Bright Ideas: How to Recycle Light Bulbs in Creative Ways

August 13, 2014 by FaveCrafts 4 Comments

DING! Our creative light bulb just went off, and we’ve rounded up 12 lightbulb crafts for some truly green crafting.

Looking for some great ways to recycle this season? Well look no further! The following lightbulb crafts from FaveCrafts and AllFreeHolidayCrafts will shock and amaze you. Don’t throw out those “burnt out” bulbs. They have a lot more life left in them than you think.

Everyone dreads that quiet jingle that indicates that a lightbulb needs to be replaced. However, if you save your old glass bulbs, you’ll notice there is more jingle in your pockets.

No, that wasn’t the microwave – you just realized that there are so many wonderful decorating ideas to make with lightbulbs!

Perhaps these 12 lightbulb crafts will inspire you to come up with a few recycling projects of your own. Prepare to shout “Eureka!” because you’re about to discover some crafting gold. With lightbulbs, you can create thrifty projects that will both save the environment and save you money. Start saving those bulbs now because Christmas will spring upon you quicker than you think, and you will want plenty of glass bulbs to create ornaments and other trinkets. With so many home décor ideas and more, I’m surprised you’re still reading and not crafting yet! Here are 12 lightbulb ideas that will never dim.

Lightbulb Christmas Ornaments

Lightbulb Crafts

Did these lightbulb crafts give you a few bright ideas of your own? Tell us what they are in the comments section below!

Upcycled Chair with Yarn Plus Earth Week Giveaway!

April 24, 2013 by FaveCrafts 95 Comments

One way to cut down on the waste cluttering our planet is to use what you already have in your house or that you can easily get, but you also don’t have to fill your house with old things. Upcycled crafts are the perfect way to renew and reuse things that you might think are out of style or useless. Giving a used item a makeover is a fun way to exercise your creativity, save some money, and show respect for our planet. Today, FaveCraft.com’s celebration of our lovely blue planet continues with another innovative, Earth-friendly craft.

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

Day three of Earth Week brings us to a fantastic tutorial involving a chair. Nicole from Darn Good Yarn walks us through the surprisingly easy process of giving an old chair a new look. With a couple of simple materials you can create a fun and funky chair for your household.

Refurbish An Old Chair With Yarn

Materials:

4.5 skeins of 4-ply Sari Ribbon Rope
1 Reclaimed Silk Scarf
Scissors
Glue

Instructions:

1. Cut the yarn into strips and tie them where you want them. For my chair, I wrapped the yarn around the chair legs and tied them, then tacked it down with a dab of glue.

2. I popped off the seat cushion and reupholstered it with one of my Reclaimed Silk Scarves. You can also re-foam the chair if you need to.

Thanks again to Nicole from Darn Good Yarn for allowing us to share this tutorial!

Looking for more ways to use yarn and ways to refurbish other items in your home? You’re in luck!

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.

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 is your favorite way to upcycle items?

Eco Friendly Craft Kits by Artterro: You Can Win One!

April 26, 2012 by FaveCrafts 48 Comments

We are winding down Earth Week here at FaveCrafts and boy has it been fun! We’ve already had two giveaways on the blog, a Twitter Party, and lots of projects and fun green crafting ideas! It’s been great having you all join us! Well, we’re winding down, but we’re not done yet.

Today we wanted to introduce you to Artterro Eco Art Kits! The company grew out of a search for eco-friendly, open-ended art projects with beautiful materials that you can make with your kids! With these goals in mind, the company makes high-quality and eco-friendly art kits that you can make with your family, friends, or large crafting groups!

The Artterro kits are not only filled with eco-friendly craft supplies, but the packaging itself is reusable! How cool is that? Once you’ve finished making your craft project, you can transform the box into a frame to proudly display the artwork created by you or your kids. They really are doing everything they can to create a high-quality, sustainable product. But don’t take my word for it! Artterro is offering 20% off your order through then end of April with the code Earth20!

We’ve also set up another way you can try Artterro’s products – with a giveaway! It couldn’t be simpler for you to win a crafting kit, just answer the question below in the comments section of this post and you’re entered to win!

Contest Rules:

Contest open to US and Canada residents 18+
One comment/entry per person.
Contest closes April 26, 2012 at 11:59p CST.
Please answer the question below in order to be entered.
Winners will be posted on this blog and notified by email

What was your favorite craft as a kid?

8 Cool Paint Techniques from EcoGreenCrafts + a Giveaway!

April 25, 2012 by FaveCrafts 19 Comments

Hi everyone! We’re continuing our Earth Week celebrations with some cool paint technique vidoes from one of our favorite earth-friendly craft companies!

