5 Offbeat Ways to Show Off Your Succulents

succulent planter

Do you tend to kill plants? Try your hand at succulents, and check out some of these interesting ways to show them off.

Succulents are super hip right now, but their trendiness isn't what I love about them. I am sort of a plant-killer, which makes succulents the perfect plants for me.

Most succulents thrive on neglect, and I am a pro at neglecting plants! In fact, one of my girlfriends is an amazing gardener but can't keep her succulents alive. After we talked about it for a bit, we realized it's that she is too nurturing. The techniques that make her backyard garden enviable - especially a frequent watering schedule - spell doom for a succulent.

Meanwhile the one that I forgot about on a windowsill for three weeks is thriving. The point is: if you're bad at gardening you should definitely give succulents a try!

You know that we love succulents around here, and we also love adding a touch of green wherever we can. The list below has some awesome ways to use succulents in surprising ways. Some of these ideas are teeny tiny and others are dramatic. But you won't find pots and planters here. Check out some of these interesting ways to display your succulents!

5 Offbeat Ways to Show Off Your Succulents

Terrarium Necklace

1. Terrarium Necklace - Wear clippings from your favorite succulents around your neck with this living terrarium necklace that you can make yourself.

succulent pallet table

2. Inside a Table - This outdoor dining table has a built in succulent planter.

wine cork micro planter

3. Planted in a Wine Cork - You can turn these micro-planters into jewelry or use them to add little touches of green to your home decor.

pallet planter

4. In a Pallet Planter - Go vertical! Turn an old wood pallet into a leaning planter for your garden

wearable planter

5. In a Tiny Necklace Planter - This is another succulent jewelry idea. Atlanta crafter Made by Colleen creates tiny wearable planters to show off your succulent clippings.

E-Waste Jewelry: Creative Upcycling

E Waste Jewelry

Artist Marcele Godoy creates striking jewelry from reclaimed e-waste.

E-waste is a huge environmental problem. When we toss out old electronics, they eventually decompose in ourlandfills, leaching toxins into the ground water and polluting the surrounding soil. E-waste recycling is a little bit better, but unfortunately not all discarded electronics get recycled.

Godoy makes a powerful statement about the problems with e-waste with his new upcycled jewelry line created from discarded computer cables, cords, plugs, and wires. Right now, the line is exclusively of necklaces, but he's planning to expand into other creations.

E Waste Jewelry

The line is simply called "elle," and the jewelry is a personal project. Godoy is a Chilean grad student studying here in the U.S., and he observes:

I am surprised by how quickly multiple objects are considered garbage and you can easily find them on the streets every day. I have collected objects many times to reuse them in projects or for personal use. This is because they are generally discarded for a better, a nicer or a newer one, and not because its useful life is over.

Rather than let those objects go to waste, he reclaims them and turns them into striking pieces of jewelry. How's that for craftivism?

You can view more photos of Godoy's jewelry on his website and check out some of his other beautiful design projects.

h/t: Moco Loco

Spotted: 100% Recyclable Shoes

ReKixx Recyclable Shoes

You know that we love a good eco-friendly shoe around here. What a shoe is made of is a big part of its environmental impact, but so is what happens to that shoe when it's too worn for wear. Sure you can repair your old shoes, but at some point, those kicks are going to kick it irreparably.

Throwing a pair of worn out shoes in the trash feels incredibly wasteful, but most shoes are not recyclable. Part of that is because of the materials that go into shoe-making and part of it is the way those materials are put together. A new company - ReKixx - has the solution to this problem! They've created a line of shoes that are 100% recyclable, reports Derek Markham at Ecopreneusit. He says:

This 100% recyclable, landfill-free shoe is a remix of Gary Gagnon’s original eco-sneaker, the REMYXX, which first launched in 2012 and produced over 1000 pairs of these green footwear that were well received by their buyers. Now renamed ReKixx, Gagnon is back with another iteration of the shoe, and is looking to crowdfunding to bring these sneakers to market.

You can check out their Kickstarter page here. A $50 kick gets you a pair of their shoes when they go into production!

Markham also shared a video from the company that showcases some of their shoes and what ReKixx is all about:

And here's a bit about ReKixx from their Kickstarter page:

The Brand & Mission: ReKixx cool sneakers 100% recyclable are the world’s first and only completely Landfill-Free Sneakers™. ReKixx is a brand that not only represents design and fashion, but also awareness and sustainability. Our mission is to deliver an enjoyable sneaker that advocates and initiates improvements in recycling and eco-smart™ behaviors with sponsorship, education, and research. With more than 300 million pairs of shoes thrown away last year in the U.S. alone (soles4souls.org), ReKixx is changing the way we think about sneakers AND green living.

