Green Options

Tracy Prince of Sea Find Designs transforms pieces of found sea glass into beautiful jewelry and jewelry supplies.

She and her family make daily trips to the beach near their Rhode Island home to hunt down bits of glass shaped by the ocean’s currents. Tracy calls Sea Find Designs “a family affair,” since the whole Prince family is involved in much of her process. She says she’s drawn to sea glass because:

It’s gorgeous, why would you throw anything usable away! It’s free, I get to go to the beach for my work! And…. the end result is… I’m doing my part to save the Earth for my kids….. It’s my responsibility!

What a beautiful way to do your part! Tracy also uses recycled packaging to ship her goodies. Check out some more of her lovely pieces after the jump!

Atlanta artist Stephanie-D uses vintage and scrap fabric to construct her beautiful Hip Bouquets

[Nuclear Picnic Hip Bouquet]

“But what’s a hip bouquet?” you ask. Stephanie describes her creation:

Atlanta crafter Emilee Heath started My Mom’s Basement as an outlet for her and her friend Justin’s zines. When her grandmother, also a crafter, gave Emilee a sewing box full of beautiful vintage buttons, her crafting turned to jewelery.

I can’t stop drooling over these cozy, upcycled houses from Snugville!

Artist Amy Larson creates each little snug from scratch out of vintage materials. She says that she is drawn to materials that give her the opportunity to reduce, reuse, and recycle! All of that scavenging for just the right vintage bits and pieces gives each snug a unique personality and charm.

Gillian Grant is an American artist living in Paris. A painter, crafter, and a mom, Gillian runs Mon Ami Vie where she sells her lovely upcycled accessories and is working on a self-published book on green crafting.

[Birdie Bon Bon]

Her Crafts
Right now, she’s focusing on making Birdie Bon Bons and also her new Fat Bottoms. She makes the Bon Bons with 100% biodegradable jute cloth and raffia and fills them with birdseed and dried fruit. Birds can snag the snacks inside or take the bits of fabric scraps for nest-building.

Connie Crawley blends recycled materials with a penchant for making functional objects in her shop ReFabulous. From pin cushions to tote bags, she makes cute recycled goods with a vintage feel.

Garbage of Eden Designs artist Stephanie Huffaker takes plastic that would be headed for the landfill and turns it into lovely necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

On top of diverting plastic from the waste stream, the Brooklyn, NY artist aims to raise awareness about plastic’s effect on our water supply through her designs.

Betsy Greer turned Craftivism into a Masters thesis. The creator of Craftivism.com, she believes that crafting and activism are meant to be together. Her new book, Knitting for Good, is a handbook of projects, tips, and thoughts on using your crafty skills to make the world around you a better place.

[Creative Commons photo by Gideon Tsang]

Millie Hilgert of Miss Courageous turns found objects into what she calls Pop Art. “As in pop caps, pop music, pop a lid, pop art, pop culture.” Her materials range from discarded records to vintage wallpaper to game pieces, and she does all of her cutting by hand.

Caitlin, the artist behind Pippijoe, is an independent designer living in Melbourne, Australia. She prints her beautiful designs on 100% hemp or hemp/cotton blend fabrics using environmentally friendly inks.

I am completely in love with Liz Dickey’s art made from discarded bicycle parts! She launched 1.by.liz, making and selling her reCYCLED art, in Portland, Oregon just a few years ago. Each of her one-of-a-kind clocks and magnets are made from upcycled materials.