Eco Green Crafts has a great selection of earth friendly paints and inks, great for the paper crafter! So, they created a series of videos using their different paints, inks, and adhesives to show you how to create some really cool paint effects in your projects! They’re all so easy I can’t believe I’ve never tried any of them before. All the paint technique videos are very short so give them a watch through! I know you’ll leave this page with some great ideas! You can use any paints or inks for these techniques, but Eco Green Crafts has been kind enough to give our readers a special discount code! If you enter EarthDay2012 at checkout you’ll get 20% off of your order! What a deal huh?

Crackle Paint Technique

Peeled Paint

The Plastic Wrap Technique

Paint Drizzle Technique

Paint Mottle Technique

Ink Mottle Technique

Crushed Satin Technique

Puddling Technique

So there you have it! Eight fun painting techniques to try on your next project! And if you want to use Eco Green Crafts paints to try the techniques with, enter our giveaway below!

Giveaway

Just answer the question below in the comments section to be entered to win a $25 gift card to Eco Green Crafts!

Contest Rules:

Contest open to US and Canada residents 18+
One comment/entry per person.
Contest closes April 25, 2012 at 11:59p CST.
Please answer the question below in order to be entered.
Winners will be posted on this blog and notified by email

Where do you find earth-friendly craft products?

Green Crafting Twitter Party Tomorrow!

April 23, 2012 by FaveCrafts Leave a Comment

Just a quick reminder that we will be hosting a Twitter party tomorrow afternoon at 3pm EST! We’d love to see you all there participating in the chat about eco-friendly crafting to help us celebrate Earth Week to the fullest.

We’ve lined up some great guests to join us for the Twitter party. You definitely won’t want to miss out on hints and tips from some of our favorite bloggers, especially if you’ve hit a wall with being green and crafty. Some of the guests will include:

Jenny Barnett Rohrs from Craft Test Dummies (@CraftTestDummy )

David Leon Morgan (@DavidLeonMorgan )

Becky Striepe from Crafting a Green World (@ CAGW )

Tiffany M. Windsor from Cool2Craft (@TiffanyWindsor )

Lisa Nelsen-Woods from Condo Blues (@CondoBlues )

EcoKaren (@ecokarenlee )

Heather from The Sewing Loft (@TheSewingLoft )

Cristin from Eve of Reduction (@cristinfrank )

These are, of course, just a few of the guests and we hope to see you chatting along with us as well!

Giveaways

Remember I told you there would be giveaways? Well there will be! Two wonderful earth-friendly craft companies are offering up prizes during the chat! All you have to do to win a prize from Eco Green Crafts or Artterro is send out one tweet with the hashtag #craftychat and you are automatically entered! Of course, the more you join in on the conversation, the more chances you have of winning! Contest ends April 24th 4pm EST. Winners will be announced at the end of the chat.

April Radio Show Re-cap: Toilet Paper Rolls, Vegans, and Jesters

April 11, 2012 by FaveCrafts Leave a Comment

Did you miss it this month? Then you missed a great FaveCrafts Radio Show!

We got to talk to some fabulously fun and creative craft bloggers who love turning trash into treasure.

First up was Lisa Nelsen-Woods from Condo Blues who told us that she loves being stylish and green on a budget. That’s why the Habitat Resource is her best friend! She taught us that the key to green crafting is “seeing potential in every single thing that goes in the trash can.” And she makes sure to do just that. Lisa’s made a wreath for her door out of the pages of a phone book and you should hear the awesome idea she had for her bathroom walls! If you want to find out, you’ll just have to listen to the recorded broadcast ;).

Next on the list was Calley Pate from The Eco Chic. Calley told us that she lets her kids find the inspiration from the recyclable items in her home and she works from there. She and her family will be celebrating Earth Day by going to varies events in their area. Oh yea, she also helped get a record in the Guinness Book of World Records. Want to know for what? Find out here.

We wrapped up the show with Becky Striepe from Crafting a Green World, whose crafting business grew out of a storage problem. She was making more than she could hide or give away! Her tips for sourcing green materials? She says that you “have to shift your thinking, love your materials, think about where they came from, how they’ll hold up, where they’ll go at the end of their lives”. Want to know her tips for making your crafty business greener? You can find them here!

The Amy Anderson Challenge!

In case you missed it, Amy Anderson challenged you guys to make a piece of furniture out of old phone books! That’s right. I heard it. Is it a challenge you are willing to accept?

