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Tag Archives: etsy
Giant Plastic Bag Rug
This rug was hand crocheted by Etsy crafter ScreamingCheeToes. It is 5 x 7 feet in size and is made out of plarn. Plarn is a special kind of plastic yarn that is made from repurposed plastic shopping bags. You know, the kind you’re not supposed to be using anymore.
This rug uses an incredible 10,000 bags. It takes what is essentially useless material and upcycles it into something that any homeowner would be proud to display either inside or outside.
This crafter says that not only is the rug machine washable and eco-friendly, it’s foot friendly too! I expected that walking on a rug such as this would feel “crunchy” on the feet. Not so, says the crafter. It’s actually quite soft!
I think this rug would look fantastic in any outdoor living space. Like my deck!! She also makes a range of smaller rugs from plarn as well that are definitely worth checking out.
Posted in eco-friendly products, Etsy Finds, Recycling
Tagged eco-friendly, etsy, recycled area rug, recycled bags, recycled products
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Handmade Mobile for Mother Nature’s Nursery
Check out the gorgeous hand crafted mobile from Etsy crafter atomicmiss. The mobile is hung by natural jute fibers with bamboo or 
willow branches forming the bird perches. The birds themselves are made from a variety of fabrics and stuffed with organic filling. She’s got a huge range of fabric patterns available and is open to customizing the mobile to suit your decor.
Items such as this one are clearly crafted with love, care, an eye for detail and design. A mobile such as this one would bring years and years of enjoyment to a child whereas a licensed mobile bought from a big box store would be junked within a year or two. This elegant, nature inspired mobile could hang in a children’s room for years to come! Handcrafted items such as this that are themed after nature instead of the latest cartoon are a much better investment.
This design was created by the artist making a mobile for her friend’s baby. When the design turned out so beautifully, she was inspired to make more and offer them for sale in her Etsy shop. I’m so glad she did!
Easter Gift for Eco-Kids
These adorable bunnies and their stacking hill are made by Etsy crafter Imagination Kids who specialize in making handmade, eco-friendly wooden toys. As a parent, I know how hard it can be to find toys that are “safe”. Toy stores are full of made in China labels with toys that are constantly being recalled for having chemicals such as lead and barium being found in them. It’s enough to scare the bejeebers out of you!
Imagination Kids takes all that worry away with their sweet and simply designed toys that kids will love. This bunny family set would make the perfect addition to any Easter basket. It comes with two adult rabbits and two baby bunnies although you can custom order more bunnies to reflect your own family. They are hand made with sustainably harvested hard wood, non toxic paints and homemade wood polish of beeswax, jojoba and essential oils. These types of toys will last through several generations of kids as well. There are no fiddly parts to break or batteries to charge. There’s nothing, in fact, to get between kids and their imaginations!
They have a whole range of toys like this in their shop. There’s cars, helicopters, multi-colored blocks (imo best toy of all time!), fairy wands (which all little girls just must have!), a variety of wooden animals (from robins to narwhals), a fire stacker, an iceberg stacker, natural wooden eggs which would also be great in an easter basket and a rainbow stacker that I’m seriously considering buying in addition to a wand.
The colors are so bright, bold and beautiful that they are simply hard to resist! Spring has been a long time coming here but this little rainbow really has got my hopes up that it will be coming sometime soon!!
Seriously consider buying toys like these that will be completely nontoxic, safe and last for years to come when filling up your kids Easter baskets this year. I’m all for candy and chocolate in moderation but a holiday is no time to forget about the good of our planet and the health and safety of our kids. Skip the dollar stores and walk right past those big box stores. You really have no idea of where those products come from, who they are helping to support, what practices they use to make their products, what exactly is in that cheap plastic egg and stuffed bunny. Shopping handmade from artisans takes all the worry out of the equation and helps to make Easter another sustainable green holiday for the good of the kids and all the bunnies in it!
Hump Day Etsy Find — Natural, Organic Pet Products
This is our furry baby Bonsai. Pets truly do become a part of your family. That’s why I was so pumped when I ran into this Etsy shop Joyful Canine. I’ve been trying to live a green-er life as a family but that can be a little harder when it comes to taking care of the family’s furball.
Joyful Canine has a huge range of natural products available for both cats and dogs at her store. Everything from aromatherapy Calming Dog Mist to SLS free shampoos are available there. And everything inbetween like motion sickness drops, Boo boo healing spray, litter box deodorizer, all natural tooth powder to brush their teeth with, flea and tick powders, massage oils, breath fresheners and a whole lot more. This store is definitely worth dropping by and checking out!
This Etsy store is a subdivision of Joyful Girl Natural who I’ve already featured a couple of times. The owner of Joyful Canine has a pitbull named Chuck. This month she is honoring people who rescue pitbulls by sending them a care package.
I know that mainly humans in the household are the ones who are getting all natural aromatherapy products but if chemical laden products are not good enough for you (and the planet), then why should they be good enough for your pet? My daughter calls Bonsai her “furry brother from another mother” so his health and safety is extremely important to the entire family.
