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Upcycled Embroidery Floss Spools Tutorial and Earth Week Giveaway

April 22, 2013 by FaveCrafts

Green crafting is a trend that has taken the artsy world by storm, and rightfully so. Not only do recycled and upcycled crafts save you green, but they also ensure that our lovely planet will stay green for decades to come. As they say, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”, or “one person’s recycling bin is another’s supply store.” To honor the Earth and all that it encompasses, FaveCrafts.com and its sister sites are challenging you to craft green. This small challenge comes with big reward. Return daily to enter to win one of two exciting Earth Week prizes. Find the contest rules and enter below.

FaveCrafts-Earth-Week-Logo*This giveaway is now over. Please enjoy the free tutorial below.

Today is day one of Earth Week, and we’re starting out strong with a lovely and useful recycled craft from Crafting a Green World. With this tutorial from Julie Finn, you’ll learn how to turn recycled cardboard into Embroidery Floss Spools. This wonderful idea keeps money in your wallet and grass on the ground.

Upcycled Embroidery Floss Spools

 

Upcycled Embroidery Floss Spool

Materials:

  • Centimeter-gridded graph paper or old embroidery spools
  • Recycled cardboard (cereal box, record case etc)
  • Scissors

Instructions:

1. Create a template. If you already own some embroidery floss spools that you like, just trace them. Graphing your own pattern on centimeter-gridded graph paper is really easy, however. A template drawn on graph paper is easy to make symmetrical, and you can fancy it up however you wish.

Upcycled Embroidery Floss Spools

2. Fussy cut from cardboard. To fussy cut something means to cut it specifically to include a certain exact detail, often from a novelty print. You can fussy cut your embroidery floss spools by placing your template over something awesome, like Art Garfunkel’s face or Toucan Sam’s beak.

Note: If you cut your spools out of plain cardboard, you can still embellish them with ink pens–just make VERY sure that nothing you use will rub off on the floss.

Upcycled Embroidery Floss Spools

3. Wrap and store! Finally wrap all of your floss nicely and neatly and organize it (in rainbow order, obviously!).

Thanks again to Julie Finn for Crafting a Green World for allowing us to share this tutorial!

Mason Jar Dish Towel PatternLove embroidery floss projects? Check out these great embroidery and friendship bracelet tutorials!

Hand Embroidered Baby Bib
Vintage Embroidered Table Runner
Delicate Flowers Embroidery Pattern
Sequins Embellished Felt Flowers
Embroidery Hoop Art
Mason Jar Dish Towel Pattern
How to Make Friendship Bracelets: 12 Fun Friendship Bracelet Patterns! free eBook

Earth Week Giveaway

Return daily to comment on the blog for your chance to win one of the two Earth Week prizes. One lucky winner will win a Wool Felt Bug Kit and an Art Journal Kit from Arterro, and another lucky winner will win two hanks of At the Bahamas: Multi Colored Recycled Sari Silk Ribbon Yarn from Darn Good Yarn.

Bonus! As a gift to all Earth Week participants, when shopping with Arterro enter the coupon code FAVE20 for 20% off any order through May 1st.

Arterro Art Journal KitArterro Wool Felt Bug Kit

At the Bahamas Yarn

OFFICIAL RULES

  • There is a maximum of one entry per person per day. The entry will be based upon a comment left on this blog post. Duplicate comments will be deleted and are not tallied. You can comment once a day on each blog post.
  • Winners will be selected at random from the comments on the Earth Week blog posts.
  • Winners will be announced here on the blog on April 29th as well as contacted by the email address provided.
  • You have until April 28th, 2013 at 11:59p EST to leave your comment on any of the Earth Week posts. Comments posted after that will not be counted.
  • Contest open to anyone 18+ in US and/or Canada.

What crafts have you made from recycled cardboard?

Filed Under: Full Project Tutorials Tagged With: Earth Week, Embroidery, Green Crafting, recycled materials

Make A Recycled Card Journal

April 29, 2012 by FaveCrafts

This guest post was written by David Leon Morgan.

