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I first saw Eco Craft at CHA. The simple, restful cover was such a nice contrast to my visual overwhelm, I was drawn to it immediately. The book has just come out, and I’m excited to share it with you.
I rather think we’ll be seeing a wave of “green” craft books in the coming months – Betz White’s eagerly-anticipated Sewing Green being one of them. I do love the idea of injecting more environmental responsibility into craft, but boy, is this a slippery concept! I’ve seen so many supposedly “green” crafts that either turn trash into something equally useless, or that propose to “recycle” a raw material that most of us would have to scrounge pretty hard to find.
Eco Craft is a great example of what I like to see in “green” crafting: projects that make innovative use of stuff that accumulates readily in our daily lives, and would otherwise be landfill-bound.
Case in point: this beautiful lamp, which uses a cover of fused grocery bags. (But would you even know that if I hadn’t told you?) Author Susan Wasinger has a fantastic design eye, and creates recycled objects which are themselves useful.
My goodness. This screen is made of plastic six-pack rings. Such a beautiful idea, and there’s even a variant in the book where they form a kind of lacy curtain. Utterly brilliant.
I also love these organizers, which are made on clamshell plastic take-out containers. I love how the newspaper shows through the color.
One thing I’m always happy to see in craft books is detailed step-by-step photos. Not every craft book needs them, of course, but in a book like this, where you’re doing all kinds of unusual processes with unusual materials, they sure are helpful.
This grocery tote is made from coffee bags and duct tape – no sewing needed. I love the graphical quality, and wow! This thing will last and last.
Another lighting project – this one, made from plastic milk jugs. And again – you’d be hard-pressed to identify the source materials. That’s great recycling.
I’d love to show you a ton more, but suffice to say: the book has cool projects for old sweaters, waste paper, magazines, bike inner tubes, plastic cups, and way more. Give it a look.
Looks like a great book! I love the coffee/duct tape bag… now that’s one I could virtually make right now! :) Lots of coffee flowing in this household!
Looks like a great book! I love the coffee/duct tape bag… now that’s one I could virtually make right now! :) Lots of coffee flowing in this household!
That milk-carton lampshade sends me. I love it more than I can say.
What I love more than that, or the plastic ring screen– which is to die for, or even than the bowls that have been decoupaged, is the fact that you know how to write so well. You wrote ‘suffice to say’. I had to go back and make sure I was not losing my mind. You are SO GOOD!
Which I guess means that I love that more than the milk-carton lampshade which means I love it more than loving it more than I can say.
I can’t think of anything else to say right now.
That milk-carton lampshade sends me. I love it more than I can say.
What I love more than that, or the plastic ring screen– which is to die for, or even than the bowls that have been decoupaged, is the fact that you know how to write so well. You wrote ‘suffice to say’. I had to go back and make sure I was not losing my mind. You are SO GOOD!
Which I guess means that I love that more than the milk-carton lampshade which means I love it more than loving it more than I can say.
I can’t think of anything else to say right now.
Now THIS is the kind of book review I love to see. Great pictures make me want to actually READ to find out how they made those beautiful objects. Well done! Now I’m scrolling back up to find out more about the book. My birthday is in May, but I’m not sure I can wait!!
Now THIS is the kind of book review I love to see. Great pictures make me want to actually READ to find out how they made those beautiful objects. Well done! Now I’m scrolling back up to find out more about the book. My birthday is in May, but I’m not sure I can wait!!
I love this book – clear instructions, good photos. I’m also a crafter who uses recycled materials in my items.
I love this book – clear instructions, good photos. I’m also a crafter who uses recycled materials in my items.
I immediately went and bought this book after I read your review. Thank you so much for showing the projects in the book.
I immediately went and bought this book after I read your review. Thank you so much for showing the projects in the book.