Wasteless Wednesday: Hangin' Out!

Did you know that millions of Americans have to fight for the "Right to Dry"? Despite the benefits to our climate and the savings, you might be breaking the law if you hang out!


Hanging laundry on a clothesline is a common practice around the world, and was in the U.S. as well for generations. But many Homeowners and Condo Associations concerned about the aesthetics and effect on property values have passed rules taking away the "Right to Dry"~ and many cities and towns have joined in, passing ordinances as well. Thankfully, some states are voiding these actions: Florida, Maine, Colorado, Vermont, Hawaii and Maryland have legislated your "Right to Dry". Many others are also joining the fight~ but one organization followed the footsteps of Susan Taylor, who some call the "poster child" of the North American Movement for the Right to Dry. Ms. Taylor has fought to hang her clothes in her Oregon neighborhood for years, recently, she discovered an old law from 1979 on the books that banned any bans on solar energy systems. Well, sunshine is solar and that's how we dry our clothes, right? She agrees and many others do also, but her fight is still on.

Now Sightline Daily's reporter, Jon Howland has found 13 other such existing laws that mandate solar access. He also claims that bans persist in the 6 states that have established the "Right to Dry"! What can you do? Sightline is mapping known violations of your "Right to Dry" on a google map, helping to track progress in the fight. You can put your community "on the map" by writing to the editor@sightline.org ~ You can also sign the petition "Right to Dry" sponsored by RightToDry.org ~ Write to your local and state legislators also! Another active group in the fight is Project Laundry List. They offer resources to help save energy and money. And, finally, in your own backyard: Exercise your "Right to Dry" by hanging up your laundry! Your neighbors may not like it, but the Earth will. Just one household can output as much as 1500 pounds of CO2 by using a dryer. Dryers contribute to an estimated average of 5% percent of your electric consumption. Imagine the savings if you line-dry! Not to mention, the wear and tear on your clothing~ where does lint come from? It's remnants of your clothing...

So that's our 1st tip for Wasteless Wednesday! Use a clothesline!

2. Sun not shining? Raining? Get a drying rack!

Poetry of Objects

3. If you absolutely insist on using a dryer, keep your lint filter clean and your cycle as short as possible by using proper settings.

4. Another tip for the dryer~ Use wool dryer balls! They save drying time and they're a fantastic eco-friendly alternative to a dryer sheet!

©Tara Fletcher-Gibbs

5. Wash in cold water! It works just as well and saves electric.

6. Use natural, homemade laundry soap and stain removers.  Don't want to make them yourself? Buy them from Etsy, our personal favorite for all things handmade! You can find hundreds of homemade alternatives to commercial detergents and caustic stain removers.

Soap for Your Soul

7. Wear your clothes longer! Instead of washing them after a short wear, set them aside for a second wear! Also air out blankets on the line instead of washing them so often. They last longer and smell fresher!

So that's a week's worth of laundry tips that will help Waste Less! Have a great Wasteless Wednesday~ and we'll see you next week!

Weekly Giveaway: The ReGiftables!

It's that time again~ We have a new giveaway ready for one of our lucky readers to win! This week, our sponsor is The ReGiftables! But before we tell you more, let's all send Congrats to Susan D.~ #26! She's the winner of Art Recycles' cute and clever Tuck-It-Board: "Keepers"! Our thanks to Tracey for sponsoring the giveaway and to all who entered!

Now, on to this week's Giveaway...

Elyse Hutchinson has been dreaming lately~ of all the endless possibilities of upcycling! She says she lies awake at night with images of her crafty ideas dancing in her head. And the results are amazing! She calls her shop The ReGiftables and one of her product lines are upcycled gift cards turned into gorgeous jewelry, and Elyse is kind enough to "ReGift" one to us!

Elyse earned national recognition for her jewelry when she was chosen as a finalist in Bobbie Thomas' DIY Craft Challenge on the Today Show! Her products have evolved beautifully to now include charms, crystals and other embellishments. My personal favorite are these dragonfly earrings with dangling purple Swarovski crystals!

I can't wait to hear about your favorites~ it'll be one of the ways you can enter our Giveaway!
Here's a peek at a few more of her creations, then we'll tell you about all the ways to enter...

