DIY | Indoor Air Quality Lab

DIY Planter from a Repurposed Trash Bin share

Can you believe that this super cute DIY planter used to be a humble waste basket?

Hit the thrift store for a wire waste basket, pick yourself up some eco-friendly yarn, and you are ready to make a cute planter for your favorite house plant! This is kind of a time-consuming project. Tranae at Becoming Fabulous says it took her about 10 hours over three days to complete it, but this DIY planter is what I like to call a "couch craft." Put on some bad TV or a favorite movie, kick back, and weave.

I love how Tranae used a mix of bold colors for her bin, and you could really play a lot with your colors to get different effects. She's got a lot of contrast, but I think you could get a cool ombre effect by using a few yarns that are different shades of the same color. You could also have fun with art yarn or even play around with mixing in some plarn or newspaper yarn to add extra texture.

This DIY planter tutorial uses a waste basket from a big box store, but you can make this a green craft by hitting the thrift store for your waste basket instead. It might take a little bit longer to find, but you'll save money on materials and you'll be upcycling, so it's totally worth the extra leg work!

All that you need to make your own DIY planter are:

a reclaimed trash bin
plenty of yarn
tape
scissors
a plant in a pot that's slightly narrower and slightly shorter than your basket

Got your materials together? Head over to Becoming Fabulous for the complete DIY planter tutorial!

Nov

Spotted: DIY Vase from a Glass Bottle share

How sweet is this hanging vase made from a reclaimed glass bottle?

You know that we're all about indoor plants, even if you're dealing with a small space. This hanging glass vase is a great way to get a little bit more plant life into your life without sacrificing an inch of valuable shelf or floor space.

You can't stick just any plant into this hanging vase. It's specifically for air plants. As someone who is a frequent killer-of-plants, I will say this for air plants: they are beautiful and delightfully hard to kill. You really just need to mist them with water occasionally to keep them happy. Air plants also don't need a lot of light to thrive. They're a perfect low-maintenance house plant!

This tutorial uses a vintage bottle, but you could also use a reclaimed glass bottle to make this hanging vase. Fancy ginger ales come in some very beautiful bottles, for example. They'd work great for this project!

Caitlin of The Merrythought shared this awesome hanging vase tutorial over at Poppytalk, and I am in love with it! You only need a few simple materials for this project. I'm going to list them here along with one small substitution to make this project even greener!

Ceramic/Glass Drill Bit (I used a 3/16")
Spray bottle with water
Vintage Bottle
Jute
Leather Lace - leather isn't the most eco-conscious material, and you really don't need this to do the project. This is really just for looks, so you can use more jute, some reclaimed ribbon, or hemp twine instead.
Hot Glue Gun

Easy peasy, right? I bet that you have most of these materials in your stash right now. Head on over to Poppytalk to get the complete step-by-step!

I'd love to hear from you guys, too. Have you created any fun DIY vases or other upcycled planters? Tell me about what you're making in the comments!

Posted: | Categories: bottle crafts, Craft Recycled, crafty reuse, creative reuse, DIY, DIY vase, reuse, upcycling, vase

Nov

Pallet Crafts: The Ultimate Graphical Guide share

You know that we love ideas for pallet crafts around here, and we're loving this graphical guide from Terry's Fabrics.

We've talked about pallet crafting before and even shared some amazing resources to help you start building with pallets. This graphic introduces you to some of the different sorts of pallets that you might run across and some projects for each difficulty level.

Of course, when you're crafting with pallets, you want to put safety first. That means examining your pallets to make sure that they are safe for crafting before you use them.

You also want to make sure that your pallet crafting is legitimate upcycling. Don't just snag a pallet from behind a store. If the store is planning to keep using it, you're not upcycling. Instead, head inside and just ask! Do they have any pallets that they're planning to discard? If so, you can take them off of their hands. They save money on disposal, you get free craft supplies. True upcycling is a win for everyone.

