Green Thing Blog

Read this article and make a "Recycled Leafy Catch-All Box" and then, errr, put lots of stuff in it and feel really rather pleased with yourself.

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Crafternoons are so Spring/Summer 2011. Popping up all over the place are people coming together with old materials and collective creativity to make things like clothes, jewelry and other accessories. In addition to being incredibly sustainable, crafternoons are a place where people can share ideas and inspirations and tackle the notion of a "throw-away culture" to find a better way forward. Afterall, one person's trash is always another person's treasure.

This weekend, London based Crafternoon Tea Club are putting on a 'Fash Mash' at the Barbican. Formerly named 'Barbicanoon', it's a chance for people to bring in old unwanted items to reinvent, repair an rework into new things.

Also in London, tonight at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, there's an ethical fashion mini festival where plenty of making and mending will be taking place. Fashion designer Betty Jackson will be there and sharing her wisdom about buying ethically and how returning to mend and make do is becoming the next big trend.

Similarly, in Melbourne, two young designers are running a series of workshops called Wearit. They describe Wearit as an opportunity for people in the community to come together and swap skills and materials in an inspiring and creative setting.

In early April San Francisco's hosting the Craft Forward Symposium, where various, makers, designers and artists will come together to explore how crafting has reemerged in the 21st Century. While older generations may find it odd that crafts are becoming a trend rather than the norm, at Green Thing we're hopeful that it's not just a fad, but a change of lifestyle.

Making old stuff into new things with a little bit of creativity is right up Green Thing's street. We have Glove Love and Saved as our own landfill diverting clothing lines and we love a good all-consuming idea, such as crafternoons. 

With all this talk of making, why not start your own crafternoon? Or start mending things that you have kicking around the house.

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Given my talent for collecting (read: hoarding) all manner of shiny objects, I sometimes wonder whether I was a magpie in a past life. I've been waiting for a rainy day to use up the bits & bobs that over the years have made it into what I now like to term my 'art cupboard'.  Well, it's gloriously sunny as I look out my window, but Earth Day is a perfect excuse to look at some creative ways to repurpose and recycle household objects and give back to this good green earth. Crafty and environmentally sound? Check.

Here are 7 ways you can celebrate Earth Day with your creativity:

1. Create sand art...

...and reduce the amount of water your toilet uses. Doing sand art makes you feel about 5 again, which in my book is no bad thing. With an old jam jar and dirt from your back yard, you can make a pretty cool focal point. Go one step further and place a sand-filled bottle in your toilet cistern to reduce the volume used with each flush.

2. Recreate grandma's remedies...

...and say bye-bye to chemical cleaners. It's true that grandma knows best sometimes. Chemical products don't do wonders for your health, unsurprisingly, and often find their way into the soil, air and water. Rediscover your grandparent's natural remedies - vinegar on mould, or lemon juice polish - and go back to basics.

3. Recycle your unwanted CD collection...

...and prevent garden critters. A great way to hide a multitude of musical sins and discourage enterprising animals from feeding on recently cast seed or plants is the CD scarecrow.

4. Fashion a lavender pouch

...and keep clothes fresh the natural way. Mothballs aren't great for our little lungs, and have the added disincentive of smelling like food past its sell-by date. Whip up a bag filled with lavender which is both sweet smelling and non-toxic.

5. Make a plantable paper bookmark...

...and encourage friends to grow their own. Get your hands dirty and make these lovely gift tags for friends (or yourself!). Ensure you use seeds that can be planted out locally and plants that are in season - gardening has never been this fun!

6. Make a fruit bowl from a magazine or newspaper

...and reduce your paper waste. You have to love the versatility of old magazines. If you've already bedecked your entire house with bunting, it's time to move on to pastures new. Learn a fun way to make an enticing fruit bowl (or vase, or bin - the possibilities are endless...)!

7. Dress your hot water bottle

...and switch the heating off. Turn up your imagination and turn down the thermostat: take one old sweater and one hour and you can stay all warm and snuggly with the radiators off. Even reducing the temperature by 1°C saves £50 and 300 kg of CO2 per year.

See this link for more green crafts and environmentally friendly DIY, and let us know your own via the comments section!

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Out of the tragedy that was the tsunami that hit Japan earlier this year comes a heart-warming story. Women from the hard-hit coastal village of Sanriku began to turn damaged and unusable fishing nets into 'misanga' (an international good luck charm made from braided embroidery thread) or friendship bracelets, with a unique pattern designed for the project. By taking the fishing nets which were vital to the fishing industry in the village and turning them into a symbol of good luck these women inspire you to go out and Recycle in a whole new way. The project also provides employment for the women whose own livelihoods were destroyed. Much of the clean-up work was directed at men and there were little opportunities for women in the village. Apparently the first batch of bracelet sold out on the first day but the woman are still making them.

If you want to watch a video explaining the project click this link. Even though it is shot in Japanese, the message is not lost in translation. Check out their website, Sanriku Shigoto Project, to purchase a bracelet (although that too is in Japanese....)

(Spotted on Treehugger)

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(Image: Catsparella)

Carbon pawprints is a bit of a thorny issue for any pet lover. But if you're worried about your cat's affect on the environment then we have a creative, All-Consuming idea that will help. Drum roll please....

Art made out of cat hair! That's right folks, re-using their hair for good. Crafting with Cat Hair is a new book overflowing with ideas for recycling your cat's hair (very renewable don't you know!) into one of a kind pieces such as bags, books covers, mittens, finger puppets and even picture frames. The book was originally written in Japanese but luckily for you and I it has recently been translated into English!

So the next time you complain about cat hairs on your jumper, bed or sofa put down the lint roller and remember that they can be utilised to make some wonderful, upcycled handicrafts.

If clever animal recycling is your thing, then you'll love this.

(Spotted on Broadsheet)

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