Elyse started her upcycled designing at a very young age, creating dollhouse furniture from egg cartons and tiny pillows from socks! We're proud to have her as a member of Upcyclers and can't wait to see where her imagination takes her in the future!

If you'd like a chance to win her beautiful Re-Carded Purple Blooms Necklace, it's easy:

First, be sure you are a follower of this blog, Love 2 Upcycle~ not a follower? Just look to the left and click. Voila! You are a follower. But you haven't entered yet.
Now, you can choose 4 of the following ways to enter, up to 4 times!
  1. Check out The ReGiftables on Etsy and favorite the shop! Tell us here which item is your favorite!

2. Follow The ReGiftables on Twitter!
3. Like The ReGiftables on Facebook!
4. Tweet this Giveaway on Twitter or Share it on Facebook!
5. Pin one of Elyse's items from her shop on Pinterest!


Remember, only 4 entries count, and each one must be left in a separate comment! If you don't have an email listed on your bio, leave it here in one of your comments. Deadline to enter is Midnight, March 4th!

Winner will be randomly drawn using Random.org's generator.

Good Luck!
 
Would you like to Sponsor a Giveaway on Love 2 Upcycle? You don't have to be a member of Upcyclers to be a sponsor, all Etsy sellers of upcycled or eco-friendly products are welcome! But of course, we'd love for you to join the team!

Sustainable Sundays: Amy C. Lund

Each Sunday we select one item to feature from over 1,820 sustainable shops on our Upcyclers Etsy Team! Any Upcyclers shop on Etsy that is actively selling, promoting and participating on our team is available for selection.

This week's upcycled selection is...

Decorative Hand Woven Fabric Nesting Eggs in Basket of Recycled Rag

by Amy C. Lund Handweaver and Handspinner

Amy C. Lund is inspired by the textures, structures, and colors, and tries to incorporate these elements into her work to create artful experiences.  I think she's done exactly that with this spring design.  Three handwoven striped lavender, light blue, orange and yellow recycled fabric eggs are included with a recycled rag basket. This handcrafted nest would make a great decoration for Easter, for a new baby's room, on a shelf in the country farm kitchen, or just because!

Check out more of Amy C. Lund's creations for "Simple, Sophisticated & Stylish Hand-Woven Textiles for Artful Living!"  She produces an array of linens, rugs, weavings and gift ideas so stop by her shop for look!

Shop Stats:

Opened on Jan. 22nd, 2010
200  items for sale
48 sales
Feedback: 22, 100% positive

It is always hard to pick one upcycled item from all our active shops each week! Here are this week's runners up:

Wooden Oregon Belt Buckle made with Reused Materials by CHunksOWOod

Black and White Teacup Beeswax Wood Wick Candle by jagraybill

World Time Zones Travel Journal with Lined Pages by PrairiePeasant

You can find more sustainable creations on Etsy by using our official team search tag: teamupcyclers when shopping.

Happy Upcycling!
~Bee
The Wooden Bee
inspired to recycle woodwww.thewoodenbee.com

Wasteless Wednesday: Save Your Breath!

Instead of screaming at the computer when it dumped my nearly completed, in my opinion well-written, Wasteless Wednesday post this week, I am going to save my breath. That's my first tip for wasting less this week.

#2. Don't look back. That means don't hit the back button on your computer thinking your work will magically appear.

#3. Don't blame the computer. It was me. I admit it. I should have hit save as I was working. I didn't. Accept reality and don't waste time making excuses.

#4. Plan ahead. There is a wonderful little tool you can use when you blog: Schedule post. That way you can write your post in advance and then you don't have to rush at the last minute.

Which leads to #5. Don't Procrastinate.

#6. Stress less and conserve life. Remember that life is only worth living if you enjoy it.

#7. Turn off the computer.

Enjoy these tips for now, and next week I'll share the ones that went to computer never~neverland.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Weekly Giveaway: Art Recycles!

We hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day last week~ we celebrated with a giveaway from The Paper Peddler! Now it's time to announce the winner of our "valentine"~ Liz's Upcycled Red Heart, Diet Coke Flower Headband: #6~ Selma! Congrats to you, Selma! Thanks, Liz for sponsoring our fun giveaway and thank you to all our readers who entered!

This week we're changing things up a bit, we'll be starting our giveaways on Mondays from now on~ but thanks to my wonderful satellite (sarcasm detection alert!!!), I didn't have internet yesterday when I got home from work, so this week is a wee bit late. But all that aside~ on with this week's Giveaway from Art Recycles! Tracey Dean, owner and creator of Art Recycles, wants you to "Organize in Style"! As she explains, "Matisse's paper cuts inspire me; I create my own paper cuts into functional art that I call the "Tuck-it Board" and the "Tack-it board". The Tuck-it board is my version of the French memory board and the Tack-it board is my version of a cork board. Two great products to help you organize in a creative way." She's offering one of her "Tuck-it Boards" to you for our giveaway this week!

It's definitely a "keeper", perfect for holding a variety of memos, photos or other bits and pieces you want to "keep"! 

Tracey is an Art Educator and loves to create art that is functional and decorative. She especially loves to upcycle leftover art materials and packaging like crayon wrappers. She is married to an Environmental Consultant and together they work hard to instill a love for recycling and conservation in their children. Tracey says, "Often I create with recycled and reused items. I love to pulp down construction paper to create new sheets that are multi-layered and textured. I challenge myself to reuse some of those many handouts my son brings home from school in a creative way. Crayola crayon wrappers are a lot of fun to reuse too. My students know that, 'Mrs. Dean can make art out of anything'- well, I try. I feel a strong connection between manipulating clay and cutting shapes from a piece of paper, it's just in a different dimension. The great thing with the paper is that it's already full of color and pattern. Oh, and it's instant; no extreme temperatures needed."

I love all of Tracey's colorful and creative products~ they make me just want to run around and start organizing things! I can't wait to hear about all of your favorites when you enter her Giveaway~ 

Here's how:  First, be sure you are a follower of this blog, Love 2 Upcycle~ not a follower? Just look to the left and click. Voila! You are a follower. But you haven't entered yet.
Now, you can choose 4 of the following ways to enter, up to 4 times!
 
1. Add Art Recycles to your favorite shops on Etsy! Tell us here about your favorite item!
2. Like Art Recycles on Facebook!
3. Follow Tracey on Twitter!
4. Tweet this Giveaway on Twitter or Share it on Facebook!
5. Pin one of the items in Art Recycles on Pinterest! 


Remember, only 4 entries count, and each one must be left in a separate comment! If you don't have an email listed on your bio, leave it here in one of your comments. Deadline to enter is Midnight, February 26th!

Winner will be randomly drawn using Random.org's generator.

Good Luck!
 
Would you like to Sponsor a Giveaway on Love 2 Upcycle? You don't have to be a member of Upcyclers to be a sponsor, all Etsy sellers of upcycled or eco-friendly products are welcome! But of course, we'd love for you to join the team!

Sustainable Sundays: Hummingbird Factory

Each Sunday we select one item to feature from over 1,820 sustainable shops on our Upcyclers Etsy Team! Any Upcyclers shop on Etsy that is actively selling, promoting and participating on our team is available for selection.

This week's upcycled selection is...

Recycled Denim Zipper Wallet by Hummingbird Factory

Rust-colored fish is screenprinted on 100% upcycled cotton denim. Fully lined zipper wallet has recycled blue and white cotton lining, orange zipper and keyring. Wallet is finished with twine and a wood bead for the perfect touch.  "Roomy enough for your cell phone, lipbalm, keys, and debit cards. Helps keep small things organized inside your bigger bag, or works great on its own for strolling on the weekends." HummingbirdFactory

 

Ashley from Hummingbird Factory, screenprints and sews her awesome creations in Nashville Tennessee. She holds degrees in Fashion Design and Art History, and I am very impressed with her designs.  I almost featured her recycled cotton pillow with a vintage bicycle print! I just loved both!

