttons and pins with the likeness of Obama and his family. But, I happened across this great “That’s my DJ” t-shirt. It is hand printed and designed by Sound College.

Looking for a sweet organic cotton print for a large project? Chop Chop Timber’s got you covered. This lovable, little store has a small but ample collection of organic print fabrics for sale and in bulk. But hurry because they’re closing their doors!

If you’re looking for fabric but in smaller quantities, Chop Chop also has a selection of some of our favorites for sale by the yard - Harmony Art Organics and Plover Organics.

All of their fabrics are organic cotton in soothing colors and contemporary prints. I love the simple but bright colors found in the tulip print by Barn Organics, and for ten yards or organic-y goodness, their price is a steel.

No matter the project you’re working on there are always scraps. Scraps of paper, scraps of fabric, scraps of yarn; you name the craft and you got yourself scraps. Where do most of your scraps end up?

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.

Now that you know what to do with your packing peanuts and greeting cards, what about that wrapping paper? Did you throw it out? No, of course not! But what do you do with it now that the gifts are unwrapped and the holidays are over?

Well hopefully you are a careful unwrapper, like myself. I exude extreme restraint when I denude any gifts. Not only do I want to know what’s inside, but I also want the paper, too. Even if you aren’t as a restrained unwrapper, you can still salvage the paper and reuse it in many many crafty ways.

If your paper is a bit crinkly or has seems from its previously held shape, you can easily flatten the paper out using your iron. Set it on low and place a towel between the paper and the iron. Check it often because you don’t want to burn the house down!

Once you have your flattened paper you can now use it in so many different ways:

So this might not technically be a fabric, but it is so very cool none-the-less. Loop by MIO is a textile like material that can be used for virtually any project that you can think up.

It is made from Tyvek, a water proof material that is polyethylene based. It can be cut, sewn, wrinkled, folded, pierced, hung or hemmed like a fabric. I’m also convinced that this is another alternative to vinyl, which is really quite awesome.

Another fantastic property that this fabric comes with is its own envelope for recycling. With each order of loop, it is accompanied with a prepaid envelope for shipping your scraps or your project (when it is no longer wanted or needed) back to MIO for recycling! In wonky terms it is a “free product take back system.”