Right, but enough about that...you are here for some pallet craft goodness, right? Here's the graphical guide to pallet crafts (you can click to see a full-sized version):

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by splorp

Posted: | Categories: crafting with wood pallets, DIY, pallet crafts, pallets, reuse, upcycling, wood pallet crafts

Nov

5 Thanksgiving Crafts from Recycled Materials share

Looking for some Thanksgiving crafts to get you into the holiday spirit? We've got you covered!

I think we sometimes lose sight of what Thanksgiving is really about. We get so stressed out planning our menu, making travel plans, and getting ready for house guests that we forget to slow down and give thanks for all of the wonderful things in our lives. I hope that these Thanksgiving crafts will be the handbrake you need to relax with friends or family, get your craft on, and share a little good, old-fashioned gratitude.

5 Thanksgiving Crafts

1. Create Simple Gratitude Decor

This is a project that you and the kids can work on together. Grab some stencils, upcycled paper, and a thrift store picture frame to create some sweet, Thanksgiving crafts to decorate your walls.

2. Hand Print Turkey Shirt

Older kids can help out with this wearable craft project, and they can learn about reverse applique while they do!

3. Grateful Bunting

Got some old jeans that are past their wear? Like, four pairs of old jeans? Use the back pockets to create some very sweet bunting to show you holiday gratitude.

4. Pine Cones of Gratitude

Head to the park with your kids to collect pine cones for this upcycled craft project. You can also use reclaimed paper, like security envelopes, in place of construction paper for more upcycled goodness!

5. Bottle Place Card Holders

Do you have a Frappuccino addiction? Dig those empties out of the recycle bin and turn them into beautiful place cards that double as keepsakes! I think this projcet would also look lovely if you used half-pint Mason jars or even an eclectic mix of glass jars from the recycle bin, don't you?

Do you have any fun Thanksgiving crafts in the works? I'd love to hear about what you're making in the comments!

Image Credit: photo by Bonnie Getchell

Posted: | Categories: Craft Recycled, crafting with kids, crafts for kids, DIY, holiday crafts, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving craft projects, Thanksgiving crafts, upcycling

Nov

DIY Furniture: Revamp an Old Dresser with Wall Paper share

Next time you're changing up your decor, consider a DIY furniture redo before buying new.

My husband an I are kind of obsessed with rearranging furniture. One of our friends teases us that we've redone a room every time she comes over. Sometimes we make small changes, like moving things around slightly, and other times we completely rethink a space, adding new pieces or reusing older pieces in a new way. My rearranging obsession is why this DIY furniture project at Spoonflower really spoke to me.

Buying new furniture, of course, comes with a huge impact, right? Furniture is usually big, which means big carbon emissions shipping those pieces all over the world. And that's overlooking the impact of sourcing the materials, assembling them, boxing them, etc.

Barb Blair from Knack Studios shares how she transformed an old, boring dresser with a coat of paint and some custom wallpaper from Spoonflower. I love the simplicity of this DIY furniture project and the fresh, modern look of the finished project.

Spoonflower just started offering custom-printed wallpaper, but this project would also work with vintage wallpaper, if you have some in your stash or can find a roll online. The materials list for this project might feel long at first glance, but I promise that it's not that complicated:

Wallpaper
Shop towels (or any absorbent rags)
Craft knife
Frog Tape
Paint
Paint brush
Foam roller
Paint tray
Small tray for Mod Podge
Foam brush
Mod Podge
Sanding sponge
Scissors
Squeegee
Hardware Ruler

It's a long list, but I bet that you have a lot of these things in your stash already, right?

Ready to do your own DIY furniture redo? Head on over to Spoonflower's blog for the full tutorial, complete with plenty of images to help you follow along to the letter.

Posted: | Categories: DIY, DIY furniture, dresser redo, Furniture, furniture redo, Home+Decor, Living, Spoonflower, tutorial, wallpaper crafts

Oct

5 Tips to Conserve Energy this Winter share

Winter is coming. This year, why not get ahead of those heating bills by preparing your home to conserve energy now?

Earlier this week we looked at whether it was feasible to power your house with potatoes (hint: it's not), and we talked a little bit about energy efficiency. Making your home more efficient is a great way to conserve energy and reduce your electric and gas bills. Now is the perfect time to get your home ready for the cold months. You can feel good about not using dirty coal or natural gas to heat your home, and you can save some cash to boot.

