My totem project got me to looking at cast-off household items through
new eyes. Back when I had an art deco-ish black and silver bathroom, my
kids gave me this black ceramic hand, which attaches to the wall and
becomes a soap dish. I have gone through several bathrooms since then,
but could never bring myself to discard the hand, even though it broke
into several pieces in removing it from its origin » READ MORE
Posts tagged: recycling
DIY Cardboard Chaise Lounge.
By ChrisjobSure, we've seen lots of cardboard art and furniture (and a house), and a small scale how-to, but this Instructable is totally approachable and makes fabulous use of a mess of Ikea boxes. Pretty impressive, says I.
So grab some corrugated cardboard, a bit of tape, and utility knife, and follow the instructions above.
Recycled Seat Belt Bags
By ModHomeEcTeacher
Italian company 959 is recycling seatbelts into classic looking bags (if you don't mind the big buckle). Using 70% or more recycled materials, the woven polyester belts make a strong statment as well as a durable bag. The production process consists of five steps. » READ MORE
Who butchered the Baker?
By boopalina and bebe
In August, we helped my dad move into a new home and we subsequently inherited this vintage roadside find. He was going to just leave it behind, but I instantly knew it had incredible design potential. What I didn't know, until finding a little hidden plaque on it, was that it's a Baker cocktail table. If you're wondering what the heck that means...well...you're not alone. I was a bit curious (and Baker-ignorant) so I did wha » READ MORE
Furniture Recycling: What Goes Around...
By ModHomeEcTeacher 
Still oozing with holiday generosity? Clean up and declutter your space, load up unused and unwanted furniture and accessories and.. » READ MORE
Energy Seed generates street light from old batteries
By Doug Aamoth
What a smart solution to the problem of improper disposal of alkaline batteries! The "Energy Seed" concept comes from designers Sungwoo Park and Sunhee Kim. It's basically a receptacle for old batteries that collectively harnesses the leftover juice from all the batteries that are placed inside and uses it to power an LED street light.
This is a great idea for just about any environmentally-conscious neighborhood, but I'd actually like one o » READ MORE
A couple cool things I spotted inside a Japanese recycling center
By Doug Aamoth
Just got back from Japan on a tour with Panasonic to see some of the company's eco-friendly initiatives. While inside one of their recycling plants, I spotted this cool table made from a washing machine drum. This particular recycling plant handles home appliances like refrigerators, washers, dryers, air conditioners, and television sets. They're able to recycle more than half of the materials in each appliance back into new appliances. This ta » READ MORE
broken dreams?
By ricki
My thrifty tendencies lead me to gluing broken pots back together if the break is clean. This time, I decided to use a fairly large broken clay pot in another way. Not an original idea, but I quite like the way the golden baby tears seem to be spilling forth, mingling with the sedum and washing around the black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’). It took a couple of years to achieve the effect I was after. I began by half bu » READ MORE
black hand lives on
By rickiApril 17th, 2008 <!-- by ricki -->
Ice Stone: Sustainable Surfaces
By beccajo
Included in Erin's list of Go Green without Going Crazy was the company Ice Stone.
One of a few companies to be certified Cradle to Cradle *, Ice Stone is basically a replacement for any surface where marble or tile might be used. Glass is embedded in a concrete-type material, and then finished as you choose. You can even ship your unused materials and old surfaces back to the company to be reused!
While glass is still relatively easy t » READ MORE
Speak up and Sweet Persistance
By thisrecycledlifelearned a valuable lesson today - it doesn’t hurt to ask. I’ve been looking for a new source of upholstery fabric as my old stash is running low - it’s good though it means I’ve had some sales lately. A few weeks ago I made some calls around town begging for a few more donations of expired swatch books. In the past I’ve been able to get supplies from friends and not had to move much outside my comfort zone. My zone, well it’s a marshme » READ MORE
Recycling tires can be fun and creative
By intouchoz
Tires are one of the most difficult items to recycle today. But a solution is needed. Millions of tires are dumped yearly at landfill sites or illegal deposits.
Finding a new use for recycled tires helps the environment and it’s an easy way to make a tree swing or sandbox or tunnels for your backyard for h » READ MORE
Drastic Plastic!
By beccajoListening to "The Story" on MPR last week, I heard the host Dick Gordon interview a woman from Chicago named Joanne about her rather unusal (and yet very green) new year's resolution-to not purchase anything made from or wrapped in plastic. Her story is the second one in the show-you can skip over the Nigerian e-mail scammer story if you want.
Although it's still very early in the year, she has come up with some very interesting solutions to th » READ MORE
What to do with a natural tree?
By beccajoFor those of us who do not go the fake route, what do you do with a Christmas Tree come January?
Recyclers: Earth 911 offers tips on recycling your tree and more.
Anglers: dump your tree in a lake, where it will provide habitat for future fishies.
Handymen and women:use your chipper and make mulch.
What do you plan on doing with your natural tree?
Need brainstorming re: grey water thingie
By leslieinbhamOkay, my son's crib is now a compost bin and while he's a bit mystified to see it put to such use, I think it's working quite well. So onward, yes? I spent all summer with a hose from my washer discharging into a large and elevated plastic trashcan and then siphoning that water out to my garden manually. This required an acrobat's timing as the trashcan could only handle a single leg of the cycle or it got a bit ugly. Also, the siphoning was » READ MORE
10 Ways to Reuse Old Sweaters.
By ChrisjobYour winter clothes are out of storage again, and some of your sweaters might not look as presentable as when you put them away last year. Farrah Parkes from DIYLife has assembled some of the best tutorials 'round the 'net for recycling you sweaters.
1. Simple instructions for using sweater sleeves to make extra long gloves
2. Sew knit or felted mittens
3. Create a felted bag
4. A recycled sweater coin purse
5. Turn your old sweater into a » READ MORE
Silverware Chandeliers
By DIY Maven
I have a lot of respect for people who see the beauty in everyday objects and re-purpose them to create something extraordinary. Fabbian’s lighting designer Ali Siahvoshi has done just that with this silverware chandeliers, which look like they could double as awesome wind chimes. Via Inhabitat.
What if the world lived like you?
By beccajoCheck out this fun little game (or scary harbinger of climate change, depending on your lifestyle) from American Public Media, a major producer of programming for National Public Radio.
It gives you a glimpse of what the world would look like if the 6.6 billion other folks on the planet lived like you. Warning-the music might be distracting for your boss and co-workers (oops!), and it takes some time for the game to load the levels. A good lunch-t » READ MORE
Looking for ideas for empty cat litter containers
By bbittner
Our family goes through these big, sturdy, plastic cat litter containers like crazy. We've used them as mop buckets, planters, and waste baskets. Any other ideas?
Tupperwear! Design contest with Tupperware
By beccajoCreate a piece of artwork (wearable, or not) using Tupperware, and you could with $2000!
Three categories exist: Fashion, Utility objects, and Free Form.
Hurry though, the deadline is August 31st!
Top 10 Creative Ways to Recycle CDs
By DIY Maven
10. Reflectors. Attach old CDs to your mailbox or attach them to stakes to mark the end of your driveway.
9. Candle decor. Set small candles on CDs–shiny side up; it will reflect the flames and double your ambiance.
8. Clocks. Use old CDs to make funky clocks. Use this how-to as inspiration.
7. Postcards. Glue paper over the printed side of the CD–decorate as desired–and then address the reflective side with a Sharpie, attach a 44 cent stamp for » READ MORE
