The gifts that give twice
OK so I don’t have time to write much at the mo, but I don’t want you all to think I’ve stopped loving you. Far from it, I’m working on plenty of exciting things to share. But in the meantime, I thought I’d cross post an article I wrote for the Aotearoa Green Party members blog gblog. Enjoy xox
Us Greens know the importance of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling (in that order!!) and now climate change seems to be at the top of the world’s agenda, greening our lives can be a real money spinner.
What I think we all need to be reminded is that we can’t save the earth by buying more stuff. Quite the opposite in fact. It can be quite astounding the number of products out there now that directly claim that you can help stop climate change by buying that product. Even cars!
Of course, reducing is one of the most effective environmental strategies we have available. Thinking twice about the things you buy is a powerful way of analysing your environmental impact. As is speaking up amongst your friends and family about the stuff they buy you.
I recently had a birthday and it was very interesting the conversations that arose when I requested that people give me something handmade (by them or someone else) or nothing at all. Not only did some of my friends surprise me with their hidden creativity, but we had some great chats about the old saying ‘it’s the thought that counts’. After all, what do you think you’re saying you think about your friend, if you give them a cheap, plastic, throw away trinket made in a sweatshop? Personally, I’d rather get no gift.
The skill of making things with your hands is something many of us have little time for these days. But there’s a surprising number of easy, gorgeous looking and most of all useful things that can be made from our recycling bins. And there are a ton of free step by step tutorials on the internet.
One tutorial that sparked my interest the other day was one I found at greenUPGRADER for newspaper yarn.
It seems to be very easy to make and there is an endless list of possibilities of things to make out of it. Sure, it’s not a material you would want to use in a very damp environment, but newspaper is a surprisingly strong material, and twisted like this would make it very strong. Sure recycling newspaper is good but it’s definitely better to try and give it another purpose first!
Another website worth checking out for inspiration is Crafting a Green World, which is bursting full of inspiration, ideas and well-researched information. They’ve recently started a Carnival of Green Crafts and the latest Carnival is focussed on turning Trash into Treasure. There is so many wonderful ideas in here. I recommend making a cup of tea and settling in for a good read.
Those in the craft world use the term upcycling to describe the art of taking something unwanted, and turning it into something fabulous. And it’s a trend that encourages not only creativity but also a good healthy imagination, which is something we all need to deal with all the issues that we all face locally and globally!
So next time you need to give someone a gift, don’t reach for your wallet, grab your snips and glue and a needle and thread and let your imagination run wild.
Sustainable crafting
I totally dig it when people are conscious about their crafting and especially the processes that go into making their crafts and the supplies they use. But it can be pretty hard finding good reliable information about good sustainable alternatives to some of the craft materials we use. There is a heap of information about sustainable yarn alternatives, especially things like bamboo which is both warm and so lovely feeling. But what about some of the less popular materials?
Crafting a Green World has just released this awesome two part article on vinyl.
Vinyl is one of those icky sounding completely unsustainable materials but it does have a wide range of uses and can be pretty practical. And it is also considered an ethical alternative to leather for people who like to think of the impact of their crafting on the animal inhabitants of our lovely planet.
So the first part of the series is all about vinyl and the environmental effects of it. It’s a great wee article and I was particularly interested to learn about phthalates which is a toxin emmitted during use and is linked to having effects on the reproductive cycle. Those of us who care about the plague of endometriosis which is devastating women’s lives across the planet, should take particular notice of this one.
And of course you can’t just tell people not to so something without giving a decent alternative, part two of the series is all about the alternatives.
I thoroughly recommend you read both parts of this series of you’ve got a soft spot for the shiny stuff!
Now if only I could find a source of organic cotton floss…
Props to SpacePotato for the photo
Carnival of Green Crafts #1
The First Ever! Carnival of Green Crafts is on line now at Crafting a Green World. Go check it out, be inspired, and start working on your contributions for the next carnival!