 

Shop Stats:

Opened on Dec. 9th, 2009
36 items for sale
56 sales
Feedback: 26, 100% positive

It is always hard to pick one upcycled item from all our active shops each week! Here are this week's runners up:

1960's 16GB Batmobile Flash Drive by Polyester10

Upcycled Shirt Gift Bag with Cuff Links by Wave Song

Embroidered Upcycled Wool Felt Coasters by Rose Mauve

You can find more sustainable creations on Etsy by using our official team search tag: teamupcyclers when shopping.

Happy Upcycling!
~Bee
The Wooden Bee
inspired to recycle woodwww.thewoodenbee.com

Wasteless Wednesday: Don't Throw Away That T-Shirt!

We all love our old t-shirts~ they can be like an old friend! But there comes a time when they are either too small, too worn, or you just have too many stuffed in your drawers. Upcyclers looooove t-shirts~ or should I say "relove" t-shirts? You wouldn't believe the ways they can be saved...

Here are seven ways our members and others who Love 2 Upcycle have given new life to an old tee:

1. St. Patty's Day is coming~ show your green in an upcycled t-shirt skirt!

Ohzie

2. Upcycled Design Lab has just started an ongoing project with 20 tees she's upcycling~ you can follow her progress on her blog: Reaching for more! Here's her first completed design, a matchbox t-shirt necklace:

3. Did you know you can crochet with t-shirt yarn? Here's some examples of what the yarn can look like:

CoolClimates

thirtyone13

4. And here's something that can be made from it:

Debbie Crochets

Cool, huh?

5. Maybe you remember the loop yarn pot holders we made as kids? Here's a crocheted version using t-shirt yarn~ brings back memories doesn't it? And it's handmade instead of mass produced!

The Goose's Golden Egg

6. Can you wrap your head around this idea?

Organic Planet

But sometimes, it's just time to say "Goodbye" to your old friend~ stained, holey, stretched to it's limits, that t-shirt's gotta go! But wait! We've still got more ways to save it!

7. Dust with it, polish with it, wash with it, dry with it, wipe your nose with it! But, for heaven's sake, don't throw it away until you absolutely have to!

Have a great week, everybody~ and Remember: Don't Waste A Thing!

Sustainable Sundays: Double Feature

Each Sunday we select an item to feature from over 1,800 sustainable shops on our Upcyclers Etsy Team! Any Upcyclers shop on Etsy that is actively selling, promoting and participating on our team is available for selection.

Since I was absent last Sunday, I wanted to make sure some of our awesome shops don't miss being featured. So this week I would like to show you TWO of our sustainable shops!

Metal Heart Shaped Upcycled Vase with Vintage Heart Brooch by Rinnovato

I love this industrial looking valentine vase. M. Basile, from Rinnovato, refurbished this lovely piece giving it the perfect patina shine.  Check out more upcycled home decor in this classy Upcyclers shop!

Shop Stats:

Opened: Nov 8th, 2011

64 items for sale

23 sales, 100% positive feedback

AND...

Recycled Magazine Mirror by gr3een

This beautiful handcrafted mirror and frame caught my eye. It is made from recycled magazines and recycled cardboard.  Annette, from gr3een, lives in sunny Florida, and enjoys making upcycled picture frames and home decor. 

Shop Stats:

Opened: Sept 20th, 2010

129 items for sale

208 sales, 100% positive feedback

It is hard to choose from all our upcycled shops. Here are this week's runners up, check out their unique creations as well!

Upcycled Crochet Rug with Cotton Rolled Roses by King Soleil

Vintage Art Deco Flower Brooch by TubbyTabby

Recycled Plastic Bottle Necklace or Bracelet by d'Ekoprojects

Padded Holder Ebook Cover made from Repurposed Jeans by sadiesez

You can find more sustainable creations on Etsy by using our official team search tag: teamupcyclers when shopping.

Happy Upcycling!
~Bee
The Wooden Bee
inspired to recycle wood
www.thewoodenbee.etsy.com

Weekly Giveaway: The Paper Peddler!

Last week was groovy, thanks to Groovy Garbage~ our most recent sponsor of our Weekly Giveaway! And we know Maegan Morin is going to be feeling groovy now, she was #33 and the lucky winner of the Upcycled Inner Tube Pendant earrings they gave away! Congrats, Maegan!

