Green Options

We’re officially in the thick of summer, and that means cookouts and BBQs galore! Here are some crafty ideas to fancy up your next cookout and divert some trash from the bin all at the same time!

Are you an interior designer that constantly receives calls for organic home furnishings and decor?

Goldiehome is a collection of eco-conscious homewares “inspired by the geometry and tactility of nature. By fusing sophisticated design with environmentally-responsible practices, Goldiehome strives to set a new standard for organic modern luxury.”

• Each piece is made with careful attention to design and form, comfort and softness
• The home collection is entirely SKAL & GOTS certified organic cotton.
• Fibers are custom spun to achieve fine detail in jacquards and higher thread count sheetings.
• The actual products and the packaging and collateral materials all reflect the best environmental choices within the framework of commercial manufacturing.

If ecouture has its way, your home — and your closet — will soon be a lot greener. The San Francisco-based startup believes that consumers would buy far more eco-friendly clothing, gifts, baby products and décor if they could only find enough stylish and high-quality options.

A while ago, Skye started showcasing for us some truly Fabulous Fabrics that were perfect for the green minded. One of the first fabrics that she introduced us to was the great organic cotton prints by Mod Green Pod.

The fabrics, perfect for home decor, are bright, beautiful prints that are made from 100% organic cotton grown in the U.S. All of their fabrics are free from dangerous chemicals that often find their way into fabrics during the finishing process. And at $100 a yard, Mod Green Pod, seemed like just a pipe dream for many crafters looking for a green alternative.

Well, these great fabrics just got a little closer to our sewing machines. Nancy Mims, co-founder of the company wrote to let us know that their retail price has dropped dramatically from the expensive $100 per yard, down to the only mild splurge price of $39.75 per yard! That truly is a huge difference!

Welcome to the fifth Carnival of Green Crafts!

Another carnival, another bunch of craft-a-licious green goodness.  A bunch of, um, somewhat disturbing craftiness.  Glue sniffing.  Hitting things with sticks.  Metal saws.

What the heck are you people up to out there?

Before we begin, a few administrative notes: The sixth Carnival will head to Canada on October 2nd to be hosted at Smidge! Send in your posts via the carnival submission form today! The Carnival of Green Crafts home page has background info.  And if you missed it, the fourth carnival was at Whip Up and others are linked at the end of this post.

Now on to the carnival!

I recently had the chance to talk with the co-founder of VivaTerra, Bonnie Trust Dahan, about her motivation to found the catalog- and online-retailer of high-design, green products. Dahan had authored three books on interior design and headed merchandising and/or branding for major retailers including Banana Republic and Smith & Hawken. However, it was her personal shopping preferences that made her want to market beautiful products made from organic, recycled, and renewable sources.

I have noticed that a number of entrepreneurs have started business based on their personal frustration at not finding a source for a desired product or service. (Another example is Beth Gerstein’s fiancé wanting to buy an engagement ring that he could feel good about, and Beth then co-founding another green business, Brilliant Earth.)

When asked about having the vision to start VivaTerra, Dahan says, “It wasn’t cool to be green yet. Even as recent as five years ago organic and green products generally looked pretty awful. I was committed to buying eco products, but I didn’t want to sacrifice style.” Dahan figured there were more people like her, certainly enough to support one retailer, so she started writing a business plan in 2000. 2001 did not turn out to be a great year to start a business, so she re-launched, with partners in 2004, and her timing couldn’t be better.