 

*This contest is now over. Please enjoy the free tutorial below.

Create beautiful, handmade journals using old birthday cards, gift card holders or table cards. Any thick, folded card can be transformed into a journal!

Here’s what you will need:

  • A card of any size
  • A stack of blank and/or recycled paper. Of course, the number of sheets of paper depends on how thick you would like your journal, and how thick your paper is. In order for you to be able to easily sew the pages together, I would recommend using no more than 5 pages if using standard printer paper. When folded, you will have 10 pages in your journal, or 20 if counting the front and back sides.
  • A small awl. If possible, choose one that is specifically made for bookbinding.
  • Waxed bookbinding thread
  • An embroidery needle
  • A paper cutter
  • Scissors
  • A cutting board or mat
  • A binder clip or paper clip (optional).
  • A bone folder or plastic card (optional)

Step One: With your paper cutter, cut your sheets of paper according to the size of your card. I generally make my journal pages about ¼ of an inch smaller than the card size. For instance, if my card is 3 ½ inches wide by 5 inches tall (like the one in my example), the pages should be cut to 4 ¾” by 3 ¼”.

Note, however, that when you fold your stack of paper, the pages in the middle tend to move forward a little bit, which does not create a straight edge along your stack. If you prefer, you can cut the correct height first, then fold your pages (Step Two) and cut the correct width with your paper cutter. This will help to achieve a straight edge.

Step Two: Fold your pages in half, according to the size your card. You can also use a bone folder or plastic card to create a sharper crease on your folded pages.

Step Three: Check to make sure that your pages are the correct size you want by aligning it with your card. The fold along the pages should line as perfect as possible with the fold in your card. If you prefer, you can use a binder clip to keep the pages and card in place. Please note, however, that a new binder clip may leave a small indentation in your journal. You may be able to remedy this by opening and closing the binder clip a few times before clipping it to your paper, in order to loosen some of its tension. You can also try using a paper clip instead.

Step Four: Once the correct page size is achieved, you will now need to create three holes in both your journal pages and card cover. To create three even holes, grab a scrap piece of paper that is roughly the same dimensions as your card and paper. Then, fold the piece of paper once in half lengthwise, then in half again. Open the piece of paper.

The three folds created in the middle of the paper will be your guides for marking even holes in your journal.

Step Five: With a pencil and your scrap piece of paper, mark the three places where your sewing holes will be in your journal.

Step Six: Once the hole points are marked, use your awl to create three holes in your journal. Please note that awls are very sharp, so please be careful. Use a cutting mat to ensure that you do not mess up your table top when piercing your journal.

Make sure that your holes are as wide as at least the middle point of your awl. They should be wide enough for your embroidery needle to pass through easily.

Step Seven: Once your holes are created, thread your needle with the waxed embroidery thread.

Step Eight: Insert your needle in the middle, inside hole of your journal. Leave about four inches of thread as you pass the needle through.

Step Nine: Insert your needle through the hole to the right of your journal. It should be inserted from the outside going in.

Step Ten: Insert your needle through the hole to the left of your journal, skipping the middle hole. The needle should then come out to the outer left side of your journal.

Step Eleven: Insert your needle back through the middle hole.

Gently pull your stitches to ensure that it is tight around the pages.

Step Twelve: Cut your bookbinding thread, leaving about four inches left. Then, place the ends of your thread on either side of your sewn bookbinding thread.

Step Thirteen: Make at least two knots with your thread ends, then tightly push the thread ends to the center of of the knot. The wax should hold the ends together.

Step Fourteen: Enjoy your journal!

To see more great card making tutorials, visit AllFreePaperCrafts.com

  1. Recycled Christmas Card Decor
  2. Repurposed Vintage Valentines
  3. DIY Folio for Greeting Cards
  4. Repurposed Valentines Candy Boxes
Recycled Christmas Card DecorRepurposed Vintage Valentine OrnamentsDIY Folio for Greeting Cards

Filed Under: Full Project Tutorials Tagged With: Earth Day, Earth Week, Green Crafting, Guest Post

Upcycle Pants into a Quilted Pillow!