Winter is my least favorite season. I get chilled pretty easily, and I basically spend all winter with cold hands and feet. It's tempting to reach for the thermostat when you're freezing. Before you touch that dial, try some of these DIY ideas to conserve energy this winter!

1. Winterize Your Windows to Conserve Energy

Replacing drafty windows with efficient ones is great, but if that's not in your budget you can still seal up your windows to help keep that heated air inside of your home and keep drafts out. Click here for deets!

2. Insulate Your Attic Door

You would be shocked at how much warm air hides in your house's attic and at how much of that warm air gets sucked up there through the attic door. It's super simple to insulate your attic door to conserve energy. Check out how right here!

3. Cover the Floor

A rug can really make your house feel more comfortable during the chilly months. You can even keep your rugs rolled up under the bed and just pull them out in winter when you need them. Don't have a rug? Check out this fun rag rug tutorial!

4. Use a Programmable Thermostat

There's no sense in keeping your house toasty warm while you're bundled up in bed or away for the day at work. A programmable thermostat will turn the heat up and down on a schedule for you to conserve energy. Check out this video from Home Depot on how to install one yourself. It's simpler than you might think!

5. Make (or buy) a Draft Dodger

Drafts that sneak in under your doors and windows can do a number on your heating bill. A draft dodger is a simple tube of fabric stuffed with sand, rice, or other small, heavy materials. Slide one snugly against the bottom of your door or window to keep that cold air outside where it belongs. Learn to make your own draft dodger here!

Have you done any simple DIY projects to get your home cold-weather-ready? Share your tips to conserve energy in the comments!

Image Credit: Icy Window photo via Bigstock

Posted: | Categories: conserve energy, conserve energy this winter, DIY, Home+Decor, Living, winterize your home, winterizing

Oct

Grocery Bag Crafts: Make ‘Em and Make with ‘Em share

Want to make your own grocery totes or try your hand a grocery bag crafts? We have project ideas for you!

You know that you should be bringing your own reusable grocery bags to the store, but sometimes you forget, right? We all do! Here are a couple of craft ideas for DIY grocery bags that you can make and a couple of grocery bag crafts to make the best of a bad situation when you forget your reusable bags at home.

How to Make a Grocery Bag

There are lots of ways that you can make your own grocery bags, and we've got a couple of simple ones for you!

DIY Mesh Grocery Bag - Got an old t-shirt? Turn it into a mesh grocery bag that's easy to stash in your purse.

Coffee Sack Grocery Bag - Transform an old coffee sack into a sturdy market tote. If you don't have one in your stash, try asking around at local coffee shops. They're often happy to part with any extras they have.

Grocery Bag Crafts

Did you forget your bag at home? Instead of beating yourself up, get crafty! We've got two options for you: one for paper and one for plastic.

DIY Paper Fruit Basket - This project uses old-school basket weaving skills to turn a paper grocery bag into a cute counter top fruit basket.

Fused Plastic Place Mat - This is the simplest plastic fusing project ever. Grab your iron, and make yourself some place mats!

Do you have a favorite tutorial for making a grocery bag or a favorite grocery bag craft? Tell us yours in the comments!

Posted: | Categories: Craft Recycled, DIY, DIY grocery bags, grocery bag crafts, reuse

Oct

Spotted: Grocery Tote made from a Coffee Sack share

Need another grocery tote for your stash? Grab an old coffee sack, and make your own in a snap!

I know, bringing your own reusable grocery tote is kind of green 101, but I couldn't resist sharing this super adorable homemade market bag. It's made from a reclaimed coffee sack, which is such a perfect size for toting home food from the grocery store or farmers market.

Caitlin at Merry Thought created this sweet rope-handled grocery tote and shares her process in a beautiful photo tutorial. I love the sturdiness of her design. The full lining and heavy rope handles will hold up to a lot more use than those cheapo reusable grocery totes you find at the store.

If you want to make a market bag of your own, you'll need:

a coffee sack
fabric for lining
rope
twine
scissors
a sewing machine

Want to make your own DIY grocery tote? Click here for the tutorial!

