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Ultimate Green Crafting Guide: 201 Recycled Craft Ideas

April 22, 2012 by FaveCrafts

Today is Earth Day, and it also marks the beginning of Earth Week on the FaveCrafts blog! To celebrate this eco-friendly holiday and kick off our special green crafting week, we’re giving you a comprehensive guide to all the best recycled craft ideas we have. From CDs to wine bottles to crayons, you can recycle almost anything into a craft project! Check out our ideas for upcycling common household items like bottle caps, jeans, and plastic bags. Before you toss anything in the recycling bin this week, browse through our guide to see if there’s anything fun and creative you can make with recycled items.

Earth Week on FaveCrafts Blog

Recycled Craft Ideas for Specific Items

In this section of our Green Crafting Guide, you’ll find crafts specifically tailored to the items you want to recycle. Want to turn your old CD collection into something beautiful? Find crafty ideas here. Have you been amassing bottle caps for years just to make something useful with them? Learn how to incorporate them in your crafts with these clever ideas.

Recycled Tin Can Projects

    

  • Little Baskets from Tuna Cans
  • Recycled Can Butterfly Mobile
  • Spring Flowers in a Tin Can
  • Cute Soda Can Earrings
  • DIY Pop Tab Bracelet
  • One-of-a-Kind Pepsi Can Earrings
  • Pop Can Beads
  • Recycled Tin Lid Silhouette Necklace
  • Tea Canister Cuff

Recycled Jeans Projects

    

  • Denim Cathedral Window Pillow
  • Denim Picnic Quilt
  • Patchwork Denim Pouf
  • Recycled Denim Quilt
  • Colorful Recycled Denim Beads
  • Jean Pocket Pot Holder
  • 11 Ideas for What to Make With Old Jeans
  • How to Make Slippers From Jeans

Recycled Plastic Bottles

     

  • Colorful Water Bottle Wreath
  • Garden Stakes from Recycled Bottles
  • Plastic Bottle Flowers for the Yard
  • Spring Flowers Mobile from Bottles
  • Whimsical Flower Wreath
  • Water Bottle Bangle
  • Plastic Bottle Bottom Ornaments
  • Creamer Bottle Snowman
  • Plastic Bottle Christmas Tree

Recycled Paper Products

  • Pretty Recycled Paper Flowers
  • Ombre Frame from Magazine Pages
  • Recycled Paper Butterfly Garland
  • Repurposed Phone Book Wreath
  • Fabulous Newspaper Roses
  • Yellow Pages Gift Bow
  • How to Make Fun Paper Beads
  • Paper Bead Tribal Necklace
  • Recycled Magazine Illusion Necklace
  • Anthropologie Knockoff Paper Bead Earrings
  • Paint Chip Earrings
  • Cha Cha Paper Beads Bracelet
  • Faux Metal Bib Necklace
  • Tags From Recycled Cards

Recycle CDs into Crafts

         

  • Floral CD Letter Holder
  • Banner from Repurposed CDs
  • CD Ornaments with Beads
  • Recycled Quilted CD Ornaments
  • CD Clock

Recycle Coffee Mugs & Teacups

         

  • Coffee Cup Flower Bouquet
  • Coffee Cup Tool Carrier
  • Recycled Coffee Cup Rose

Recycled Bottle Cap Crafts

       

  • Bottle Cap Pinwheel Flower
  • Blooming Bottle Cap Magnets
  • Super Easy Ladybug Caps
  • Cool Clock Bottle Cap Magnets
  • Flower Bottle Cap Brooch
  • Bottle Cap Necklaces
  • Bottle Cap Picture Tree
  • Bottle Cap Snowman Ornament
  • Bottle Cap Earrings

How to Recycle Crayons

         

  • Crayon Sun Catchers
  • Recycled Crayon Earth
  • Melted Crayon Heart Garland
  • Rainbow Crayons
  • Crayon Stained Quilt

Recycled Wine Bottles

         

  • Winter Wonderland Wine Bottle Display
  • Vases from Recycled Bottles
  • Glass Bottle Necklace
  • 20 Crafts for Wine Bottles
  • Wine Bottle Wind Chime
  • Tissue Wine Bottle Vases

How to Recycle Plastic Bags

        

  • Plastic Bag Pom Pom Flowers
  • Recycled Shopping Bag Wreath
  • Doubly Green Grocery Totes
  • Messenger Bag

Recycled T-Shirt Crafts

      

  • T-shirt Pillow Tutorial
  • DIY T-shirt Quilts for Hoarders
  • Patchwork T-shirt Scarf
  • T-Shirt Yarn Bag
  • T-Shirt Recycled Silk Case
  • Reusable Duster
  • T-Shirt Yarn Bib
  • Stringy Striped Tee Necklace
  • Braided Jersey Necklace
  • Ruffle T-Shirt
  • Nothing to Wear T-Shirt Refashion
  • Casual T-Shirt Scarf
  • T-Shirt to Shrug Refashion
  • The Cabo Dress
  • Drawstring T-Shirt Bag
  • Favorite T-Shirt Pillow
  • Upcycle T-Shirts: 10 Projects to Make for Kids eBook
  • 9 Ways to Transform Old T-Shirts eBook

Recycled Light Bulb Crafts

         

  • Recycled Bulb Hot Air Balloons
  • Soaring Light Bulb Birds
  • Snowman Light Bulb Ornament
  • Twinkle Wreath
  • Reindeer Light Bulb Ornament
  • Light Bulb Penguin Ornament

Recycled Craft Ideas for Specific Purposes

If you’re looking for inventive projects to teach your kids about recycling or thrifty ways to decorate for Christmas with recycled items, you’ll find plenty of ideas here. These eco-friendly craft projects are organized by end-product, so you can craft with purpose! Find a project that inspires you, and then start collecting the recyclables you’ll need to make it happen.

