This summer bring a bit of the outdoors inside with one – or eleven – of our natural DIY crafts.

Have you been searching for some fresh DIY crafts to fill your summer weekends with? Then look no further because we’ve got you covered with some of the prettiest home decor revamps.

Although each project differs from the other, the running theme throughout is the use of at least one natural material. Whether it’s reliable wood, sleek stone, earthy jute, or glamorous agate, there are crafts here to suit a variety of skill levels and personal tastes. Each idea has an associated tutorial, which can be found linked in the header, so you can follow along and easily make these yourself.

1. River Rock Boot Tray

This is the perfect place to park wet rain boots or muddy shoes this summer. Simple and beautiful, this project can be more involved by creating a custom tray, or extremely fast by using a premade waterproof base like a rubber mat with a lip or plastic serving tray and filling with natural river rocks.

2. Geode Cabinet Knobs

This DIY is so glamorous and impactful, yet so simple and straightforward. Find a few of your favorite pieces of geode chunks or agate slices and adhere them to blank knob or pull bases and affix to your furniture.

3. Seashell Soap Dish

A great beachy addition to any bathroom is this seashell soap dish. With a large shell as the soap tray and a small one as the base, glue and patience is all you really need to complete this project. Once dry, pop in your favorite bar of soap and admire your craftiness every time you wash your hands.

4. Braided Jute Basket

This braided jute basket DIY requires some sewing skills and a sewing machine, but the outcome is really lovely. The instructions walk you through the process and the finished product would be the perfect vessel for carrying fresh flowers and other odds and ends.

5. Crystal Necklace Display

With just some craft wood, paint, glue, wall adhesive, and a selection of raw crystals you’ll have a beautiful necklace display, or three, to hang on your wall this summer. The best part is that it’s really as simple to assemble as it looks.

6. Burlap Pillow Covers

This one requires sewing skills, or some Heat’n Bond (shhhh, we won’t tell if you don’t), along with burlap, loose stuffing or a pillow insert, and a contrasting strip of fabric. If you’re not into the tan tone of the burlap, then paint it white first and choose a black and white geo print to make this pillow more modern.

7. Seashell Candles

Turn your treasures into a beautiful reminder of your seaside jaunts with shell candles. These would look great as part of a beach inspired tablescape and the easy to follow tutorial will tell you exactly how to execute.

8. Stone Door Mat

This is a project that has a really chic, rich looking outcome with just a few simple materials. Another plus is that it can be used as a front door mat or as a shower mat. If you plan on getting it wet, then choose a base that has holes in it for drainage or poke some in it yourself.

9. Jute Cord Camouflage

Ah, finally a solution for those awkwardly placed outlets causing your lamp cords to cut all kinds of crazy across the room. This tutorial shows you how to camouflage those unsightly strands with some hot glue and some jute twine.

10. Balsa Wood Lampshade

One of the coolest projects I’ve seen lately is this modern and natural unfinished balsa wood lampshade revamp. It’s another quick and easy DIY that has major impact. I especially love this blogger’s finished shade against her navy blue walls.

11. Wine Cork Bath Mat

Calling all wine drinkers! This easy DIY is simple, but requires around 175 corks, according to the blogger who shared this tutorial, so if you’ve got the materials, then you can also have a really nifty cork bath mat.

Are there any projects from our list that you’re excited to try? Share your thoughts on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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Image of Craft Supplies via Shutterstock

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Old, used books can be transformed into cool DIY home decor with these repurposing projects.

Are you a book lover or do you know someone who is? Play on your love of books and utilize used books to create unique home decor projects. From DIY planters to building a bookshelf out of books, we’ve got some really creative ideas on how to repurpose used books that are destined for the recycling bin.

Now, some folks are never going to be okay with this idea, but as long as you are using books that are just going to end up being recycled into recycled paper products, we think it’s okay to recycle used books into useful and decorative repurposing projects.

15 Clever Repurposing Projects for Used Books

1. Book Planters – Have some used books that have been water damaged? Dry them out and turn them into practical planters.
2. Book Clock – Turn a book into a functional and decorative clock.
3. Little Golden Books Birdhouse – Remember Little Golden Books? If you come across your childhood stash, consider turning them into a decorative birdhouse as a way to preserve them.
4. Telephone Book Chair – Old telephone books aren’t good for much else, so you might as well turn them into a chair if you come across a stash of them.
5. Window and Book Coffee Table – Repurpose an old window and used books into a cool coffee table.
6. Book Bookcase – Utilize used books to make a bookcase for your books.
7. Book Headboard – Turn old books into a practical and romantic headboard.
8. Book Vase – Turn old book covers into a vase cover.
9. Phone Charging Station – Hide those cords away with this clever idea.
10. Wreath – Transform book pages into a stunning wreath.
11. Book Lamp – Form and function combine is this project for creating a book lamp.
12. Decoupaged Dresser – Turn a boring dresser into an homage to your favorite books by decoupaging book covers to the front.
13. Book Frames – Used books make great photo frames.
14. Garland – Whether for everyday or a special occasion, use old book pages to DIY a paper garland.
15. Coat Rack – Transform used books into a coat rack with this DIY how-to.

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Top Image:RLHyde

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Put the warm days and long nights of summer to good use by learning some new DIY craft skills.

Summer is a wonderful time to be lazy and do nothing, but also an excellent opportunity to take the time to make something. Put those warm days and long nights to good use by learning some new DIY craft skills. Here are some of our favorite creative projects — some can even be done while laying in a hammock.