April 28, 2012 by FaveQuilts

This guest post was written by Phyllis Dobbs from Phyllis Dobbs Art & Design Studio.

*This giveaway is now over. Please enjoy the free tutorial below.

Hi, I’m Phyllis Dobbs.  I was delighted to meet Jessica Nichols, the editor of FaveQuilts.com at the International Quilt Market. I was even more delighted when she asked if I would write a guest blog. Since Earth Week is celebrated this month, I created a pillow that is repurposed from an article of clothing.

 

Upcycled Floral Pillow

I love shopping thrift stores where you can find fantastic treasures just waiting for you and your imagination. Don’t shop with just the thought of reusing something; shop thinking of how you can turn it into something else. Yard sales are another treasure trove. Another place that I look for treasures is my own closet. If I love the fabric or accents on a piece of clothing or accessory, I add it to my stash for repurposing that is tucked away in my attic (and a step away from my studio). A former resident of my closet is the source of this project – a pair of capris that I bought a few years ago and have never worn. (I think it had to do with the thought that they made me look fat.) I loved the fabric so I had added them to my stash.

Materials :

  • Pillow form (I reused a form from a pillow I had also discarded).
  • Cotton batting
  • Beads (an old necklace is great for recycling beads).
  • Surface threads – both metallic and non-metallic
  • Fabric for pillow back

 (The threads were furnished by Gutermann and the batting by The Warm Company.)

1. Determine the size of the pillow and add a couple of inches to the width and height. Cut the clothing to get fabric this size – it’s okay to include seams. From the pants, I cut across one leg, then opened one side seam.

Cut Off Pants

2.  Spread the fabric over a piece of cotton batting that is a little larger than the fabric. Pin or baste together.

Pillow Quilt Sandwich

3.  Sew wavy lines across the fabric and batting top to bottom multiple times as desired.  I used 2 colors of non-metallic Gutermann thread – light and dark coral, and 3 shades of metallic for sparkle – light and dark turquoise and black.  Stitch the lines using long stitches, criss-crossing over each other.

Quilting Upcycled Pants Pillow

4. Sew beads randomly on surface. I used 2 different size turquoise beads to sew randomly, then sewed small red beads to the flower centers. Large yellow teardrop beads were sewn to the flower centers.

Close-Up of Quilting

5. Lay the finished top face down on backing fabric and cut back. Pin right sides together, and then sew, leaving a 7” opening along bottom edge. Turn right side out and press. Insert pillow form and hand stitch the opening closed.

Have fun! Choose your fabric and make your pillow adding your personalized touches with your wonderful thrift or closet finds!

Phyllis Dobbs

Phyllis invites you to visit her blog www.phyllisdobbs.info to read about her new quilt book “Asymmetrical Quilts” and to get a sneak peak of her newest fabric collection “Celebrate”.

Vintage Sheet Half Square Triangle PillowWant more ways quilt pillows? Check out these free patterns too!

Crossing Paths Pillow
Layered Brick Pillow
Raggedy Country Nine Patch Pillow
Homespun Patchwork Rag Pillow
Denim Cathedral Window Pillow
On Point Frames Quilted Pillow
How to Make a Patchwork Pillow
Vintage Sheet Half Square Triangle Pillow

Filed Under: Full Project Tutorials Tagged With: Earth Week, Full Project Tutorials, Green Crafting, Guest Post, pillows, Quilting, recycled crafts, Sewing

Eco Crafts from Cool2Craft

April 28, 2012 by FaveCrafts

This guest post was written by Tiffany Windsor from Cool2Craft.

My sister, EcoHeidi Borchers, and I have had the great fortune to grow up watching the original eco-crafter, Aleene.  Momma Aleene started her first business in 1944 and in 1968, she toured the country with her Aleene’s Craftmaker Caravan which is credited with the birth of the craft industry we know today. Many of her first craft books featured decorating your discards, trimming your trash and glittering your garbage. Because of the lack of craft stores in that era, craft designers had to be very creative with their materials, many times reaching for plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, egg cartons, tissue paper, foil, fabrics, food items like pasta, cornflakes and bread, glass bottles and much more.