Sewing Recycled Clothes

         

  • Recycled Patchwork Shorts
  • Crazy Quilted Sweater Dress
  • 20 Minute Shirt to Skirt
  • Brassy Ruffle Top
  • Emma Pillsbury T-Shirt Refashion
  • Girl’s Rosette Shrug Refashion
  • Petal Tees
  • Refashion Sweater for Boys
  • Resort Chic Top
  • Ruffled Jacket Refashion
  • Skirt From Men’s Button Down
  • Women’s Knit Shirt Into Dress
  • Women’s Romper Refashion Tutorial
  • 19 Wardrobe Refashion Projects

Recycled Christmas Crafts

         

  • Baby Bird Book Page Ornament
  • Recycled Book Page Ball Ornament
  • Gift Boxes from Christmas Cards
  • Sock Snowmen
  • Sewing Pattern Christmas Tree
  • Repurposed Christmas Pillow
  • Glittered Bedspring Trees
  • Baby Jar Advent Christmas Tree
  • Cereal Box Advent Calendar House
  • Embossed Soda Can Snowsicles
  • DIY Magazine Christmas Tree

Kids’ Recycle Projects

  • Drink Lid Photo Magnets
  • BFF Puzzle Necklace
  • Cute Popsicle Stick Bracelets
  • Easy Toothbrush Bracelets
  • Fast and Easy Ring Pop Rings
  • Craft Stick Christmas Tree Ornament
  • Snowmen From Paint Stick Tops
  • Paint Stick Snowmen

Wall Art Made from Recycled Materials

         

  • Crochet Yarn Painting
  • Bird and Text Collage
  • Pizza Box Wall Art
  • Bottle Cap Wall Decor

Knitting and Crochet Patterns Using Recycled Yarns

  • Earth Day Afghan
  • Plarn Tote Bag
  • Plarn Rain Hat
  • Plarn Pop Tab Ring

 

Filed Under: Full Project Tutorials Tagged With: Earth Day, Earth Week, Full Project Tutorials, Green Crafting, recycled crafts

How to Make a Reusable Grocery Bag from Sheets

April 22, 2012 by FaveCrafts

This guest post was written by Karen Lee from ecokaren.

Why You Should Refuse Plastic Bags

More than five hundred billion plastic bags are made worldwide each year. Plastic takes thousands of years to biodegrade in landfills and when plastic debris end up in ocean, they harm marine life and pollute the waters. Several cities and towns are banning plastic bags and started charging for paper bags. But paper bags are no better as over twelve billion paper bags are produced annually. That’s a lot of trees!

So it behooves you to bring your own bags but how many times have you gone to the market and realize that you left your reusable bag at home? Lots of times I bet. Me too.

So I started carrying a little pocket size reusable grocery bag that I made from an old fitted sheet awhile ago. Since then, I’ve not been caught without a reusable bag at the supermarket. In fact, I keep a few in my glove compartment and one in my purse just in case i make quick unplanned trip to the store. I use them in all stores, not just at the supermarket.

How to Make Reusable Market Bags

The tote is really easy to make and you can make about five bags from a full size sheet with these dimensions. Again, just like the garment bag tutorial using a fitted sheet, the measurements for the bags are totally up to you. You can make them whatever size you want or need.

Also, you don’t have to use a sheet to make these bags. I happened to have an old sheet that I couldn’t donate, so, wanted to use it up. You can use any fabric you want as long as it’s thin enough to be folded into a little square. My objective was to make as many as I can with a full size sheet, without wasting fabric, so I left the edge raw. But you can finish the edge nicely if you want.

Let’s get started!

You’ll need:

  • Old fitted sheet – I used a full size for this tutorial to make five bags
  • Sewing machine
  • Thread  – I am using a dark colored thread in the tutorial for you to see but use a coordinating thread color as your sheet.
  • Scissors

Instruction:

1. Cut out the elastic pieces from the fitted sheet and open up the corner seams to flatten out the sheet.

2. Fold the sheet in half in any direction and cut two layers of this “Tank Top” shape in approximately these dimensions. Again, the dimensions are up to how big you want the bags to be.

**Note**It is best to use the folded edge of the sheet as the bottom of the grocery bag. But if you have to sew the two pieces at the bottom, double stitch the seam for strength.

You see the little cut out above the bag? You will need that so don’t throw it out.

