Sara Lee Parker creates beautiful organic fabrics, and she just released a new line!

Last weekend I visited the Indie Craft Experience (ICE) here in Atlanta, and of course I scoped out the scene for green crafters to feature here. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be profiling some of the green crafters I got to meet there!

I was super excited to run across Sara Lee Parker’s booth at ICE. This was her first Indie Craft Experience show, and it was great to meet her in person.

We chatted a bit about her new line of hand-printed fabrics, and I picked up her card and a pack of very the sweet handmade bunting that she was selling at the show. Her new stuff is so gorgeous, I headed right home to send her a few questions about what’s new at her handmade fabric company. She was kind enough to get back to me with answers.

CAGW: Tell me a little bit about what’s new in your line since we featured you before.

SLP: This summer we have four new designs which we offer in 2-3 different colorways. The names are always fun to come up with:

• Berries and Bowls
• Swans
• Storybook
• Wallflower

When I was planning the spring/summer line, I wanted to have a “set” of patterns that would look nice together. Usually, I let this magic happen on its own, but this time I spent a good week color mixing until I was happy with the overall look. The image below is an example of the “set” I was after. (image is Berries and Bowls in grape, Wallflower in grape and Morning Glory in Eucalyptus).

CAGW: Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

SLP: These patterns were largely inspired by books I found at the library on mid-century wallpaper designs, Japanese woodcuts and Vietnamese antique pottery. I also looking at French painters from the 20s.

CAGW: Tell me something about yourself that’s not in your standard bio.

SLP: I love trying new craft beers with my husband, Simon.

CAGW: Where can folks find your work?

SLP: You can find our work online at our website or Etsy. In the southeast, our work is stocked at:

• Frontier in Athens, GA
• Young Blood Gallery & Boutique in Atlanta, GA
• Honey Be Good in Porterdale, GA
• Three Lakes Home and Garden in Clayton, GA
• Nest Organics in Asheville, NC
• Blackberry Farm in Walland, TN

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homemade birdfeeder image via Shutterstock

What’s more charming than feeding the birds?

Not a lot!

And who wants to buy a fancy, expensive bird feeder?

Not me!

To make it feeding the birds more fun, don’t fret yourself dropping the big bucks on pricey specialty bird feeders, not when there are so many great DIY bird feeders to build. From silverware to coconuts, cracked teacups to fallen tree limbs, you’ll find that a lot of natural or recycled pieces that you already have can be utilized to make sturdy, attractive, useful bird feeders. Check out the tutes below for some ideas.

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What’s more charming than feeding the birds?

Not a lot, at least according to my kiddos. They love to watch birds at our bird feeders, and yet you can drop a lot of money on all the kinds of bird food and all the kinds of specialty bird feeders there are.

Fortunately, many of this bird food is easy to make, and bird feeders can be even simpler to craft. For instance, got some stash yarn? Bonus points if it’s tangled! If you’ve got yarn, and the few ingredients needed to make suet, here’s a tutorial for a yarn-wrapped suet cake–easy to make, easy to wrap, simple to hang, fun to watch when the birds find it. It’s a kid-friendly craft the whole way through!

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Have you been wanting to destash your craft supplies but weren’t sure where to start? Check out how I reduced my crafty stash by more than half!

My husband and I are ever-so-casually house hunting, and a couple of weeks ago our realtor told us that an important part of staging your home for sale is decluttering. Since then, we’ve been sorting through everything we own and getting rid of lots of old knick knacks and general things-we-don’t-need. One area that I put off was paring down my stash of craft supplies, because it just seemed so daunting!

Letting go of things is tough, especially when it comes to craft supplies. For every supply you consider purging, you can tell yourself you might need it someday, right? And for a green crafter, it’s even harder because so many of our supplies are “finds” that mean a lot to us!

As always when I’m faced with a dilemma, I turned to my Facebook friends for advice, and they had some great tips that helped a lot. I’ll share my two favorite tips first, then tell you what I found worked well for me.

Next>> Tips on Letting Go

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My dining room table unfortunately becomes a dumping ground for all my “stuff.” This week, I decided that it was time for a change. Here are 5 items (that you probably have around your home) that can help you create an easy and eco-friendly centerpiece that rocks!

1. Recycled paper

I first layered sheet music pages in a circle on the middle of the table. I was inspired by this book page table runner from Ruffled Blog. I used different shades of paper to add texture. If you don’t feel like recycled paper would hold up well on your table, you could make an upcycled table runner, too.

2. Books

To add color and a little height, I put two small books on top of the recycled paper. You can easily find books at your local thrift store or garage sales.