This week we are proud to have The Paper Peddler as our sponsor! Liz loves to find the hidden possibilities in the garbage around us~ especially tin and paper! She is a paper piecing artist, scrapbooker, rubber stamper and upcycler. She's also a busy wife and mom to two children and, as she puts it, "entertained daily by two mini dachshunds and two hairy cats"!
We thought her Red Heart Diet Coke Flower Headband would be a perfect giveaway for the week of Valentine's Day!

See? It's cute as can be and just right for a special sweetheart! Or for you! You can find tons of other Pop can products, as well as The Paper Peddler's creative paper products and stamped art.

My favorite item in Liz's shop is the one above! She calls the letters "Tinage" and also stamps out numbers and flowers called "Metal Petals"~ you can order sets and custom collections by request. You can tell us what your favorite item is when you enter the Giveaway!

First, be sure you are a follower of this blog, Love 2 Upcycle~ not a follower? Just look to the left and click. Voila! You are a follower. But you haven't entered yet.
Now, you can choose 4 of the following ways to enter, up to 4 times!

1. Favorite The Paper Peddler on Etsy!
2. Add Liz to your circle on Etsy!
3. Tell us here about your favorite item in her shop!
4. Tweet this Giveaway on Twitter or Share it on Facebook!
5. Pin one of the items in The Paper Peddler on Pinterest!

Remember, only 4 entries count, and each one must be left in a separate comment! If you don't have an email listed on your bio, leave it here in one of your comments. Deadline to enter is Midnight, February 16th!

Winner will be randomly drawn using Random.org's generator.

Good Luck!
 
Would you like to Sponsor a Giveaway on Love 2 Upcycle? You don't have to be a member of Upcyclers to be a sponsor, all Etsy sellers of upcycled or eco-friendly products are welcome! But of course, we'd love for you to join the team!

Wasteless Wednesday: ReUse It!

Some of the best ways to waste less is to learn to reuse. We upcycle many things that way, but the true measure of the definition is to increase the aesthetic or monetary value of the item. Reuse might be considered more lateral in its nature. Here are seven clever ideas my hours of foraging the web, Pinterest, Wanelo and, my latest addictive site~ the Chinese website, Diutang, have rendered!

#1 (and my all time favorite) Fork turned handle:

#2: Eyeglass case turned manicure kit.

#3: Pop tab reused as picture hanger.

#4: Shirt reused as bag holder.

#5: Spaghetti jar turned cold coffee brewer.

#6: Soda bottles reused as oil and vinegar dispensers.

#7: Toothbrush holder reused as a flower vase.

So there's a week's worth of ideas for you to reuse typical things you might toss away! Tell us about the things you re~use in your house, we'd love more ideas for coming editions of our weekly feature: Wasteless Wednesday! Hope you'll waste less this week!

Weekly Giveaway: Groovy Garbage!

 
We're feelin' groovy again~ this time with Groovy Garbage! You'll love the creativity and innovation of Richie and Jane, a husband and wife team we are proud to have on our team! They're offering a pair of their revived rubber, inner tube earrings, that have been interwoven with salvaged coral and black glass beads onto sterling silver headpins and hung from sterling silver french earwires.

But before we tell you more, we'd like to thank all of our followers who entered and checked out last week's giveaway, as well as Lynn from Plarny Yarn Creations! And CONGRATULATIONS to RoChelle, our 23rd entry and winner of the water bottle with Plarny Yarn carrier! Way to go, RoChelle! Love your profile pic, by the way!

Groovy Garbage is about to celebrate their first anniversary on Etsy! They opened their new shop on Feb. 23, 2011~ but they've been upcycling rubber inner tubes, vinyl signs and beach chairs into well-crafted, stylish products for years. As they state on their website, they know that much of the garbage in landfills will never decompose, so their goal is to "divert as many of these things from the landfills and into your hands". Here's more from their website about the company's line:

All of the original GROOVY GARBAGE items are handmade.  At this time there are three Groovy Garbage collections~
 
RUBBER REVIVAL- all made from recycled inner tubes, REVAMPED VINYL- made from recycled vinyl banners and signage and SEA IT AGAIN- these items are made from recycled beach chair/umbrella fabric. They are all one of a kind items due to the variation in design and the actual differences in the reclaimed, recycled or salvaged materials.  All of the materials are synthetic, non-organic, and could be considered vegan due to the fact that no animals are used or harmed in the making of our products.