We’ve been diving into our trash bins to upcycle trash long before it was called eco-crafting and we continue to be inspired by the vintage Aleene’s projects as we continue to enjoy dreaming up new ideas from supplies that our Momma Aleene never could have imagined we’d be eco-crafting with… like plastic water bottles!

Visit us at Cool2Craft.com and check out some of our favorite eco-craft ideas:

  • Plastic Bottle Room Divider
  • Eco-Friendly Tic  Tac Toe
  • Adorable Bottle Cap Lady Bug
  • Bottle Cap Bugs
  • Bottle Cap Doll
  • Reverse Fabric Water Bottle Earrings
  • Embossed Water Bottle Bracelet
  • Faux Felted Water Bottle Bracelet
  • Water Bottle Seashell Necklace
  • Reverse Painted Water Bottle Necklace
  • Pink Flower Water Bottle Bracelets

Filed Under: Green Crafting Tagged With: cool2Craft, Earth Day, Earth Week, Green Crafting, Guest Post

Interview: Cynthia Mann from Birch Fabrics

April 27, 2012 by FaveCrafts

This guest post was written by Andrea for Birch Fabrics.

Hello FaveCrafts Readers!

My name is Andrea, and I am the associate of an extraordinary woman whom I am in awe of and inspires me everyday. That woman is Cynthia Mann, the owner and powerhouse behind Birch Fabrics. We were thrilled when FaveCrafts contacted us to share our contributions to the Eco Crafting world. I thought it would be fun to share a glimpse into our world and hopefully inspire some of you the same way Cynthia has inspired me. Even more importantly, sharing how eco-crafting and sewing is the best option for our fragile earth and future.

Hello Cynthia! I am very excited to share a glimpse into Birch Fabrics with the readers of FaveCrafts Blog! As your associate, I’ve always been in awe of what you have accomplished in a very short 3 years.

When did you first realize you wanted to try your hand at manufacturing fabric?

I first realized that I wanted to manufacture fabrics when I was looking to buy organic fabrics for my retail fabric company Fabricworm and to sew bedding for my baby son and I just couldn’t find any that had great designs for kids. I realized that if I’m looking for organic fabrics for my kids, then other moms like me probably are too.

What affected the decision to produce 100% organic fabric?

My husband has strong allergies, and as a child had terrible asthma and we were concerned that our little ones might have similar issues, so to limit the possibility we had begun making strides to live a healthier greener life, cooking with organic foods, using chemical free detergents and household cleaning products, etc. Since we had heard about pesticides and chemicals in dye and the fact that they could be dangerous especially for children with allergies, we were hopeful that we could have their bedding and pajamas made from organic cottons. We researched how traditional cotton is produced, it not only became about the health of our own family, but also the health of our climate and the laborers that work in the fields as well.

As one of the pioneering organic cotton manufacturers in the modern quilting market, did you have any reservations about going “green”?

We didn’t have any reservations about going “green”. We were concerned that customers would have a hard time understanding the price. This was luckily not the case. It seemed that our concerns for our children and planet translated very aptly into the quilting communities concerns as well.

How does the manufacturing of organic cotton actually contribute to a greener earth?

Our contribution to a greener earth is in the reduction in pollutants on our planet. Our organic cotton is grown without the use of harmful pesticides or fertilizers and the fabric is printed with low impact dye stuff. The pesticides used on traditional cotton make up approximately 25% of all pesticides used on agriculture, thus releasing harmful toxins in to the atmosphere, which is also extremely harmful for the crop handlers. Traditional dyes often contain formaldehydes and heavy metals that many consumers are allergic to, and unknowingly harm their own skin and health by wearing fabrics that contain these harmful substances.

Organic fabric is a bit more expensive than its non-organic counterparts on the market. Were you always confident that customers would want to spend the extra dollars on organic fabric?