What do you guys think about ReKixx? I am kind of loving them!

Eco-Friendly Vegan Shoes from Kandals

Kandals Vegan Shoes

I love a good slip-on shoe, especially in the summertime, so when the folks at Kandals contacted me about reviewing a pair of their vegan shoes I said, "Yes, please!"

Kandals are made in Spain, and I was pretty impressed with the materials list they sent me. According to my contact at the company, the shoes are made from:

  • Upper Material: 100% Organic Cotton
  • Outsole: Natural Rubber
  • Insole: Polyurethane Cotton

Not too shabby!

Kandals Tree Planted

I've been wearing these suckers all over town, and they're cute and comfortable. I love the quilted look on the upper, and the insoles are supportive with plenty of give. The company also plants a tree for every pair sold, which is a nice way to offset some of the impact from producing and shipping them.

Scented Soles?

There was one thing about these shoes that struck me as a little odd, though: the scented soles. I can see the merits to this idea. Wearing slip-ons without socks can be a stinky situation. Some essential oils might be a nice way to control odor. I asked the company several times for clarity on what they use to make the scent, and they were a little bit dicey about answering me.

The first time I asked, they said:

The soles of each pair of KANDALS are dyed with a strawberry scent so that every time you put them on, you get a fresh newness to your shoes.  The scent is not perfumed on the fabric but dyed with the rubber sole prior to being assembled, making the scent subtle and long-lasting.

OK, so the scent is mixed in with the sole material, which is helpful but doesn't really answer what they use to formulate the scent. I asked again, and here's what they had to say:

The strawberry dye is internally mixed with the rubber sole prior to being assembled. A natural liquid strawberry gets combined with a liquefied rubber which afterwards gets molded to an outsole. She can also check our "About Us" section of our website which give a detailed explanation of how KANDALS are constructed.

The About section, as of this writing, doesn't explain what the dye is. Is it a chemical fragrance? An essential oil? Why won't they tell me? I asked one last time, and at this point I think my contact was getting a little bit annoyed at my fixation with knowing what this scent was:

The strawberry is not a fragrance applied on the outsole, but internally mixed in. The liquid strawberry is an extract from natural strawberry fruit with a small amount mixed in with the rubber!

An extract! OK. I'm still not totally clear on what that means, but I think I've probably gotten all I'm going to get out of them about this mystery scent.

So the shoes arrived, and I have to tell you guys, they smell terrible. The thing is, they are also freaking adorable! Luckily, since they go on your feet, they're far away from your nose, unless you're planning to do yoga or gymnastics in them.

The shoes they sent me retail for $34 on the Kandals site, and despite the weird smell I would probably get these again.

Spotted: DIY Bling from Old Magazines!

craftRECYCLED logo

recycled jewelry

Can you believe that this beautiful costume jewelry is made from upcycled magazine pages?

Crafty superstar Mark Montano shared a super awesome video tutorial on how to make your very own 80s-inspired upcycled jewelry from old magazine or catalog pages. You need a few simple jewelry supplies to make your own, so check the materials list below before you get started!

This tutorial makes a whole set of DIY jewelery. To make the complete set, you'll need:

  • an old magazine or catalog and scissors to cut it up
  • needle nose pliers
  • spray paint - spray paint can be nasty stuff, but you can choose Krylon H2o, which is a little bit better. I couldn't find the H2O in gold, but I think that white would look really nice, and still keep that 80s feel.
  • flat-backed beads - Dont' want to buy new? Salvage these from thrift store jewelry!
  • E-6000 - this glue is far from green, but it is durable, which means your finished product will last.
  • earring backings, ring findings, and a blank metal cuff - you can salvage these from thrifted jewelry, too!
  • white glue

Ready to get crafting? Here's the video tutorial!

Choose Handmade: Eco-Friendly Baby Clothes

Handmade Baby Clothes

On the hunt for baby clothes that are as cute as they are eco-friendly? We've got you covered!

There is something so fun about dressing up your baby in cute clothes, isn't there? I love getting my son, Darrol Henry, dressed for the day. Dressing him up in the cutest onesie or a sweet pair of shorts can just make my day, especially after a tough night with lots of wake-ups!

