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Link Love: Mason Jar Craft Ideas

September 6, 2012 by FaveCrafts

Mason jar crafts seem to be everywhere lately, and it’s easy to see why! People are looking for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle items in order to save money and add personal touches to their space. Mason jars are easy to clean, provide ample storage space and don’t go out of style! Next time you head toward your recycle bin with an empty glass jar, stop yourself and set it aside for your next craft project.

If you’re looking for a down home, country feel, mason jars are the perfect craft materials. Use them to hold candles on your table or hang some from your porch. You can even place flowers inside a mason jar and display them on a special occasion! Mason jars aren’t just for country folk, though. You can cover them in decorative paper or fabric to create a modern look or fill them with liquid for an out-of-the-box snow globe. Who knew a glass jar could be so practical?

You can also use mason jars for more complicated projects. Autumn is coming up, which means one thing… it’s candy corn season! Fill a upcycled mason jar with candy corn and create your own Candy Corn Jar Lamp. This project is perfect for autumn and can be displayed on Halloween, too! You can even decorate the lampshade to make the project one-of-a-kind.

Mason jars can also help you save money when it comes time to throw a party. For your next baby shower or birthday party, make Pretty Pink Mason Jar Cups for your guests to enjoy. Fill the cups with a sweet drink and hand them out at the end of the night. You can let people take home your creation as a party favor.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive and versatile craft supply, you can’t go wrong with mason jars. Keep a stash handy in case inspiration strikes – you never know what you might come up with!

 

  1. Mason Jar Vases from Please Note
  2. Pastel Glass Jars from Kootut Murut
  3. Wedding Mason Jar Lanterns from Make It Do
  4. Mason Jar Monogram Light from Oleander and Palm
  5. Bouquets in Hanging Mason Jar from Intimate Weddings
  6. Mason Jar Snow Globe from Julie Ann Art
  7. Mason Jar Sewing Kit from Momtastic
  8. Mason Jar Herb Garden from Camille Styles
  9. DIY Painted Mason Jars from Stitch Me Softly

Filed Under: Link Love Tagged With: eco-friendly, eco-friendly crafts, Green Crafting, jar crafts, Julia Litz, link love, mason ja

Turning Trash to Cash: How to Get Paid to Recycle

May 7, 2012 by FaveCrafts

This guest post was written by Kira Cowan from Tip Hero.

You may not feel like a superhero when you bring a recycling bin out to the curb, but you are in fact aiding in saving the world. The small act of recycling your recyclable materials reduces landfill waste and pollution, conserves resources and helps to keep our world clean and livable. Hooray for you!

So what happens if we don’t recycle? Well, among other negative effects, we will literally run out of landfill space and our water and air will grow more and more polluted as time marches on. It would be a bleak-looking future, my friends.

Still need more of a personal incentive for recycling? That’s ok. (Even if you’re already an avid recycler, wouldn’t it be nice to be rewarded for your good deeds?) Recycling companies, who are dedicated to keeping our planet beautiful, are fully aware that money is one of the best incentives out there. You might be surprised by the number of ways that you can turn recyclables into cash. And what better way is there to make money than by doing your part for the environment?

We all know that if you have a plethora of aluminum cans or glass bottles, you can take them to your local recycling center in exchange for change, but there are lots of other things that you can recycle too, and many of these recyclables can turn out to be much more profitable. Let’s take a look at some lesser-known methods for recycling and making money while doing so.

Cell Phones

  • Cash4Berry: use this site’s phone finder tool to find out exactly how much cash you can get back for your specific phone’s model.
  • Cell for Cash: find your phone on their list, submit your information, and send your phone to receive the assigned cash value! They also offer free shipping.
  • Electronics for Cash: appraise your phone using their site and send it in for free. You can receive payment in many ways, from cash to PayPal to charitable donations.

Other Electronics

  • BuyMyTronics.com: this site will buy your new, used or broken camcorders, digital cameras, GPS’s and more. Their system makes selling easy and pays you quickly.
  • YouRenew.com: here you can get cash for electronics that have value or easily recycle those that don’t. Sell big items likes laptops and eReaders or small items like calculators and mp3 players. Go green, send items for free and get paid easily at YouRenew.
  • Gazelle: sell or recycle electronics like blu-ray players, desktops, e-readers, gaming consoles, camera lenses and more. Gazelle ranks #24 in INC Magazine’s 500 fastest growing companies in America.

Bonus Tip: Don’t have any old electronics to sell? Try checking with local businesses or schools to see if they are upgrading their systems. If so, you may be able to recycle their old models for cash!