That’s all we have for you from this show, but be sure to join us next month May 8th at 11am EST to talk fashion with our guests and get the chance to win some cool prizes!

Going “Green” for St. Patty’s Day: 11 Recycled Crafts

March 15, 2012 by FaveCrafts 1 Comment

Today’s guest post if from our pals at CraftFoxes! Bethany Marcello is an assistant editor for CraftFoxes.com, a social network for crafters.

St. Patrick’s Day may have been “green” long before organic suds lined the aisles at Whole Foods, but with a little focus we’re going to eco-tize one of our favorite holidays. From T-shirt redos and glitter-glammed shoes to modernized pots and plastics, this clever collection of Irish-inspired upcycled crafts offers all you need for a greener St. Patrick’s Day.

Chartreuse your Shoes

Whether fir, olive or chartreuse, a touch of green glitter adds instant allure to rundown flats and heels. Want just a temporary glint of green? Create a glittery shamrock shoe embellishment with a clip earring and stiff cardboard or felt.

To glitter glamor your shoes, check out this DIY Dorothy tutorial from CraftFoxes.

Sham Wow

Lucky shamrock plants in charming recycled containers green up your home and offer an escape from winter gray. Great for your child’s first garden craft, shamrock is hardy, disease-resistant and needs little water. (Keep in mind, though, it’s harmful to pets.) A coffee sleeve makes a great upcycled planter, and don’t forget chipped Mason jars and tea cups also work (with river rock placed along the bottom).

Raise Your Glass

Speaking of old Mason jars, a simple hole punch turns the classic canner into a cheap travel mug, great for those St. Patrick’s Day pub crawls. Scrapbook paper or scrap fabric adds festive flavor. Speaking of festive flavor, teetotalers may want to consider filling their new mugs with a copycat version of McDonald’s Shamrock Shake.

Foam Home

For a quick piece of Irish front door décor, a frame, foam wreath and green ribbon are all you need. For an upcycled version, replace the foam with a sturdy cardboard circle, scrap fabric for the ribbon and twigs tied with twine for a rustic version of a frame.

Lose Your Shirt

A stained green T-shirt earns a second-life as an upcycled, no-sew necklace. A shamrock pin can Irish-up this quick craft, or consider using the necklace as an unexpected but charming door garland.

Open Book

Dictionary décor is one of the craft world’s trendiest juxtapositions. Try crafting a St. Patrick’s-themed series with phrases like “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” in a clever font. The stark black definitions contrast nicely with an emerald shamrock for eye-catching home décor.

Polish ‘Til It Shines

Particularly good for teenagers, this simple St. Patrick’s upcycle combines a bold pendant and green-tinted nail polish. Be sure to do a color test the polish on the back of the jewelry before going whole hog.

Planking

Scrap and mill-end planks become a rustic 8-inch by 20-inch shamrock, ideal for outdoor porch décor or even as a fun spring centerpiece. Feel free to go for a deeper green, finishing with some light sanding for a shabby chic look.

Stay Golden

Glossy black paint upcycles a piece of second-hand ceramic into a charming cauldron that’s good for both March 17th as well as Halloween. Paired with a second-hand frame, proudly displaying a St. Patrick’s Day expression, the charming table décor makes a quick and frugal upcycle.

Hat’s Off

Turn a tomato-tinted plastic container upside down and you’ve got the makings for a clever Wee One upcycle. This party favor can hold the classic foil coin or green candy, but consider making gold cookies for unique St. Patrick’s Day charms.

Sowing Seeds

For sophisticated St. Patrick’s Day table décor, consider these Anthroplogie-inspired seed blooms made with—can you believe—Q-tips! (Unused, of course.) Food coloring adds a touch of green while a foam ball and Chinese takeout chopsticks make up the rest.

So there you have it! 11 “green” ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s day!

How will you be getting lucky this year?

Turning Trash into Treasure: Halloween Style!

October 10, 2011 by AllFreeHolidayCrafts 1 Comment

In general I don’t consider myself an especially “green” person. There is, however, one major exception. When it comes to holiday decorating, I love making crafts from recycled materials. Not only does it save me some cash (that I can then spend on more important things, like Halloween candy!), but it also lets me get creative, finding unique ways to to turn things from my trash bin into really cool decorations and other fun Halloween stuff.

This year I’m really excited to make a couple of projects in particular. I’ve literally been stashing away plastic bottles and cardboard boxes since August, and now that Halloween is only three weeks away I can FINALLY start making these cool decorations:

These Plastic Bottle Skull Lights are going to look awesome strung up on my front porch. I love the way they glow and the little skull faces are too perfect! I can’t get over how clever this idea is — plus each light comes out to about 50 cents since the only materials you need are empty milk bottles, some electrical tape and battery-operated tea lights.