We assumed that the pricing of our organic fabrics would be an issue initially because traditional fabrics were quite a bit less expensive at the time. However with rising cotton prices we’ve managed to bridge the gap and now the price does not seem to be an issue. In addition to being organic the quality of our fabrics is of a premium construction that also drives the price a little higher.

The aesthetic of Birch fabrics is very sweet and very modern, all mom, child, and hipster friendly. What inspired this direction?

We are influenced in part by our love for modern design. My husband, Jason (the other half of Jay-Cyn Designs) and I both have a thing for Mid Century furniture, homes and accessories. Jason is part Japanese, and he’s influenced in many ways by Japanese design and culture. Our two young sons Anderson and Keaton are the inspiration behind our child friendly look!

You’ve worked with designers Monaluna, Dan Stiles and now Rebeka Ginda. How would you describe the collaboration process?

Super Fun! We love working with talented designers. We’ve been so fortunate to find designers who have such a similar aesthetic to our own. When I saw Jennifer Moore of Monaluna’s work for the first time, I knew immediately that she was a perfect fit. The collaboration process begins with a concept typically. We generally have an idea for a collection and then we either seek a designer with which we’ve seen similar concepts from that will marry well with our own expectations, or in some cases we see a designer’s illustration that strikes a cord, and from that one illustration a collection develops around it.

One thing (among many) that really stands out about Birch Fabrics is the fresh color palette. What is your relationship with color? Do you have the final say on all color adjustments?

When I consider the design process and what I personally bring to the table it’s definitely color. I wouldn’t call myself an artist, especially not by trade. But when it comes to color, it’s really been the one thing that consistently has played a role in my journey to this point. When I was young I had all of the crayons colors memorized. I’ve just been into color as long as I can remember. My mom was a great help because she knew the names of every color for every shade, and I must have gotten that from her. I remember asking her “what color is this?”, “what color is that?” I definitely tend towards colors that I connect to from my childhood, I guess you could call them retro. And yes, I do have the final say on all colors.

You’ve taken on quite a bit of design work yourself, along with husband Jason Rector. Did you always dream of one day designing your own prints?

I had dreamed of designing fabrics since the day we started manufacturing, but what I didn’t realize is that it was a real possibility. Jason has been a graphic and multimedia designer for over two decades, but I didn’t realize that he could use the same programs to design fabric. We started playing around with some ideas and before we knew it we had a whole collection. It’s one of the most exciting moments in my whole career.

How is it, working as a husband and wife team? And what duties do each of you take on in the design process?

Working as a team with my husband is one of the best perks of the job! He’s my best friend and we have a very similar work ethic. We both like to get things done! We hardly rest, especially when we are excited about a new concept. As far as duties there is quite a bit of crossover. With most of our collections we are both drawing and then sort of picking and choosing between each others’ assets to complete a collection. Jason does all of the digital design work, and I choose all the colors. Jason handles all of the print advertising, website updating, file formatting, etc. I handle all the wholesale ordering, fulfillment, marketing and trade show planning.

You’ve just released Mod Basics, a basics collection with flair, designed by you and your husband Jason under the name Jay-Cyn Designs. Some would say that releasing a basics collection is a true testament of intended longevity in this industry. Is this a collection that you plan to keep around?

When working on Mod Basics our intentions were really pretty simple. Our brand needed basics. With so many of our collections already in the marketplace that had a very specific print driven concept, we knew that many quilters would be looking for coordinates to complete quilts, especially if they were going for a completely organic quilt. They would be hard pressed to find a single organic polka dot or stripe that would match the prints that they were working with. Having a collection of basics was important to rounding out our brand.

You’ve got a lot under your belt. Husband, kids, school activities, and two successful businesses. How do you handle it all? In other words, what’s a day in the life of Cynthia Mann look like?

Although it does sound like a lot, I have a lot of help too! We have an incredible staff of hard working, talented individuals, that help operate our website Fabricworm.com and our brick and mortar store, Birch Fabrics. If it weren’t for them, Birch Organic Fabrics would not be possible. While no two days in my life are ever the same, they tend to go something like this:

Wake up at 7am, drop the kids off at school by 8am, check calendar, catch up on email for a few hours, check in with the store, ship orders, work on Birch Designs, really accomplish as much as I possibly can, then off to pick up the kiddos around 4:30pm.