Miscellaneous

  • Cardboard Boxes: Have you moved recently? If so, are you hoarding a bunch of perfectly good cardboard boxes you may not need again? Head to Box Cycle to sell your cardboard boxes for cash!
  • Ink Cartridges: get top dollar for your empty inkjet and laser printer cartridges. It’s easy and free to ship! You could also try Advantage Cartridge or eCycleGroup.
  • Golf Balls: if you’re an avid golfer, chances are you either have a multitude of golf balls or you find old forgotten balls in muddy or wooded areas. However you collect them, use these extra balls to make some extra cash.
  • Make Money by Reducing Your Carbon Footprint: this site actually pays you to reduce home energy use. All you have to do is sign up, create a profile, measure your home energy usage for the past year (and subsequently each month), reduce your energy use and collect what you earn from PayPal.
  • Make Money Off of Your Trash: in their constant effort to eliminate the idea of waste, Terracycle, one of the fastest growing green companies in the world, has created national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable items. Be sure to check out Terracycle to find out how to turn your trash into cash.

Also, as a final tip, be sure to heed this advice from eHow:

Donations of old goods may be tax deductible, saving your money even if they don’t make a direct profit. Check with your accountant or the revenue service in your area to see if any of your recycling donations are deductible.

Filed Under: Green Crafting Tagged With: eco-friendly, Green Crafting, Guest Post, recycle, save money

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

Geek Crafts: Recycled Book Roundup

April 25, 2012 by FaveCrafts

I’m Haley Pierson-Cox from The Zen of Making, and this is your weekly dose of geeky goodness!

Books and geeks go hand in hand, and a sturdy old hardcover can make for a perfect start to a craft project. So, to celebrate Earth Day, I put together a roundup of my favorite book upcycling tutorials!

Today’s green crafting posts are sponsored by Eco Green Crafts! Check out how to enter to win a $25 gift card and you’ll also get a coupon code for 20% off your order!

Want more green ideas? There are plenty of recycled craft ideas right here on FaveCrafts!

1. How To Make Your Own Book Planters for Succulents from Apartment Therapy

2. Upcycled Book Journals from Rook No. 17

3. How to Make a Handbag out of a Recycled Book from Curbly

4. How To: Not Your Ordinary Book Light from Grathio Labs

5. Book Page Pockets from Family Economics

6. Book Jewelry Box from Sincerely, Kinsey

Have you made something awesome out of an old book? Leave a comment below and tell us about it!

Filed Under: Green Crafting Tagged With: Earth Day, Earth Week, eco-friendly, geek craft column, geek crafts, Green Crafting, Guest Post

How to Make an Upcycled Vintage Lace Tote

April 24, 2012 by FaveCrafts

This guest post was written by Mitzi Curi.


As an antique dealer, I come across lots of crocheted lace in various shades of white, cream and ecru.  I like to find ways to use it so the handiwork of women long ago can finally be appreciated.  For this project, I used the beautiful lace to revive an old tote bag and give it a second life.  I think this is a good example of “up-cycling” or “eco-crafting”, because a trip to the craft store wasn’t necessary to complete this project.

All you need for this project are a few simple materials:

  • A light colored tote bag.
  • Various lengths of crocheted lace.
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks (if you prefer to sew, you can do that instead).

I started at the bottom of the bag, and began running a bead of hot glue for several inches at a time and pressing the top edge of the lace into the glue, slightly gathering it as I went along.  You can see from my pictures that I added the next row of lace so that there was a slight overlap with each layer.  Also, I made sure each new row began and ended at the same side, where one of the seams was.

I’ve been using the tote bag daily for several months, and the glued-on lace has held on tight!  Do you have an old tote bag that could use a makeover?  I guarantee you’ll get oodles of compliments if you make one like this!

About the author:  My name is Mitzi Curi.  I’m an antique dealer from Michigan and my goal in life is to get a little vintage goodness into every home!  Visit my blog, Mitzi’s Miscellany, for a little education about antiques, craft projects, and a dash of humor.  Because craft projects are so popular, I just launched a second blog, Mitzi Made It, featuring seasonal craft projects using vintage materials.

Filed Under: Full Project Tutorials Tagged With: bags and purses, Earth Day, Earth Week, eco-friendly, 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

Learn new craft techniques! Cool2Craft TV Monday February 13, 2012

February 12, 2012 by Tiffany

EcoHeidi Borchers - EcoHeidi TV - EcoFlowers - Cool2Craft

This week, the Cool2Craft community features EcoHeidi TV! This week’s theme is all about eco-flowers. Join EcoHeidi Borchers, and her special guest Candace Jedrowicz and learn how to make some super cool eco-crafts including soda can flowers, coffee cup roses, eco-flower bouquet and ribbon spool flowers.