3. Take the cut out piece and hem the top (straight edge) by folding the raw edge under.

4. Center the cut out piece on the RIGHT SIDE of the bag and pin the sides.

5. Sew three sides, leaving the top edge open. I use small zigzag stitches to prevent the edges from fraying.

6. With the RIGHT SIDES together, sew around the sides of the bag, reinforcing with double stitches. I used zigzag for the second time around to prevent the edges from fraying.

7. While the bag is turned inside out, fold the two sides inward about two inches. Line up the handles to match. As you can see, the shape of the bag is not exactly square or rectangle. Pin down the folded edges and sew the handles and bottom, as indicated.

8. Turn it inside out and voila! You have a reusable grocery bag! A.K.A. T-Shirt Bag!

9. Now, how to you get it to a small compact size that you can fit into your purse? This is the part I wish I video taped but that didn’t happen. But I think you can follow the pictures and see how easy it is.

Now you have a pocket size reusable grocery bags and you’ll never be caught without them at the store! Make a few and give them out as presents! Happy Earth Day!!

Karen lives a simple, frugal, green life and shares her eco tips and news on ecokaren. She sells green goodies in her Etsy shop and writes for various green blogs. When she’s not leading the team or blogging, she is a mom to two greenagers, wife to an accidental recycler, master chef to hungry locavores, seamstress, knitter, and dumpster diver, not necessarily in that order.

Filed Under: Full Project Tutorials Tagged With: Earth Day, Earth Week, eco-friendly crafts, free bag pattern, Green Crafting, Guest Post

Celebrate Earth: A Week of Eco Crafts

April 20, 2012 by FaveCrafts

Sunday is Earth Day, which means the FaveCrafts editors have been hard at work bringing you lots of eco-friendly crafting inspiration. We’ve already made a board on Pinterest to organize our favorite Recycling Crafts, and we brought you a special Link Love post yesterday featuring crafts that celebrate the earth.

Stay tuned this weekend and throughout next week for tons more eco-friendly, earth-loving craft ideas from us! We’ll be starting off with an enormous list of eco-crafts, followed by a week of guest blog posts from our favorite eco-crafters. We’ll also be hosting an Earth Day themed Twitter party on April 24 at 3pm EST. You won’t want to miss this crafty celebration of earth!

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

Link Love: Love the Earth

April 19, 2012 by FaveCrafts

Don’t you love crafting with recycled materials like old sweaters, toothbrushes that have seen better days, empty wine bottles, mesh produce bags, and pop cans? It makes me feel warm and fuzzy when I get to create crafts to my heart’s content without damaging the earth. In honor of Earth Day, I put together this round-up of eco-friendly and earth loving craft projects. You can make many of these craft projects with items you’d find in your recycling bin or garbage can (or preferably before they make their way to your garbage can!). Show your love and support for the earth by making one of these Earth Day themed crafts, which are a great starting point for showing kids what it means to be green.

  1. Earth Day Cake Pops from Vanilla & Lace
  2. Magazine Page Flower Garland from Zakka Life
  3. Earth Day Tree Craft from I Heart Crafty Things
  4. Bread Tag Jewelry from Mich. L in LA
  5. Finger Paint Earth Plates from Just for Fun (no longer available)
  6. Toilet Paper Roll Beads from No Time for Flashcards
  7. Egg Carton Flowers from Make and Takes
  8. Milk Carton Bird Feeder from Going Green with Noah
  9. Rainbow Earth Day Marshmallow Pops from The Decorated Cookie

Filed Under: Link Love Tagged With: craft links, Earth Day, Earth Week, eco-friendly crafts, Green Crafting, recycled crafts

Let’s Celebrate Earth Day with a Twitter Party!

April 19, 2012 by FaveCrafts

FaveCrafts Earth Week

We love recycled crafts here at FaveCrafts! And to show our appreciation of all things recycled, we will be hosting a week long celebration right here on the blog with new recycled craft projects and ideas so stay tuned for that! But what’s one of our favorite ways to celebrate? By throwing a Twitter party of course!

Earth Day Twitter Party

We are super excited to be discussing eco-friendly crafts with all of you and we’ve invited some of our favorite eco-focused bloggers to join in too! So join in on April 24th at 3pm EST using #craftychat to learn some new tips and tricks for turning those phone books into creative home decor! We will be brainstorming about creative uses for old things in case you’ve hit a wall in your creative process. You’ll definitely want to join in on the conversation when we discuss how to overcome challenges in being green and staying green with advice from some of the best recycled craft bloggers!

Never been part of a Twitter party you say? No worries! We’ve pulled together a blog post that explains it all.

Giveaways!

And you definitely won’t want to miss out because we’ve lined up some giveaways from eco-friendly and green companies that you’ll love! All you have to do to be entered is follow along and chat with us! Just send out at least one tweet during the chat with the hashtag #craftychat and you’re automatically entered to win -easy right? You can start entering right now by using #craftychat! Contest ends April 24th 4pm EST. Winners will be announced at the end of the chat.

 


Filed Under: Green Crafting Tagged With: Earth Day, Earth Week, recycled, recycled crafts, recycling

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