“Hey, check where’d you get that great shopping bag? Oh, it’s so cute. Can I touch it?” Did you ever carry a little puppy around? If so, strangers clamor for a touch and to oogle the precious pup. If you needed any more incentives for ditching the plastic bag, this DIY knitted bag will elicit the puppy effect at the grocery store, farmers market and food coop.
Creator of the Monteagle Bag, Kay Gardiner from Mason-Dixon Knitting says, “One ‘eco’ thing about the Monteagle Bag is that it can be made in almost any linen or cotton yarn (including the cheap-but-tough dishcloth cotton brands), and it looks great made of several leftover colors. So it’s a way of using yarn that would otherwise be wasted or (shriek!) thrown into the landfill." CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Making Stuff From Stuff
It’s one of those eerily beautiful, rainy days here in the Hudson Valley. We’ve hardly had any rain to balance the assault of crazy hot, humid stickiness that’s enveloped the area. The summery mood and dimly-filtered lighting is just delightful for creating projects that may have been put on the back burner because it was just too damn hot. I love creating stuff from found stuff. It is especially sweet when the stuff is free, the directions are self-explanatory and the materials are mostly natural
I’ve seen this project done before, but this morning I followed the links around the globe to find the source of the images of this simple project. My pointing and clicking started in the Netherlands at the Stylefiles (a fabulously creative site for interior design inspiration), which took me to Poppytalk from Vancouver. It’s a design blog that collects inspiration from emerging design talent. One such talent hails over at the totally awe-inspiring, aqui pelo campo blog from Portugal, which is the source of these photos.
No DIY directions needed for this one. Just create this rustic and functional coat rack from a few sturdy branches, a piece of nicely weathered leftover wood and some nails. Then relish in the satisfaction of making stuff from stuff.
3 DIY Eco-Hammocks
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Is it brutally hot where you are? In New York, the temps are hovering around 100 degrees. The New York Times recorded these record-breaking temperatures in the Northeast: “The high of 103 in New York broke a record for the date. Baltimore hit 105, the highest temperature recorded since 1983, and in Boston, the temperature reached 100 degrees for the first time since 2002.” They also report little reprieve in sight. Some folks around here have taken to sleeping in their screened-in porches instead of cranking up energy-sucking air conditioners in the evenings. We have a hammock on our porch that doubles as an overnight accommodation. It’s not for everyone, but hammocks have been a staple in our family for years. Here’s a picture of my sister-in-law when she was a kid sleeping peacefully in womb-like comfort:
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Whatever your DIY skills, just follow these instructions, grab a book and a popsicle or a cold beer, and let the relaxing begin! CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Do you have an outdoor sleeping space?
Summertime And The DIY Is Easy: 10 Green Projects
Have you vowed to step off the fast-track and slow down this summer? With the emergence of hot days and long evenings, see it’s the perfect time to kick back, for sale unplug, viagra 100mg get creative and indulge in some summertime DIY. From whipping up a batch of natural sunscreen to creating a solar backpack, these 10 eco-friendly summery DIY projects are sure to get the creative juices stirring. CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Artwork: Ben Scott
DIY Natural Stone Knobs
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"A stone is ingrained with geological and historical memories, ”says master stone artist and environmentalist" ~ Andy Goldsworthy. If you are like me, you pick up stones and rocks to remember places, to connect with nature and because you like the “feel” of stones. From almost every view inside and outside of my home, you can spy a cluster of stones or just a lone beauty here and there.
Stones have been used for many years in spiritual healings and for meditative purposes. Since stones come from the Earth, many believe their properties possess an abundance of powers from promoting good health to acquiring prosperity.
Do you collect stones? It is easy to make your own stone knobs for drawers or cabinets using the materials and technique below. The natural color and texture of the stones, along with the size of your drawer or cabinet door, will determine your unique one-of-a-kind knob.
DIY Natural Stone Knobs
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Materials:
Rocks – beach, river Drawer pull(s) – a small metal cylinder with a flat top surface – one that will withstand repeated stress pulling. Glue – we used Gorilla glue Coarse Sand Paper
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What to do:
1. Collect rocks – select size and shape according to drawer or cabinet size. 2. Wash and dry thoroughly. 3. If the draw pull is smooth, sand the end of the drawer pull where it will be glued to the rock to rough it up. 4. Sand the rock on the side that the drawer pull will attach to. 5. Glue the stone to the drawer pull. 6. Let dry and screw into drawer.
This article originally posted on Care2.