We are almost always working toward a deadline for something, which can get chaotic at times. But we still try to enjoy life too!

What can we expect from Birch Fabrics in the future?

Birch Fabrics is always looking toward growing and sharing great organic fabrics with our customers. We are hoping to release a new line of substrates in the near future including Home Dec weight canvas and possibly a line of flannel. We have several great collections of quilting cottons coming this fall, so be sure to check in on our website www.birchfabrics.com for our latest releases.

Thanks so much Cynthia, for taking the time to share a bit about Birch Fabrics with us! For even more information about Birch Organic Fabrics, check out our website www.birchfabrics.com. All Birch Organic Fabrics are available for sale at Cynthia’s retail shop Fabricworm

Thanks for reading along with us!

Filed Under: Green Crafting Tagged With: Earth Day, Earth Week, eco-friendly, fabric, Green Crafting, Guest Post

Artterro Giveaway Winner!

April 27, 2012 by FaveCrafts

Thanks so much to everyone who commented on the Artterro post yesterday! Unfortunately there can only be one winner…

The lucky winner of an Arterro crafting kit is Carmen who said:

“Coloring – crayons, colored pencils, markers, oil crayons, or chalk – it didn’t matter.””

Thanks Carmen!

 

And thank you so much to everyone for participating!

Filed Under: Contests & Giveaways Tagged With: Earth Day, Earth Week, giveaway winner, winner

5 Green Craft Products and Companies You’ll Love

April 26, 2012 by FaveCrafts

This guest post was written by Jenny Barnett Rohrs of CraftTestDummies.com.

Today’s green crafting posts are sponsored by Artterro! Check out how to enter to win a crafting kit and you’ll also get a coupon code for 20% off your order!

Artterro Eco Crafting Kits

As a craft product reviewer, there are certain issues I care about deeply. One of those is “green” crafting- craft projects, products, and companies that focus on eco-friendly, sustainable, and/or recycled components that make our world a healthier place to craft!

Today I’m going to share five products/companies that offer GREAT products that you will want to include in your crafting. Here they are, in no particular order. You can also click the links to read the full reviews I’ve written.

Eco Green Crafts Acrylic Paints

These creamy, rich, low-or-no VOC paints work like a charm and provide some peace of mind. The paints also have a resin in them, which, when buffed , transform the finish from matte to a satin-y shine. They come in 50 designer colors, and once you use them, you’ll never want to use another brand!

Artterro Creative Craft Kits

This mom-owned, Wisconsin-based company was founded on the idea that children deserve high-quality art experiences that are open-ended, consist of beautiful, sustainable materials, and enrich the local community as well. (The kits- which are made of recycled materials AND can be recycled into picture frames- are packaged at the local Goodwill Industries.) The more of these kits I test, the more I like the company- and I bet you will, too.

Amazing Eco Glue

This simple white glue is a perfect way to swap out a common craft product with a more eco-conscious one. Amazing Eco-Glue has less than 1% VOCs, is water-based but water-resistant when dry, and has NO animal derivatives. (Make note, vegans!) And in my craft tests, it performed exceptionally well.

X-Acto Recycled-Handle Scissors

These precision scissors from X-Acto (yes, the craft-blade folks) keep the earth a little greener by using recycled plastic for the handles. Don’t be fooled, though- they are sharp and super-effective!

Ecosystem Sketchbooks

If your glue, paint, and scissors are eco-friendly, why shouldn’t your journal be as well? The ecosystem notebooks are not only made with 100% recycled materials, you can enter a code and find out exactly where each part of your notebook or sketchbook was created… all within the US. Sylish, high-quality, and green- what’s not to love?

I hope that you have been inspired to incorporate some green craft products into your crafting!

Filed Under: Product Reviews Tagged With: craft company, Earth Day, Earth Week, Green Crafting, Guest Post, Product Reviews

Eco Green Crafts Giveaway Winner!

