eco Archives - Try Handmade

Counting the Days

March 19, 2020 by Rebecca Hadfield 3 Comments

At our house, December 2009 was a blur of working, crafting and traveling. Somehow, in all of the excitement and frenzy of the holidays, the 31 days of 2009’s final month felt more like 13 days. There just never seemed enough time! That must be why, almost a full week into the new year, we are just now getting around to replacing all of the calendars in the house. In past years, I have always grabbed a big, glossy shrink-wrapped calendar from the big-box bookstore, but this year I am looking for something different. Because we are going to have to live with it for the next 12 months, I want something unique, clever and, of course, eco-friendly.

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Wrap it up!

February 3, 2020 by Rebecca Hadfield 4 Comments

So, you’ve taken a pledge to give only handmade gifts this Christmas. Your ornaments and decorations are all one-of-a-kind creations gathered from the local craft fair and visitors to your home are going to be treated to local artisan cheeses and breads before being sent home with homemade fudge and gingerbread from your own kitchen. It sounds like you’ve got the bases covered…but you’re not planning to use boring old store-bought wrapping paper, are you? Of course you’re not!

I have always been a proponent of the fabric gift bag. Not only do they look so cute under the Christmas tree, they are almost infinitely reusable. Considering the cost (and waste!) of paper wrapping and plastic ribbon, fabric bags will pay for themselves within just a couple uses. These colourful, reversible gift bags by Pidoodle are doubly-good for the environment because the fabric used to create them was repurposed from thrifted garments. A dedicated thriftier and “fickle crafter”, Carissa seeks out used (and sometimes damaged) pieces at charity shops and gives them a second life by dying, silk-screening and sewing them into gift bags. She even includes a piece of tulle to replace expensive and fragile tissue paper. How clever!

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Art from bottles

December 2, 2019 by Erika Jurney 1 Comment

MintyFreshFusions: It’s been cut by hand, evened out with my glass grinder, and hand sanded just enough to make the rough edge smooth enough to have no jagged edges. I want to leave a few in their raw form, and as soon as I have a few more I’ll also be putting some in the kiln to fire polish the sanded edge and make it shiny-smooth like the other side.

Since these are not kiln fired they’re a bit greener, {in the eco sense, not the color!} which may appeal to some people more, it’s how I wear the one I kept.

PeriwinkleDzyns – Geek is Chic

November 8, 2019 by Rebecca Hadfield 2 Comments

Please welcome the newest contributor to Try Handmade: Rebecca Hadfield! Every week she will be bringing you eco-goodness with her column “Going Green.”

She’s a fan of upcycling and recycling, and is a maker (zenbecca) and blogger (natch!) herself. I’m also told that she’s crafty like ice is cold.

Please stop by the comments section after reading her first post and make her feel welcome!

:: Erika

[hRebecca]

With the rapid advance of technology, the electronics manufacturing industry is disposing of its obsolete parts at an alarming rate, making e-waste a concern to both the industry itself, as well as the public. By diverting unused computer and electronics components from the landfill and into our jewelry boxes, crafters such as Ruth Smith are leading the eco-crafting brigade.

As soon as Erika gave me the go-ahead to write the “Going Green” column on Try Handmade, I knew my first piece would be about Ruth Smith of PeriwinkleDzyns. Not only is Ruth a friend of mine, she is an an amazing crafter whose work is innovative, clever, and eco-friendly. Her beyond-cool jewelry appeals to such a broad audience – from the geeks to the chic. “Initially, I expected it to only appeal to geeks. You know, IT workers like myself; gamers, computer nerds and such”, says Ruth.

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girlingear studio

October 3, 2019 by Erika Jurney 2 Comments

These calendars are brilliant.

girl*in*gear studio: It’s a calendar… it’s a wildflower garden… it’s frameable art… all at the same time! There’s no waste.

It’s printed on seeded, plantable handmade paper. The paper is embedded with 15 species of tiny annual wildflower seeds, including red corn poppy, spurred snapdragon, showy evening primrose, and foxglove. Not only can you recycle this calendar, but you can also compost it or even plant it and watch your garden grow! Instructions for planting are included with each calendar.