Reiter8 The Need for Reducing, Reusing and Recycling!
Clean lines, bold colors and eye catching graphics are what dominate this line by reiter8. This company makes a range of bags, purses, wallets, pillows, totes and even Christmas stockings out of used sails. The company name was chosen because it means to say or do again which is exactly what they are doing with these sailboat sails — reiterating their value.
These are a great eco-chic find for every green design fan looking for something different. Many of their items feature the original sail seams as part of the design — check out the green stitching on the blue star pillow for example. Better yet, if you have an old sail taking up valuable storage space, donate it to reiter8 for them to reuse. They’ll even send you a bag made out of the sail that you send. Pretty cool keepsake if you ask me!
They’ve got their own Etsy store and blog running which would definitely be worthwhile checking out. They’ve even got durable luggage tags made out of the small bits of sail left over. Great practical use for small pieces of the material instead of just wasting it!!
Posted in eco-friendly products, Etsy Finds
Tagged bags, eco-chic, eco-friendly, eco-friendly products, etsy, purse, recycled bags, recycled sail
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Having Trouble Getting Your Little One To Sleep?
A few months ago, I featured Etsy seller Joyful Girl Natural as my Hump Day Etsy find. She is an extremely wonderful (and talented!) woman who has been making organic products for over 20 years and selling them for 4 years. To thank me for my feature, she sent me a bottle of this massage oil for kids. By the way, totally not necessary for people being featured to send me a gift but I probably won’t refuse! lol
The massage oil is safflower oil infused with the essential oils of organic chamomile, lavendar and spearmint for added aromatic benefits to the massage. My daughter is nearly 4 now and has been a handful to get to sleep since before she was even born. Fiesty is really how I’d describe her at bedtime if I had to use one word. This massage oil is fantastic at getting the fiestiness out of her a little bit so that she’ll lay still long enough for the sandman to find her.
This oil is great for kids that love massage — she’s definitely a massage lover! The scent of the chamomile and lavendar have the natural effects of sedation while the oils are warmed by skin to skin contact. Kids especially enjoy the power of touch constantly wanting hugs, cuddles and kisses. Massage is a natural extension of the need for touch with even the most traditional of doctors now recommending infant massage.
I love, love, love this massage oil and so does my daughter. It’s non-greasy and I don’t have to worry about what kinds of chemicals are seeping into her blood stream through her pores. The bottles used by Joyful Girl Natural are made from PET (recycled plastic) containers that do not leech into the oils inside. The bottles are easily recyclable as well as reusable if you want to refill them with another product when they’re empty.
She now has her own blog that you can check out to keep up-to-date with this Etsy seller and her extensive (197 items for sale!) line of products. The customer service is excellent but I do need to warn buyers that it may take some time for you to receive your order. This is simply because each order is custom made instead of being made in big batches and then sitting on the shelf for months before reaching you. Definitely more than worth the wait!! Thanks for the great products Shelly!!
Hump Day Etsy Find: Twilight Spells Candles
These old teacups light up beautifully when illuminated from within by soy candle wax. Etsy crafter TwilightSpells has come up with a truly ingenious way to repurpose old but still beautiful teacups into very usable candle holders. The patterns on the cups look even more beautiful by candlelight.
She calls these creations Vintage Twist Tea Cup Candles and I think they’d be absolutely perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other time when you’re trying to “set the mood”. This artisan put together a love of vintage tea cups together with a new found awareness of the benefits of soy candles over traditional wax candles which are made from a byproduct of crude oil.
She picks up the tea cups from a variety of places — second hand stores, charity shops and markets so all of these cups have been used. She has many single tea cups for sale in her shop as well as some doubles so that you could have a matching set!
There is quite a range of patterns and they all look quite gorgeous lit up. She has pictures of the cups both lit and not lit so that you can get a good feeling for what it will look like in a variety of situations — whether stored in your china cabinet or lit on the table. There’s a huge range of styles as well from traditional portraits to floral tea cups to cups that are quite simple or modern.
The floral tea cup candles, in particular, would make a great gift for a loved one this Valentine’s Day. This would make a much more sustainable statement of love than that of fresh picked flowers which will soon wither and die.
I think that this is a fantastic idea for repurposing what you already have or what you find second hand and turning it into a natural and sustainable product that is very usable. Definitely check out the range of candles that she has available. Remember that supporting handmade items is a way to reduce consumption and waste!
Posted in Etsy Finds
Tagged bees wax candle, candles, eco-friendly, etsy, repurposing, soy candle, tea cup candles
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Hump Day Etsy Find: Proceeds Going to Haiti
This blog normally features one Etsy seller each Wednesday who is making a difference in this world by hand making something and using eco-friendly techniques to do so. Hand made items are important as big box stores have lead to society wanting more of everything for less money. This leads to cheaper products, more waste, underpaid labour, overshipping, and over consumption. The etsy crafters chosen to feature are purely on a whim — whatever we run into that we love is what is featured.
