5 Fun Facts About Linen And How to Make A Great Linen Bag

I'm having a love affair with linen. There's a linen covered couch in my den that is understated and relaxing. Linen clothes are breathable and become even softer and more comfortable over time.

Linen bags are an eco-alternative to plastic bags. Linen is antibacterial and antimycotic, which suppresses the growth of fungi. Perfect for carrying produce and groceries.

5 Fun Facts About Linen

1. Linen textiles may be the oldest in the world. 2. Fragments of straw, seeds, fibers, yarns and various types of fabrics found in Swiss lake dwellings have been traced back to about 8000 B.C. 3. Linen was used as currency in ancient Egypt. Mummies were wrapped in linen because it was seen as a symbol of light and purity, and as a display of wealth. 4. The term "linen" refers to yarn and fabric made from flax fibers. 5. Today linen is often used as a generic term to describe a class of woven bed, bath, table and kitchen textiles because.

DIY Linen Bag

On a hot pursuit stroll through the blogosphere for a simple linen bag to make, I stumbled onto Between The Lines. This Parisian craft blog covers "anything that involves fabric, yarn, wool, paper, paint and glue." The creator, Pascal provides the perfect TUTORIAL for an aesthetically stylish linen bag.

Here's the intention behind the creation:

"I like to find out how things are made, how I can put things together in a simple, yet effective way. Sewing is a mental process to me. It's all about techniques, and seeing through whatever I try to make…I like things to be as minimal as possible. Whatever can be left out I leave out." ~ Between The Lines

Natural Home Cleaning Tips (with video)

Is it crowded under your sink with bottles of cleaning products? Healthy cleaning at home starts with some basic ingredients that keep toxins at bay, sickness the Econest sparkling, sick and your pocketbook happy. CLICK HERE for tips and recipes for creating pure and natural cleaning products for your home. Watch this video to create simple natural cleaning products using baking soda, vinegar & lemon:

Eco-Wallcoverings: Not Your Parents’ Wallpaper

It’s common knowledge among remodelers and interior designers that the easiest way to transform the look of a home is by changing the wall color. Often the design element used is paint. Not so in my childhood home. See, pills I had a wallpaper designer parent (Dad), and my other parent was over the moon over wallpaper. My father’s flocks and my mom’s modern metallics were in full bloom all over the walls of the house. Along with the rolls of wallpaper samples and those thick, stumpy wallpaper books, there were tiny flecks of film that caught on all the textured surfaces of the house. My Dad’s handprinted silk-screening pieces from his graphic design process landed on more than just the walls. It gave new meaning to “wallpaper world” and let’s just say they had their share of wallpaper wonders and woes.

Now we know the lowdown on wallpaper is low. Traditional vinyl wallpaper leaks VOCs. The adhesives used in pre-pasted wallpaper emit vapors. The chemicals used in vinyl wallpaper have the potential to harbor mold. Mold growth behind wallpaper aggravates a plethora of health problems. No wonder wallpaper wallowed away from the home design scene. But lately, wallpaper has been popping up all over the blogosphere. Here’s an article from the Dwell magazine blog about the resurgence of wallpaper in homes.

There’s one basic credo about green home design: If it is eco-friendly, eco-chic and makes the homeowner happy, then bring it home. Wallpaper hasn’t seemed to fit this model … until now...CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Photo Credit: Echo Designs