April 26, 2012 by FaveCrafts

Thanks so much to everyone who commented on the Eco Green Crafts post yesterday! Unfortunately there can only be one winner…

The lucky winner of a $25 gift card to Eco Green Crafts is Penny who said:

“I re-purpose all kinds of things, that is what I call “keeping it green””

Thanks Penny!

 

Don’t worry if you didn’t win something this time around. We are giving away  prize from Artterro today so you have one more chance to win! They have awesome earth-friendly kits that you can make with your friends and family and then turn the box into a frame! Check them out here!

Filed Under: Contests & Giveaways Tagged With: Earth Week, winner

5 Simple Ways to Green Your Crafty Business

April 26, 2012 by FaveCrafts

This guest post was written by Becky Striepe from Glue and Glitter and Crafting a Green World.


Today’s green crafting posts are sponsored by Artterro! Check out how to enter to win a crafting kit and you’ll also get a coupon code for 20% off your order!

Artterro Eco Crafting Kits

Whether you just made the leap recently into selling your crafts or have been a crafty pro for years, there are lots of easy little ways that you can make sure that your DIY business is as good for the planet as it is for your soul.

 

We talked a little bit about greening your crafty business on the April edition of the FaveCrafts podcast, and I thought I’d share a few more tips with you guys here.

The key to successfully greening your business, in my opinion, is to go easy on yourself. If you try to do everything all at once, you’re just going to get overwhelmed and burn out. Try not to focus on what you aren’t doing, and give yourself a high five for each step that you take. Maybe this month you start collecting your recycling and next month you worry about sourcing sustainable marketing materials. It’s all about just starting. Do what you can, and before you know it you’ll be running the green crafty biz of your dreams!

Here are some ways that you can start making your business more eco-friendly today!

1. Recycle

This one’s especially easy if your city offers curbside recycling. All you need to do to get started is get a few bins for your paper, plastic, and metal recyclables, and you’re ready to rock! It’s also a good time to check out your town’s waste management website to see what they do and don’t accept. If curbside isn’t an option, I recommend checking out Earth911 to find a drop off recycling center near you.

2. Promotional Materials

Whether we’re talking business cards, flyers, or any other physical marketing materials, there are some great ways that you can reduce your impact. Conventional paper products are bad news for forests, so choosing paper that’s recycled or FSC certified can make a big difference. There are two companies that I like to use for printed materials:

  • Bluegrass Print – This isn’t a 100% green printer, but the price is right! You can choose from their green paper options to make your print job more eco-friendly.
  • Greener Printer – These guys are top notch! They cost a bit more, but on top of eco-friendly paper, they use soy-based ink, and their whole operation is wind powered.

You can also make your own promotional materials. Over at Crafting a Green World, we have a roundup of DIY, green business card ideas and some ideas for making your own eco-friendly price tags!

3. Reducing Paper

Using less paper not only makes your business greener, but it can save you money. Instead of printing and mailing newsletters, catalogues, and even craft show applications, start building your email list and send virtual versions instead. You’ll save trees and cash at the same time.

Even if a show asks you to print and mail your application, you might still be able to email it. Lots of crafty applications are online now, but when they aren’t, organizers are often open to receiving an emailed application and PayPal payment instead of mailed app and check. It doesn’t hurt to ask, just be polite!

4. Packaging

Use a critical eye to see where you can reduce plastic or use reusable materials. Sure, it’s easy to grab the Uline catalog and order some packaging materials, but before you pick up the phone, take some time to think outside of the box. Ask yourself how you can make this more sustainable. Can you use minimal packaging? What about reusable packaging? One of my favorite green packaging solutions that I have run across was at a craft market in Asheville. A t-shirt vendor packaged her tees in a glass Mason jar. How smart!

Even if you can’t ditch the disposable packaging, can you do it more sustainably? Craft paper, for example, is a greener option than other paper and certainly better than plastic packaging, because it contains a high recycled content. It’s always better to choose metal, glass, and paper over plastic.