This Wednesday will be different though. Today, we’ll feature items from an eco-friendly Etsy seller who is going to contribute all of their proceeds for the entire month of January to the Haitian relief fund. We must ensure that the tremendous needs of people in Haiti are met during this time as they attempt to recover from the terrible earthquake that has effected so many. Please donate to Oxfam, Doctors without Borders or the Red Cross to help aid the suffering of people who are just like you and I and need our help. Any amount would help and be appreciated. Instead of eatting lunch out for this month, try brown bagging it and donate the difference to help out.
The first featured item (with all proceeds going to the Haiti via Partners in Health) is this adorable bracelet made from vintage European dominos. It’s absolutely adorable and would make a great Valentine’s day gift for someone on your list while making a difference in Haiti at the same time. This great item is made by etsy seller equalityuberalles who is a lawyer who believes in equality and social justice for everyone.
This unusual bracelet is made up of vintage silver pieces from 3 old pieces of jewellery. The artisan simply took apart some old pieces that were not being used to remake them into a piece that is very fashionable, up to date and wearable. Perfect little something, something for your significant other this Valentine’s day!
Posted in Etsy Finds, Uncategorized
Tagged bracelet, eco-friendly, eco-friendly bracelet, etsy
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Sweet Upcycled Yarn Necklaces for Your Sweetie
What a perfect way to declare your love for her and the planet at the same time on Valentine’s day! These gorgeous crocheted necklaces are all made from upcycled yarn by Etsy seller meekssandygirl. Her degree in design and fine arts shows through in her work. She has everything from extremely fashion forward designs such as this rose necklace with a fringe to cute baby toques and everything in between! The most amazing part is that all of these creations are crafted from upcycled yarn!! This etsy crafter takes discarded cashmere sweaters and turns them into pieces that can be loved and treasured anew.
I thought I’d focus on her necklaces in this post because they’d make such great Valentine’s gifts for any girls on your list regardless of how old they are. The fringed necklace would be great for the fashionistas on your list — trust me guys, girls would love this! But there are a huge range of designs from which to choose.
I think most girls and women would love the styling of these pink cashmere roses on the necklace pictured below. The necklace is so soft and feminine and comes in a huge range of colors. Some necklaces have the heart as pictured below while others have only flowers along the entire length of the necklace.
If you really want a necklace that says “Valentine’s Day”, is super green, handcrafted and unique, I’d suggest getting the crocheted necklace which will circle your neck with hearts. I think this one would look especially cute on any little girls in your life.
Remember when you’re shopping this Valentine’s day that you are essentially voting for the business practices that you support with your wallet. Think of the environment before buying another made in china box of chocolates this year. Be original, creative and show you care by purchasing something out of the ordinary — buy something extraordinary instead!
Reincarnated Utensils
Etsy crafters JJEvensen live by the motto: “Anything to keep our world green! Reuse! Recycle! Have Fun!”. Having fun is definitely what seems to be missing in the process of living green-er some days. It’s great to see someone bringing fun back into the mix along with their creative and whimsical designs.
The reincarnated kitchen utensils used in their pieces come from a variety of places — estate sales, online purchases, antique sales and donations. The pieces are always well used and turned into some pretty surprising objects after the team of Jeremy and Jennifer Evensen are done with them.
One of my favorites is these forks turned into hooks called Peace x Fork You x Rock On. I love how the tines become tiny fingers which are easily reconisable as the symbols they represent, coat hooks and their previous lives of forks. Items that maintain their original look so that viewers are forced to reconsider how they look at items they consider trash are definitely my favorite. How better to start a conversations with someone about green living than to have them ask about a recycled piece.
These Etsy crafters make a huge variety of hooks out of silverware. Some of the hooks are mounted on boards which are recycled as well. One of the designs makes the forks look like they’re having a terribly bad hair day with spiralled and bent tines shooting off in every direction. The coat rack pictured here is called the Go Green Stained Funky Forks Coat Rack.
Hooks is only the beginning of what this Etsy store has to offer though. There are also windchimes made of previously enjoyed utensils, rings, earrings, necklaces, hair barrettes, business card holders, bookmarks, display stands, pot rack hooks and even fork tine nails.
I especially love their line of bracelets made from hammered spoons that literally wrap around the wrist. Gorgeous, simple, stylish, recycled, fashionable and green. All of my favorite things all rolled into one! The one pictured below is made from the handles of two spoons while other bracelets available on their site are made up of one spoon with the bowl hammered flat. These need to be seen to be appreciated. My description is not giving them any justice at all!
I recommend stopping by this shop to pick up some unique and interesting items for around your home that will challenge viewers to find new purposes for their cast off goods. If you have a couple pieces of your family’s old silverware that is never used and missing the rest of the set, don’t get rid of it. Try sending it to this couple of Etsy crafters instead and having a new item made that can continued to be cherished and passed down through the generations in a new form!
Posted in Etsy Finds
Tagged bracelet, eco-friendly, eco-friendly bracelet, etsy, fork, recycled forks, upcycled forks
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