Upcycling or Green Crafting is the art of turning something old into something new. It's an amazing way to help save our environment, keep more garbage out of our landfills and creatively challenge yourself.
As a member of the green crafting community, I thought it'd be fun to share some tricks and ideas from other published green crafters. Seeing the amazing things others are inspired to create goes a long way in inspiring me.
1. The best all-purpose adhesive:
Gel medium- Lynne Moncrieff
A hot glue gun- Deana Mattos Diefenbach
Aleene's Original Tacky glue- Kate Cody
Rubber cement- Amy Reinagel
2. Quick and easy upcycled gifts:
Dolls from old shirts- April Holmquist
Leather belt bracelet- Tina Pawelek
Themed gift baskets from Starbucks four-pack glass bottles in the carrier- Melony Bradley
3. All-natural or eco-friendly cleaning:
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products- Jennifer Chiarell
Lemon juice, salt and sunlight- Stacy Ellis
Bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar- Lynne Moncrieff
4. Green crafting with plastic:
Use a heat gun to mold and shape plastic- Kathleen Loveland
Braid it for rope or rugs- Renee Scriver
Cover it with chalk paints- Lynne Moncrieff
5. Natural elements to incorporate:
Leaves and stones- Maggie Caballero
Twigs, branches, feathers and seeds- Christy Ann Le Blanc
Wildflowers, antlers, wood and seashells- Effie jack
6. Most used item to green craft with:
Recycled paper of any kind- Frances Peets
Glass bottles and jars- Michelle Duke
Aged books- Cheryl Miller
Old quilts- Joanie Luebbering
7. Most effective technique for removing labels:
Goo-Gone or Citrasolv- Kim Andersen
Baking soda and cooking oil- Lynne Moncrieff
White vinegar- Sue Hassel
8. Organizational advice:
Photo storage boxes- Sharon Lee Louk
Clear plastic stackable drawers- Patty Thurlby
Constantly evaluate your stuff- Tamara Lance
9. Lessons from green crafting:
You don't need to buy the most expensive new supplies- Karen Campbell
Don't buy more than you really need- Lena Statsenko
Never give up on an idea or recycled material- Sharon Lee Louk
Before throwing something away, stop and ask if it can be repurposed- Cheryl Murakami
10. Favorite place to go thrifting/antiquing:
Flea markets- Janet Alden
Thrift stores- Misty Gage
Brass Armadillo- Cheryl Miller
The Nesting Cottage- Ella Wilson
The Curiosity Shop- Dalia Blevins
'til next time,
Misty
Commentaires