It’s very fashionable to be ecologically minded at the moment and that’s fine by me. If it takes fashion mags and celebrity no-brainers flashing designer tote bags to encourage people to reject plastic bags then who cares, because people are using their own shopping bags. Hurrah! I am an fervent champion of all things ecologically kind, but I also think we need to take the ‘make do’ out of Make do and Mend. How about Mend and Make Fantastic? Or simply, Make Something Fantastic:
Take the humble cardboard box…
…and make it better.
1. As right as a trivet over at Craft Gossip.
2. Make your own iPod/iPhone dock using the downloadable PDF at dessine moi un objet
3. Handy portable stool anyone? See Evil Mad Scientist Labs blog
4. Excellent cardboard dustpan instructable!
And for my next trick. Make it clean and green with this selection of dish cloths, scouring pads, face flannels and make-up remover ‘scrubbies’.
1. Log Cabin Wash Cloth knitting pattern over at Purlbee
2. Or if you prefer crochet, introducing the Magically Clean Eco Tawashi. Perfect for your 100% acryllic yarn leftovers, pattern provided.
3. Another free crochet pattern. Sweet Super CC Face Cloths (or cat capes, you decide) in 100% cotton.
4. Exfoliating round facial scrubbies from ‘Buy Hand’ of Etsy.
And here’s a handy little short cut to more of the same type of thing from Etsy. Search Eco Washcloth for 21 pages of affordable eco goodness.
And don’t we all love the shopping tote? If you’re like me you have a million, secreted in various handbags, branded with all sorts of oddities (including the inexplicable one printed with the slogan ‘Osnabrucker Funk Taxi’). The Betz White blog shows us here how to make the most of our boring canvas freebies. Cover them in swanky fabric prints!
Another high-throughput unavoidable disposable travesty are what are classically termed ‘feminine hygiene products’. Below are your eco friendly, purse friendly and body-friendly alternatives.
1. Washable pads brought to my attention by the Eco Etsy Team blog. Full post here is well worth a read through.
2. The hallowed Mooncup (see also Diva Cup). My favourite – highly recommended.
3. Washable tampons and wet bag by Moo Cow Momma.
4. Rockin’ washable pad set by Vulva Love Lovely.
There are several ways to cut out excessive disposable food and drink wrappings. Here’s just a start. Resuasble snack bags, sandwich wraps, lunch packs. Use your imagination!
1. Coffee anyone. Try this beautiful coffee cosy from Dance in My Garden to protect your little fingers. Or make your own using this tutorial from House on Hill Road. And for cripes sake make it Fair Trade!
2. Lunch/Market Tote from The Craft Pantry.
3. School notebook lunch bag ‘How-to‘ from Design Sponge.
4. Re-useable Deli Sandwich Wrap from Little Green Pea.
And to my favourite types of eco-re-do. Dresses. Frocks. Skirts. Nikki over at Wardrobe Refashion has got the right idea. She encourages people to re-make, do-over, de-construct and generally mix it up with old or second hand clothes, rather than buy new. Here are some more ideas:
1. Kelly+Olive show us how to make plaid cushion covers from men’s shirts and trust me, even the beginniest beginner can sew these babies!
2. I ♥ Clementiny. Check out her re-fashions on Etsy.
3. Another tartan shirt re-do tutorial. Into a dress?! You better believe it.
4. Vintage fabrics into classically styled skirts from Soho Mode. Just my cup of tea.
OK so, cause extolled I’ll scramble down from my high-horse. But if you’d care to join me and mark yourself out as an eco-diva then try this: RRR Ribbon Pin from re-cycled drinks carton, by Mayari.
See you next Wednesday. x
What a great round up! Thanks for including my crocheted face cloth pattern!
Really enjoyed reading your posting, keep up the good work! Definitely going to try the log cabin washcloth and could do with a cardboard dustpan for cleaning up my kitchen floor on a daily basis. Cloth nappies too, don’t forget those – they go quite cheap second hand.