It’s easy to watch the Cool2Craft TV Channel right from your computer. Monday February 13, 2012 at 9 am Pacific/ 10 am Mountain/ 11 am Central/ noon Eastern. Watch craft demos and join in the live chat at showtime at Cool2Craft.com. See you Monday!

 

Watch live streaming video from cool2craft at livestream.com

Filed Under: Cool2Craft Tagged With: cool2Craft, cool2craft tv, eco-friendly, floral, flowers, recycle

This Week on Cool2Craft TV – EcoHeidi Cups, Caps and QT’s

July 17, 2011 by Tiffany

Join host EcoHeidi Borchers and her special guest for this week’s episode of EcoHeidi TV featuring cups, caps and qt’s. EcoHeidi Borchers shows how to a create cap bugs, miniature dolls from Q-Tips, how to use blister packaging for frame molds and Candace Jedrowicz transforms coffee cups into a tool caddy. Monday July 18, 2011 at noon Eastern/9 am Pacific. Watch craft demos and join in the #livecraftchat at showtime at Cool2Craft.com.

Cups, Caps & QT's EcoHeidi TV

It’s easy to watch Cool2Craft TV right from your computer. This episode airs Monday July 11, 2011 9am Pacific/10am Mountain, 11 am Central, noon Eastern. Go to http://cool2craft.com and find the Livestream player and chat box. See you Monday!

Watch live streaming video from cool2craft at livestream.com

Filed Under: Cool2Craft Tagged With: Candace Jedrowicz, cultural crafts, eco-friendly, EcoHeidi Borchers, EcoHeidi TV, home decor, q-tips, recyclables, recycled crafts, Tiffany Windsor

Holiday Renegade Craft Fair, Chicago Part 2

December 8, 2009 by FaveCrafts

If you had a chance to read my blog from this past Friday, then you know that I had a busy weekend of perusing through indie-crafts and designs at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago. Wow, was it an experience. First of all, it was SOOOO busy. The turnout was amazing, and a bit crowded at times.

Some of my favorite things were:

  • Blank journals made from the covers of old children’s books – so cute
  • Wallets and card holders made from neckties
  • Tons of unique and funky crochet and knit hats for sale with other fabulous clothing items
  • Vintage jewelry upcycled from old vintage pieces
  • Screen-printed recycled and organic t-shirts and bags
  • Button rings
  • Stationary galore
  • Gorgeous jewelry made with precious stones and awesome metalwork.

On top of all the talented crafters on the scene, there was some delicious food for sale – mmm cupcakes – and beer too! The DJ played some great tunes while shoppers milled around the busy park district building. If you have a chance to stop by a Renegade Craft Fair in your area, I highly recommend it. It’s great to see where the world of indie-crafting is taking us, and how upcycled and recycled crafts are paving the way for eco-consicous art.

Hooray Renegade!

Filed Under: Green Crafting Tagged With: eco-friendly, indie-crafting, recycled, renegade craft fair, upcycled

Product Review and Giveaway: Earth Safe Glaze Gels Giveaway

December 4, 2009 by FaveCrafts

Add vibrant shimmer and color to just about any material with the 12 opaque glaze gel colors or the translucent shimmer from Earth Safe Finishes. It can be painted, stenciled, rubbed, sponged, or troweled on clothing, fabric, wood, walls, canvas, and even gourds. Learn more and enter to win a set of glaze gels here.

Contest ends December 18, 2009. You can enter once daily, so return often to improve your chances of winning!

Filed Under: Product Reviews Tagged With: eco-friendly, giveaways, Painting

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Full Project Tutorials

How to Make No-Sew Crafts: Fabric Decals

No-sew crafts are popular with all types of crafters, even experienced sewers, for their ease to make and adaptability. If you grow bored of an ironed-on design on your clothing or home accents, you can more easily remove the no-sew design and start again. No-sew craft techniques are particularly effective for following fashion trends and […]

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Download New FaveCrafts eBook & Discover Ways to Craft With Toilet Paper Rolls

I know what you're thinking ... and just hear me out. We've told you how to craft with a variety of eco-friendly materials (if you haven't downloaded … [Read More...]

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Guest Post: Do you know the history and meaning of Mothers Day?

Individually, we define Mothers Day for ourselves: our one breakfast in bed all year; a day at the park with our kids; a gathering of the generations … [Read More...]

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