When I first saw these adorable Mummy Boxes, I knew I had to make them for my Halloween party. Not only are these mummies the perfect Halloween prop because they stand up on their own, they’re also incredibly cheap to make! Basically all you need is an old white sheet and some recycled cardboard boxes and you can fashion yourself this spook-tacular Halloween decoration in under an hour!

Last but not least there’s my absolute favorite Halloween recycling craft: this ridiculously clever Broom with Crushed Can Witches. I’m not a huge fan of wreaths for Halloween — I think they’re just too pretty, and Halloween is supposed to be about all things spooky — so I’m loving this alternative door decoration. I think it’s so funny how the witches are screaming out for help as they melt into the broom — or at least that’s what I’m imagining is going on in this scene! If you’re like me and have a slight addiction to Diet Coke — or any other canned beverage for that matter — you already have one of the key supplies! Just grab a broom prop from the Halloween store (or use a real one if you want to be really authentic) and gather a few additional supplies and voila: you have an awesome Halloween decoration unlike any other on the block!

I think you can tell how excited I am to make all of these projects. The idea of a totally “green” Halloween just seems really cool, not to mention trendy.

If you’re interested in going green for Halloween too, check out these 17 Halloween Recycling Crafts. Go take a peek in your recycling bin and see what kind of treasure you can find. There’s no sense in letting perfectly good trash go to waste when there are fun Halloween decorations to be made!

I’m curious: Have you made decorations from recycled materials before? What have you made?

Turn Old Vinyl Into New Crafts

July 30, 2009 by FaveCrafts Leave a Comment

Recently, I have been helping my parents clean out their house. I have continually been shocked by how much they have been able to accumulate over the years. A few weeks ago, I stumbled into their old record collection. I was flabbergasted that my parents actually used to listen to good music. We were able to sell most of their old records to a nearby record store, but some of them were in such bad condition that the store would not buy them. Not wanting to throw them away, I wanted to use them as part of a craft project.

Have any old records lying around? This project from Joan Fee of Express Your Creativity is a great craft project that is perfect for reusing old vinyl records.

Get Those Records Off the Shelf Water Fountain

Materials:

2 LP’s
Oven
Pie Plate
Glass Glass
Gloves, cotton
Fountain pump (smallest available)
Water
Glue, waterproof
2 flat items about 2″ in diameter (plastic, metal or glass – this is used to cover the holes in the record)
Tube to fit on pump
Hot pads
Knife
Filler, marbles, waterproof game pieces

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

2. Turn pie plate upside down. Place record on top. Place in oven for 3-5 minutes. Ovens vary so keep an eye on it.

3. Wearing gloves and using hot pads, place record inside pie plate to form. Let set until hard. It won’t take very long.

4. Repeat with record over the glass except when removed from oven, leave record on glass to cool.

5. Glue flat objects over holes in record. Let dry.

6. Place tall record piece in pie-shaped record. If pump is adjustable, use at lowest setting. Place pump in tall piece, using suction cups, if provided with pump. Cut tube to slightly lower then rim of record. Cover pump with water. Test pump. Fill pump area with desired filler objects.

Enjoy!

And stay organized with all these new crafts and vinyls. Here’s a great way to get organized.

How To Turn Trash Into Treasure

July 16, 2009 by FaveCrafts Leave a Comment

As the old saying goes, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and that cliche saying turned out true for me. Last weekend, my friend and I were walking along on our way to get something to eat when all of a sudden he darted into an alleyway. I followed him, until we were standing in front of a back door. Next to the door was a box of old clothing, filled with dirty but otherwise high-quality clothing, from nice wool shirts to corduroy pants.

Neither of us wanted to wear the clothes, but we couldn’t stand to see it go to waste. We took the box home and washed the clothes thoroughly. Now with a pile of clean clothes, the only thing I could do was craft with them, and craft we did.

Over the past week, my friend and I have gone on a crafting spree, using this great haul of clothes to make things we would actually use. Using these Green Sewing and Knitting Tips, I cut off and saved all the buttons and zippers to use on future projects. Using the padding and cloth from a thicker winter jacket, I decided to Sew a Padded Laptop Tote to protect my computer when I travel. My friend used the old clothing to sew for himself a Quick and Easy Half Apron to keep himself clean when he cooked in the kitchen.

That pile of old clothing was trash to someone, but it was a treasure to us thanks to some basic sewing skills and a little craft know-how.