Recycling involves processing used materials (waste) into new products to reduce the consumption of resources and save money. Recycling is the modern component of waste reduction and is notably third in the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” hierarchy. (Hashtags for Twitter: #recycling #rcycl #rchk #3r, #3rs)

A Recycling Pioneer

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There are the Beatles and there are Beetles. The Beatles are a beloved band from the 60′s/70′s and Beetles are a beloved car from the same period.  You recycle the Beatles every time you listen to them on the radio, an old LP or your iPod.

You can recycle a Beetle in a variety of ways. Here are some fun and creative ideas.

If the body is rusty and you want a quick fix, try this fuzzy option, this patchwork beetle, this green as can be beetle, or … how about this conversion that even the Big Bad Wolf couldn’t blow down?

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Many people are starting to can their own food at home recently.  The once thought to be out of date practice is seeing a regrowth lately.  Canning is extremely beneficial and can be a very fun project as well.  Many have turned to canning as a means to save money but there are also many other health and economic benefits to canning as well.  Along with saving money canning also allows you to reuse those mason jars over and over again.  Once you have eaten all of the great pickles, jams, and sauces you made in the first batch, simply wash, sanitize and prepare to refill the jars with your newest creation.  Canning Local has written a great article on the subject and has made some great points.

Canning is a great idea because:

• Excellent quality and taste – When you use quality produce and perform the canning process correctly, you will create superior products to those for sale at the supermarket. Many recipes for home canned food are delicious and literally the quality is something that money can’t buy.
• Control over the ingredients – With home canning, you will know exactly where your food is coming from. Ideal sources of produce are your own garden and fruit trees, local organic farms, and any local farm. From any of these sources you will be able to hand select your produce at the peak of ripeness.
• Support of the local economy – By directly buying produce from local growers, you are putting money into the hands of local people. Local growers love selling from their own farms or market stands because they are not at the mercy of the big commodity buyers who set prices. This also allows local growers, especially small ones, to remain profitable, which is good for the local economy.
• Sense of accomplishment – Once you begin canning food, you will be thrilled with yourself. You will feel like you did something very meaningful to your existence because you did!  Along with that you also have the ability to reuse those jars once they are empty to cook up even more delicious canned creations.

These are all great reasons to start canning at home. Your family will love the delicious food you have cooked up and canned goods are a great gift as well. From homemade pickles to jams, and even flavored vinegars, your friends and family will be happy to unwrap a jar of something you’ve made just for them.

There are many resources on the internet that can instruct you on canning as well as thousands of recipes available.  Canning can be a little overwhelming at first but once you have done a few canning projects you should get the hang of it and it becomes quite easy.

Below is a list of resources to help you get started.

• http://www.freshpreserving.com/
• Pick Your Own
• Mountain Breeze Canning and Preserving
• Canning Pantry
• Country Home Canning

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By cutting strips and rolling the fabric you can create a trendy new necklace to wear to work or out on the town tonight.  All you need is a t-shirt you don’t mind cutting into strips, and a pair of scissors. Oh, and a little inspiration would be good too.

Greenwala says: Basically, this project requires no expertise — just careful cutting skills.

All you need to do is cut full 1 inch strips off the bottom of your desired t-shirt (after you remove the hem).

Then pull each strip as illustrated above so that the jersey material curls in on itself — this will make the strip much shorter in length.

Repeat the process multiple times so that you end up creating as many strands as you like — the key is to graduate the length of each piece depending on the look that you want to achieve.

Here’s where it gets a lot more fun. Pull out your beads, sequins, charms, buttons…basically any old adornments you have tucked away in your closet and sew the pieces on in whatever manner floats your boat.

Thanks for the great idea Greenwala. RecycleChicken‘s intern will definitely be trying this one out.

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Cardboard tubes from various packaging and paper rolls can be transformed into a trendy art gallery in just a few steps according to Apartment Therapy.

Here’s how to do it:

• Clean the rolls by removing any labels or leftover paper.
• Mark the rolls by using a ruler and pencil to mark the width of each ring will help you keep the cuts straight and level. Make different sizes to add interest and dimension.
• Cut the tubes into rings using an X-acto knife and/or scissors.
• Trace circles around the ring to mark a circle on the photo you want to frame. Cut out the circle using scissors. The circle should be just a bit wider than the outside of the ring.
• Glue photos to rings by drawing a thin bead of glue on the rim of the cardboard ring. Glue the photo circle in place. Consider gluing the photo to the front of the ring so it stands out from the wall, or to the back of the ring so you can peer in at it.
• When all the rings are done and dry, use a little white glue on the side of the rings to glue them together.
• Hang the rings on the wall by putting up a few pushpins or small nails and slipping the rings over them.