The trouble with baby clothes is the same problem that you run into with clothing for grown-ups, though. So much of it is made in sweatshops using less-than-sustainable materials. With baby clothes, though, the problem gets amplified, because those little ones grow out of things so fast! Of course, choosing second hand clothes for your kiddo is the greenest option, but if you're going to splurge on something new for your babe, why not choose organic, handmade clothing, right?

Here are a few of my favorite organic pieces in my babe's wardrobe right now!

Organic Hemp Baby Shorts

Erin at IOGoods sent me a pair of her hemp shorts for babies to try out, and I love them! They're well made, durable, and the elastic waist means that they fit him now, but they'll also most likely still fit in six or maybe even nine months. Hurrah for handmade baby clothes that grow with your wee one!

Lettuce Turnip the Beet Onesie

I actually first saw this design on a t-shirt at Moog Fest last year, and when I discovered that the Coup design comes on an organic onesie, I knew that our little babe needed it! I love that it reminds me of the great time my husband and I had at Moog Fest, and of course I love that it is absolutely pun-tastic!

Hand Stenciled Onesie

Gerber makes plain white Onesies in organic cotton, and I got a few of those to decorate for Darrol. When my friends over at Handmade Charlotte sent me their new stencils to try out, I knew I had to stencil some onesies for my little man! You can check out some stenciling tips right here.

Do you have any favorite DIY or handmade baby clothes? I'd love to hear how you're dressing up your little one sustainably!

Buy Handmade: Hemp Baby Shorts

hemp baby shorts

Back in November, I was on the hunt for eco-friendly, handmade maternity clothes and found a bunch of cute options, including a bamboo tunic from a little company called IOGoods. Since then, Darrol Henry has arrived, and of course now I'm constantly looking for eco baby gear.

When Erin at IOGoods offered me a pair of her hemp shorts for babies to try out, of course, I couldn't say no! She sent me a pair of her toddler shorts, and you can see Darrol Henry modeling them right here:

hemp baby shorts

She sent us a pair of shorts that are size 12 months, but as any cloth diapering momma knows, a cloth diap gives babies a big enough booty that they can usually wear some too-big clothes. I tried these shorts on DH when they arrived, and they were cute as can be! As you can tell, they're a little longer than intended, but the elastic fits his waist when he's wearing a cloth diaper. Plus, I kind of like that the legs are hilariously roomy on our little 10-week-old! The best part? The elastic waist means they'll grow with our little guy for months to come.

The shorts are made from organic hemp and feature side pockets and some sweet stitched detailing. The wide legs gave Darrol plenty of room to kick it out, and the elastic made it easy to get these on and off for diaper changes.

Erin's got a wide range of eco-friendly clothes for moms, dads, and babies in her shop. Click here to check out IOGoods!

Spotted: Wine Cork Pendants

craftRECYCLED logoWine Cork Pendants

Check out these beautiful pendants made from reclaimed wine corks!

We love crafting with wine corks around here. That humble little cork in your bottle of vino has so many crafty possibilities! Whether your bottle has a plastic or a natural cork, it's worth collecting those suckers in a little bowl, because both make great, free craft supplies. The bonus? When you craft with your old wine corks, you're keeping that material out of the waste stream.

wine cork pendants

Over on the Fiskars blog, Lisa Storms shares a tutorial for making some super sweet wine cork pendants. You only need a few materials to make your own:

  • A sharp knife - I've found that a serrated blade is best for cutting cork
  • Paint
  • Paint brush
  • Stamps
  • a 5mm eye screw

You probably have most of these supplies laying around the house! Ready to make your own wine cork pendants? Click here for the complete tutorial!

Spotted: Wine Cork Pendants

craftRECYCLED logoWine Cork Pendants

Check out these beautiful pendants made from reclaimed wine corks!

We love crafting with wine corks around here. That humble little cork in your bottle of vino has so many crafty possibilities! Whether your bottle has a plastic or a natural cork, it's worth collecting those suckers in a little bowl, because both make great, free craft supplies. The bonus? When you craft with your old wine corks, you're keeping that material out of the waste stream.

wine cork pendants

Over on the Fiskars blog, Lisa Storms shares a tutorial for making some super sweet wine cork pendants. You only need a few materials to make your own:

  • A sharp knife - I've found that a serrated blade is best for cutting cork
  • Paint
  • Paint brush
  • Stamps
  • a 5mm eye screw

You probably have most of these supplies laying around the house! Ready to make your own wine cork pendants? Click here for the complete tutorial!