Posted: | Categories: coffee bag crafts, Craft Recycled, DIY, DIY grocery tote, DIY market bad, grocery tote

Oct

Spotted: How to Make a Pinata that’s Quick and Easy share

Store-bought pinatas are far from eco-friendly. Here's how to make a pinata that's totally unique and uses reclaimed materials.

Kids love a pinata. Heck, so do grown-ups. We had a party once years ago where we filled a giant octopus-shaped pinata with airplane-sized bottles of booze, and it was such a hit! Whether you're planning a kid's birthday party or a grown-up shindig, here's how to make a pinata the quick and easy way.

How to Make a Pinata with Reclaimed Materials

Zoe Saint-Paul over at Slow Mama shares a great tutorial on how to make a quick, easy pinata, and with just a couple of substitutions, you can make this already pretty eco-friendly project even greener. Here are the materials she calls for, along with substitution suggestions:

empty cardboard box - just make sure this is reclaimed. If you don't have an empty box on hand, your local package store probably has a mountain of them and would be happy to share one with you.
crepe paper - instead of new crepe paper, use strips of paper from your recycle bin. Old junk mail or coffee filters (rinsed and dried) would both work really well.
spray adhesive - these can be pretty toxic. Instead of a spray adhesive, just use watered down glue to paper mache your pinata. Paint the section that you want to cover with the glue mixture, and stick your strips of paper down.

Reclaimed paper isn't going to give your project a uniform color. That could be a-OK - the kids are just going to whack it to pieces with a broomstick, right? - or you can paint it to make it uniform. Hit the home improvement store for a pint of zero-VOC paint, if that's your plan.

The real trick for how to make a pinata that's quick and easy is skipping the fringe. Do kids really care about that? I bet they just want to whack that thing and get at the candy that's inside!

Click here for the tutorial!

Have you made a pinata? Was your technique like the one I describe, or did you do it differently? Share your tips on how to make a pinata in the comments!

Posted: | Categories: Craft Recycled, DIY, DIY pinata, how to make a pinata, pinata

Sep

Denim Crafts: 5 Ways to Reuse Old Jeans share

Last week I shared a site where you can recycle old denim that's in no shape to even use for crafting, but what about those old jeans that would still hold up to the craft knife? Here are some fun denim crafts to make those old jeans new again!

When you're shopping for thrift store jeans or just perusing the denim in your closet, do you ever come across a pair of jeans that are either in need of repair or too damaged to wear but have plenty of usable denim left? Instead of tossing that denim in the bin, you can use your crafty skills to turn them into something usable and new.

The big problem with throwing organic matter like denim in the trash is that when it breaks down in the landfill, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas that's much more harmful to our planet than CO2. If your old jeans are too threadbare to even cut up and craft with - or if you're left with denim scraps at the end of your craft project - take a look at Blue Jeans Go Green, a service that recycled old denim and turns it into insulation!

OK, got those old jeans ready? Let's create some denim crafts!

1. Denim Stamps

Before you ship off those denim scraps for recycling, check out this tutorial from Karen Lee on how to turn those scraps into cute little stamps. Not only are you keeping denim out of the landfill, but you can skip a trip to the craft store to buy a mass-produced stamp. Boom!

2. DIY Wrist Cuffs

Old jeans are perfect for creating wrist cuffs for yourself or to give as gifts. You can actually use any heavy fabric that you have handy, so grab some scissors and old jeans, and get crafty!

3. Denim Crafts: Recycled Denim Bowl

Cut that denim into strips, grab your crochet hook, and whip up a cute denim bowl out of your old jeans. Miko at She's Crafty doesn't give a step-by-step for this one, but any crocheted bowl tutorial that calls for chunky yarn will work here.

4. Mend Old Jeans

Do your favorite jeans have a tear in them? Turn that imperfection into a beautiful detail with reverse applique!

5. Denim Jewelry

This is another denim craft that's great for using up those scraps of old jeans. Spotted Canary shares a very cute tute for making a denim necklace over at Craftster.

Posted: | Categories: Craft Recycled, denim crafts, DIY, reuse old jeans

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