5. Displays

When it comes to making that crafty display greener, the thrift store is your friend! Choose thrifted linens to dress your tables instead of store-bought tablecloths. Suitcases, fun baskets, old shelves–a fresh coat of paint turns these thrifted items into awesome displays. The idea is to look at thrift store housewares from a new angle. Don’t think about things as what they are but what they could be with a little bit of crafty love.

The one part of the crafty display that I haven’t figured out how to green up is that big, white tent. If you can find a good tent second hand, that’s definitely a greener option, but those are tough to find!

When you can’t sort out a green alternative, my rule of thumb is to choose something that will last. It’s much greener to spring for a good quality tent that will last you years than skimp on a cheap one that you’ll have to replace over and over. This saves you money in the long run, too, since by the time you replace that cheapo tent a few times, you could have just bought an EZ Up.

Filed Under: Green Crafting Tagged With: craft business, Earth Day, Earth Week, Green Crafting, Guest Post, thrifty crafts

Earth Week: Borrowing the Earth from Our Children

April 26, 2012 by AllFreeKidsCrafts

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” – Chief Seattle

Chief Seattle, a Native American leader and early environmentalist, emphasized the importance of living an evironmentally-friendly lifestyle. Native American cultures taught their children to value nature and the efficient, non-wasteful use of natural resources because they understood that the Earth provides us with a home and all of our basic needs. Earth Week is based upon this wisdom.

Chief Seattle

Image courtesy of Historylink.org

The Earth Week mantra is simple: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It is vital to reduce one’s environmental impact because we must keep the future clean and green for the benefit of our children and future generations.

This is especially true for us crafters, who can potentially create a lot of waste in the creative process. Fortunately, green crafting offers a simple and fun way for children and adults to repurpose old items and used items to create something amazing, and FaveCrafts can help! We can begin teaching our kids from an early age that more bird will sing in the trees if people use waste materials to make recycled kids crafts instead of adding to another landfill.

If you know a little crafter who loves the Earth, keep reading for a chance to win a special eco-friendly prize from Arterro!

Also, try out these recycled crafts for kids, and teach your little ones to care for the Earth so that their children will have a clean and beautiful place to live:

Bottle Cap Necklaces

Bottle Cap Necklaces: Don’t toss those caps! Make them into fun beaded jewelry from recycled materials!

 

Earth Cupcake Toppers

Earth Day Cupcake Toppers: Make these easy and fun cupcake toppers from AllFreeHolidayCrafts.com for a cute and crafty flair.

 

Board Games Used for Crafts

Board Games Used for Crafts: Reuse parts of your favorite board games instead of throwing them away with fun tips from FaveCrafts!

 

Easy Earth Day Window Decorations

Easy Earth Day Window Decorations: Kids of all ages can enjoy making these fun Earth-themed window decorations from FaveCrafts!

 

Spoon Pendant

Spoon Pendant: Green crafting is the ultimate chic this week! Check out all of the recycled kids crafts on AllFreeBeadedJewelry!

 

Altered CD

Altered CD: Instead of throwing away used CD, embellish it for an exciting decoration!

 

Recycled Happy Meal Toy Wreath

Recycled Happy Meal Toy Wreath: Incorporate Happy Meal toys into an exciting decoration for the playroom from AllFreeHolidayCrafts.com!

 

Santa Claus Baby Food Jar

Santa Claus Baby Food Jar: Save those baby food jars so you can repurpose them into fun recycled Christmas crafts for kids and adults.

 

Plus… an Eco-Friendly Giveaway!

If you liked these crafts, click the button below to enter in our exciting Earth Week Giveaway! You have a chance to win a special prize from Artterro by clicking the link below and commenting on the Giveaway post. Artterro Eco Art Kits are a great way for kids to express their creativity in an Earth-friendly way.

Click the Giveaway button above and comment on the Giveaway post to enter the giveaway from Arterro!

 

How do you teach your kids to take care of the Earth?

Filed Under: Green Crafting Tagged With: Earth Week, Favecrafts, giveaway, Kids Crafts, recycled crafts

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