3. Jars or Vases

Then, I added a vintage blue mason jar to the top of the books. If you’re hosting a party (or an eco-friendly wedding), you could put several jars or vases on top of/around the books. The jars would look super cute with DIY beeswax tealight candles inside, too!

4. Flowers

Instead of candles, I chose to put my sheet music tree branches inside of the mason jar. The branches add height, texture, and a natural feel that I adore. You could use flowers as well. I’ve also seen on Pinterest where you can spray paint the branches for a fun pop of color!

5. Knick Knacks

I always like to add a touch of whimsy to my decor, so naturally, I have adorable squirrel salt and pepper shakers. Find salt and pepper shakers that match your personality and style, and add them to the mix! You might also add a napkin holder or small basket to hold all of your cloth napkins.

What items could you use as a centerpiece? Get creative! Share your ideas with us in our Green Crafts Showcase or in the comment section below.

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I’ve seen recycled map art projects all over Pinterest and I was just waiting for an opportunity to create one, too. After returning from Guatemala this week, I was inspired to make my own eco-friendly version!

What You Will Need:

1. A junk mail envelope. I used one that had a cool pattern inside:

2. A black marker

3. A scrap piece of paper

4. A magazine

5. Crayons

6. A picture frame

7. School glue. If you can, use eco-glue.

How To Do It:

1. Trace the country of your choice onto your junk mail envelope. I googled “map of Guatemala” and put the envelope up to my computer screen to trace it (remember, though, don’t press too hard on your screen). Then, cut it out.

2. Flip through your magazine and find a patch of red. Draw and cut out a heart, and glue it on the map. I put the heart on the specific city I traveled to.

3. To add a pop of color, I colored a scrap piece of paper yellow and used it as the background.

4. Glue the map to the background.

5. Once everything is dry, place it into your frame.

Now I have a piece of art that will daily remind me of my incredible trip to Guatemala. I have it on the shelf next to all of my other souvenirs! If you like crafting with maps, check out these posts: 10 Upcycled Map Craft Projects and 10 Ways to Upcycle Maps!

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Whether you run a crafty business or just nabbed a swag bag at a craft market, chances are you’ve got some business cards handy that have outlived their usefulness. Instead of tossing them in the recycle bin, try some of these projects to upcycle business cards!

Business cards are a fact of life if you’re trying to promote your business. You need a way to quickly give your information to potential clients and customers! You can do your best to source your cards ethically by finding a printer who uses recycled paper and low-impact inks, but what do you do with extra cards or cards you’ve collected from other folks?

Do you have a stack of business cards making your inner green crafter feel a little bit guilty? Click here for three cute ways that you can repurpose those old business cards!

Next>> 3 Business Card Craft Projects

Image Credit: Upcycle Business Cards photo via Shutterstock

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bubble image via Shutterstock

Yes, you can buy bubble solution anywhere. Yes, it’s super cheap.

No, you don’t really know what’s in it.

Homemade bubble solution is also super cheap, easy to do, and benefits from the fact that you know exactly what you’re putting in it, and what your kids are putting their lips against every time they blow a bubble.

Using common household ingredients like dish soap and glycerin, you can make a season’s worth of bubbles in just a few minutes. If you’re adventurous, however, or if you want to turn summer into the best kind of science project, you can check out more elaborate recipes for different kinds of bubbles, all of which are still pretty easy to put together.

Look below for some great bubble recipes to get you started:

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Upcycled books are a fabulous craft, but making one always leaves you with one question to answer:

How to bind it?

Hand-sewing requires some skill, using an existing book limits your design possibilities, and staples and book rings don’t always look nice.

For a few months, now, my kiddos and I have been using the Zutter Bind-it-All to bind books made from upcycled papers and cardboards. The Zutter Bind-it-All is a tool for punching and binding a book in metal wire, giving the finished project the look of a spiral-bound book. We’ve made a ton of books using the tool, and here’s what we think of it, both good and bad:

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Tired of wasting paper and plastic? Check out these easy sewing projects to help you replace disposables in your life with reusable alternatives!

Of course as an ethical crafter you want to choose eco-friendly materials, but another side of green crafting is using your skills to replace disposable materials with reusable ones. With some beginner sewing skills, you can create reusable versions of all kind of paper and plastic products in your life.

Every time you stitch up a reusable alternative to something disposable, you’re making a huge impact. Think about all of that waste that you’re diverting from the landfill! And the best part? You most likely have all the supplies you need for these projects in your sewing stash. That means you’re getting an environmental double whammy. Boom! Pow!

Check out these simple sewing projects to help you ditch some of the disposables in your life!

Next>>  DIY Snack Bag

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