Sea It Again

We collaborate with local businesses and participate in many non-profit organizations and events. For a specific item, design or bulk sales, please contact groovy garbage. At GROOVY GARBAGE it is our mission to use as much recycled, reclaimed, upcycled, salvaged, reprocessed material in our designs as possible.  Most strapping or webbing used in our bags are either remnants or reclaimed from another bag.

Rubber Revival

All of our sterling silver jewelry components are new. The rivets and grommets are new, but do contain a portion of recycled material.  All of our shipping materials are 100% recycled or reclaimed, even the tape~ it is reclaimed vinyl adhesive remnants.

Revamped Vinyl

They are proud to proclaim themselves as green and groovy by promoting conservation and environmental stewardship and offering their eco-friendly, functional products to individuals, local/national non-profits and government agencies fostering recycling [and upcycling] education initiatives. Here's a local news interview with Richie, co-owner of Groovy Garbage:

We are grateful for their efforts and for having them as members of Upcyclers~ and for their generous donation to this week's giveaway! If you'd like to enter, we've made it easy for you!

First, be sure you are a follower of this blog, Love 2 Upcycle~ not a follower? Just look to the left and click. Voila! You are a follower. But you haven't entered yet.
Now, you can choose 4 of the following ways to enter, up to 4 times!

1. Favorite Groovy Garbage on Etsy, add them to your circle and tell us here about your favorite product!
2. Become a fan of Groovy Garbage on Facebook!
3. Follow Groovy Garbage on Twitter!
4. Pin one of their items to Pinterest!
5. Tweet or share this Giveaway!

Remember, only 4 entries count, and each one must be left in a separate comment! If you don't have an email listed on your bio, leave it here in one of your comments. Deadline to enter is Midnight, February 9th!
 
Winner will be randomly drawn using Random.org's generator. 

Good Luck!
 
Would you like to Sponsor a Giveaway on Love 2 Upcycle? You don't have to be a member of Upcyclers to be a sponsor, all Etsy sellers of upcycled or eco-friendly products are welcome! But of course, we'd love for you to join the team!

Wasteless Wednesday~ Recycle/Upcycle!

Today's Wasteless Wednesday's tips are simple reminders of things most of us know! But these are everyday ways to save and waste less that sometimes we forget~ Here are seven tips for each day of the coming week:

1. Recycle your containers! As members of Upcyclers, we love your post consumer waste~ for us they become art and craft materials.

Dessin Creations

FabTabulous

Crafty Hipster

But many areas offer curbside recycling and if not, centers where you can take your recyclables. You can even donate your recyclables to artists like us! We have a site called FreeUpcycle where you can list your unwanted trash so that we can turn it into treasure.

2. Instead of buying or using ice for a cooler, refill empty plastic containers with water and freeze them!

3. Wear it out! Try dressing up an old outfit with new accessories or giving that old furniture a fresh look with new paint or hardware. There is often a lot more life to your belongings if you take time to give it a second thought instead of running out to buy new.

Breathe Couture

Datchi

Chicago Attics

A Red Cabinet

4. Don't let the water run while brushing your teeth or washing dishes.

5. Don't let your dishwater go down the drain! Use a dishpan and pour it on your outdoor plants instead. You can also use your coffee grounds for your plants~ Sprinkle around your plants before watering. Dilute in a five gallon bucket to use as liquid fertilizer.

6. Use energy efficient bulbs or LED's in your light fixtures. We have plenty of creative re~uses for your old energy burning bulbs!

Star Redesigns

Lovely Musings

7. Use timers on outdoor electric lights so they don't get left on during the day. Try using solar lighting or even lamp oil torches in upcycled containers.

Hidden Agenda

We hope you have a fantastic Wasteless Wednesday and week, but remember: Don't waste a single moment or a single thing!