Thanks so much for the great idea Apartment Therapy.

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Do you have some old tank tops that aren’t really worn out but you just don’t wear them anymore?  RecycleChicken has your solution.  With a sewing machine and some scissors you can turn those tops into handy totes for everyday use.

Tank Top Tote with 6 Pockets

You will need:

• tank top
• straight pins
• water-erasable fabric marker
• sewing machine and thread
• fabric scissors
• seam ripper
• sewing gauge or ruler

Here’s how to do it:

1. Cut off any tags with a seam ripper or scissors.

2. Turn the tank top inside out.

3. If the shirt has a bra liner like the one above, cut the elastic off the bottom of it.

4. Fold the shirt so that the straps lie on top of each other as shown in the picture.

5. Fold the bottom of the tank over itself. This will later become the pockets of your tote.

6. Pin in place, making sure the seams line up. Mark where you want the seams in between each pocket with pins or an erasable fabric marker.

7. Using a stitch that stretches with knit fabric, such as the triple straight stitch, sew the seams that divide each pocket. Make sure the bra liner is lying flat before sewing. Back-stitch to lock the seams.

8. Sew the bottom together about 1/4 inch from the edge. Back-stitch to lock the seam.

9. Turn the tote bag inside out so the pockets will be on the inside—or you can leave it as is if you would like the pockets on the outside of the tote.

Now onto the Gathered Tank Top Tote.

You will need:

• tank top
• straight pins
• water-erasable fabric marker
• sewing machine and thread
• fabric scissors
• seam ripper
• sewing gauge or ruler
• flower pin

Now all you have to do is put it together.

1. Cut off any and all tags with a seam ripper or scissors.

3. Fold so that the straps lie on top of each other as you can see in the picture above. Then, measure and mark where you want the seam to be. This example has placed it five inches from the bottom of the tank top.

4. Baste two rows (about 1/4 inch apart) along the line you marked. Do not back-stitch. Then pull the bobbin threads tight as you slide the fabric inward to gather it. Then use a straight stitch with a shorter stitch length and sew between the two basted seams. Back-stitch to lock the seam. Pull out the basted seams.

5. Cut off the excess fabric about 1/2 inch past the seam.

6. Turn the tote bag right-side out and you have a lovely new tote.

These great ideas, pictures, and instructions  have been provided by Craftynest.

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Wooly Bison bags are made from wool suiting as well as other wool clothing.  The bags are lined with cotton and straps and closures are aslo made form found or reclaimed items. 

These bags are all hand made in Seattle, WA and look really cool. 

Wooly Bison bags range in price from $14 to $145 and are available for sale online at their Etsy store.

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Greenbelts is making cuffs, rings, guitar straps and even dog collars out of old belts and other scrap items. 

Give an old belt a future. That’s right—Greenbelts are handmade from recycled leather belts. Many of the decorative bits are also recycled. Things like buttons, bottle caps, scrap leather and various doohickeys. Each one is hand crafted by Northwest artist and child wrangler, Shannon Ritscher. Greenbelts are creative, funky, one of a kind. Not your mega-store fare.

Items can be purchased from Greenbelts online through their store at Etsy.

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These cabinets belong to a Barcelona couple who dubbed their new apartment the “R3 Project”—reduce, reuse, recycle, plus some extras, respect and restore. They wanted their home to be “sustainable, fun, and practical.” Their intense eco renovation is profiled in the new April/May issue of ReadyMade, which includes a short tutorial on how to build their awesome recycled wine crate kitchen cabinets.

Here are the direstions according to re-nest.

1. Take off the backs and sides of the wooden boxes and remove all the nails.
2. Lay out the fronts in your desired design to form the layout of your cabinets as a whole. Overlap and mix different kinds of wood to meet your aesthetic specifications.
3. Once you have your layout, cut the 8mm board to the size of each door. (This adds strength.) Use these pieces to mark where to cut the pieces of the wine crates so they fit exactly.
4. Mount the crate pieces to the 8mm wooden board with nails or screws (a greener option than glue). Nail from behind the wood boards so the front stays free of hardware. Use nails that are long enough to hold but not so long that they’ll poke through the front.
5. Add knobs to any drawers. Attach hinges to each door and install, making sure to level.
6. If the wood from the boxes isn’t varnished already, we recommend adding a layer or two so fingerprints and possible cooking spills can easily be removed.

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ForrestConcepts is making the best notbooks by reusing old books.  You can buy them for their store at Etsy.com for prices ranging from $15 to $20.  Every notebook is different, which makes them even better.  As already stated they are available to purchase on line but if you’re the creative type you could probably make your own notebooks from some old books you have sitting around the house.  It looks like you would have to cut the binding off of the book and then add the spiral notebook binding.

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