Being green has become a part of daily life for eco conscious people, whether you are in the workplace, at home, or out and about in town. One of the biggest challenges in switching to an eco friendly green lifestyle is reducing your consumption. Trying to cut waste when you're crafting, for instance, can be difficult, especially when you're accustomed to using virgin materials!
However, every time you do a crafts project, we have an opportunity to be eco friendly in a creative way...
In fact, developing an eco conscious mindset can actually become part of the creation and craft itself!
When you do eco friendly crafts with your kids, you can teach your children how to be thoughtful and aware about the materials they use. You can go through the process of evaluating eco friendliness together:
Do you need a few examples to get you started? Here are a few eco friendly craft project ideas that combine creativity and wise reuse:
Eco friendly holiday crafts can bring families together with each other and with the earth. Eco friendly Christmas crafts might include such projects as light bulb ornaments, painted pine-cone ornaments, or homemade beeswax or soy candles using pressed seasonal holiday flowers.
Eco friendly Easter crafts are especially great for making use of natural colorings. You can make eco friendly eggs and baked crafts using the following common plant materials for dyes:
Decorate Easter eggs by boiling your chosen materials in the pot with the eggs, then allow them to cool in the water. The more vegetable material you use, the stronger the color will be. Brown eggs seem to take natural colors a bit better than white ones, but white eggs will certainly work fine.
You can also make patterns on the eggs by drawing on them with a white crayon before dyeing them, or by tying them inside cut up sections of used pantyhose with leaves pressed against the surface of the egg-parsley works especially well. After your eggs are cooled off, rub the surfaces with a piece of bacon to give them a shiny glow.
What to look for in eco friendly craft supplies i shalf of the battle. Here is a short list of where to begin your search:
For two-hour sessions, kids from ages 4-11 explore ecological concepts through creative expression. Eco friendly craft projects include jewellery boxes, wind chimes, sand art, origami, masks, musical instruments, puppets, banks, and bird feeders.
While children craft, the staff discuss the origins of the materials being used and where they will ultimately end up. The Eco-Craft Zone also works with students on school projects so they can use eco friendly materials to complete assignments.
Want some specific suggestions on eco friendly craft supplies to use by yourself or with your kids?
Here are a few of the most popular options on the market today:
Fabriano Ecological Artist Drawing Pads are made with 100% recycled paper and their manufacture process uses clean energy saving the life of one tree for every 80 pads produced. The acid-free paper can be used for eco crafts with pastel, charcoal, pencil, and ink.
Artemis Plant Dyed Modeling Beeswax is a Danish product that comes in packs of 6, 8, or 24 assorted colors. This high-quality modeling wax is a great eco friendly arts and crafts material for both children and adults.
Organic Yarns come in 20 colors, including natural. The 3.5 oz skeins are made from organic merino wool. Organic Yarns also offers 1.75 oz skeins of 50% organic merino wool and 50% organic cotton.
Eco-Fi is a crafting felt made from 100% certified recycled plastic PET bottles.
Stockmar Watercolor Paints contain just six colors, but you can use them to create any other color. They are made from all natural materials and come in a reusable tin.
Prang Soy Crayons are made from natural pigments and soybean oil for vivid colors and eco friendly fun!
Faber-Castell EcoPencils are made from Forest Stewardship Council sustainable wood. They offer colored pencils in jumbo sizes for toddlers and triangular grips for new writers.
Green Earth Office Supply sells pencils fabricated from recycled denim and post consumer paper.
Green Field Paper offers Hemp Heritage Paper, manufactured with 25% hemp fiber and 75% recycled paper. Because hemp fibers are longer and more durable than wood pulp fibers, the paper can be recycled many more times than 100% wood-based paper. Hemp paper is a great option for eco friendly craft projects such as origami, because of its durability.
K& K Company Remake paper products use 100% recycled post consumer waste products and soy-based inks. The company also promotes their sustainable manufacturing practices and compostable packaging.
Hopefully, some of the ideas and resources that I have researched and gathered here for you assist you with your desire to create eco friendly crafts. I would love to see the items that you or your kids come up with. I think it would be a good idea for me to create a way for you to submit and share pictures of your fantastic creations...I'll work on making that possible right away, so stay tuned!
Related Eco Topics of Interest:
Go to Eco Friendly Gifts
Go to Eco Friendly Living
Go to Eco Friendly Gardens
Go to Eco Friendly Stores
Popular Eco Community Pages:
Create YOUR Declaration of Eco Friendliness Profile
Be HEARD at the United Nations of Green Eco Friendly Citizen forums
Share YOUR Eco Friendly Moment-of-Truth Confessions
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