Image: ar.nieza

1. Make T-shirt Yarn
We all have an abundance of old tees laying around the house. Put them to good use by making them into something useful — T-shirt yarn. It’s simple and you’ll actually end up with a ball of soft (just like your favorite tee) continuous yarn that you can then use to crochet, knit or knot. Check out this video tutorial by Relevé Design to learn how.

Image: sukigirl74

2. Learn to Crochet
No disrespect to knitting, but crocheting feels more like a summer skill. You barely need any supplies and it can be done anywhere (even in the hammock). Make a cute bikini, a patio stool cover or put that T-shirt yarn you just made to good use! Vogue knitting will teach you the basics.

Image: Honestly WTF

3. Make Friendship Bracelets
Remember how much fun you had with these when you were a kid? Well, friendship bracelets are still just as fun to make (and wear). Once you master the technique, demonstrated here by Honestly WTF, you can start playing around with different color variations, thicknesses, decorations and bling. The possibilities are endless. Make sure to actually make some for your friends, because they’ll want some.

Image: Mr. Kate

4. Make Prints
Printmaking is a fine art, but it’s also very DIYable. With a bit of creativity anything can turn into a stamp or a canvas. Make some fine art for your walls using acrylic paint to print, swap it out for fabric paint and spruce up a few old garments or make a nice set of invites for your next summer soirée — the sky is the limit. Check out this easy printmaking tutorial by Mr. Kate for some really nice tips.

Image: Serious Eats

5. Say ‘Yes I Can’
If you’ve ever tried growing your own tomatoes, you’ll know that time when they all seem to be ripe at the same time, forming a massive mountain impossible to eat your way through. Instead of letting them go bad, can them — or any other fruit and vegetable for that matter. It’s easy, fulfilling and will save you lots on money come winter. Invite your friends over for a canning party to get some extra hands. Serious Eats has a good beginner’s guide to canning.

Top image by Mr. Kate

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Kollabora is a learning and sharing platform that unites crafters worldwide. 

Looking for a place to learn new crafting skills, share your latest sewing, knitting or jewelry creations, or simply to find fashion-forward ideas for new projects? Look no further than Kollabora, the most comprehensive and open-sourced online crafting platform to date. Launched in September 2012, this social platform for makers hosts an impressive database of craft projects and corresponding supplies that are readily available through the site, basically making it a one-stop shop for any new project you want to start. Members can connect with each other to share their passion for making, rather than always buying, the beautiful things we all like to wear, share and give as gifts.

Kollabora’s “we are what we make” slogan rings loud and clear on every part of the platform, which is buzzing with amazing inspiration from DIYers, eminent craft bloggers and brands that support the maker movement. We caught up with a keen crafter and founding member of Kollabora, Carol Cho, to hear more about the quest to gather crafters and let the creativity blossom.

Leena Oijala: How was Kollabora born? What was the inspiration?

Carol Cho: Kollabora was born because of a desire to inspire, teach and provide resources to a community that appreciates DIY. A lot of people who are interested in DIY don’t know how to crossover unless they’ve had parents or grandparents teach them, and that’s why Kollabora is here. There are great blogs out there that offer amazing inspiration, but sometimes the time taken to search out products makes it hard for people to start a project.

LO: How did it develop?

CC: Part of the team that started Kollabora had worked on Burdastyle.com, which is the largest online sewing community. But we realized that people don’t just sew – they do a lot of other DIY, so we launched Kollabora, which is all about collaborative making. Right now we’re focusing on sewing, jewelry and knitting, and soon we’ll be going into home dec and other crafts. We have a great blog with fashion editorial and DIY news and we’ll be featuring a lot of the brands and supplies that are leading the movement.

LO: Who is Kollabora meant for?

CC: It’s meant for someone who is a beginner/intermediate DIYer and is looking to learn more about crafting. We are also launching our ‘Brand Pages’ where companies, bloggers or independent designers are able to share their knowledge, get feedback and engage directly with members.

LO: Does it cost anything?

CC: It’s all free and it’s as easy as taking a photo of something that you’ve made, uploading and titling it and writing a short description.

LO: Would you say Kollabora is comparable to Etsy?

CC: It’s very different. Etsy sells finished goods, whereas Kollabora is about collaborative making. Kollabora is less about selling goods, although the site does offer the capability to link to a shop or personal site, and really about inspirational projects, instructions and techniques and the supplies needed to make featured projects. It’s really more of a learning platform.

LO: How would you say that an online craft tutorial compares to a real-life crafting class?

CC: The major difference is accessibility and the instantaneous factor; you can start a project at 2am and have an entire community that can help you through your process. We have a technique and glossary section under each project where you can comment or ask a question.

We do organize live events where we engage with our members in person. We have to be where our community is and where the creatives are. In the summer we’ll have DIY lounges at all the renegade craft fairs nationwide!

LO: Would you say that Kollabora is sustainable?

CC: The platform itself can definitely sustain itself because a lot of it is user generated. We’re always getting fresh, new content and inspiration and the community is very powerfully connected. People support each other through comments and even in cases of a bad comment, other members have made a point of responding by saying that the platform is a positive environment so we don’t talk to each other that way.

LO: Why do you think there has been a revival in crafting?

CC: I think a lot of platforms out there have been disrupting the way that people consume and create and the maker movement has been a popular reaction to that. There’s a stronger connection to how things are made.

LO: Do you think the revived interest in crafting can change the fashion and textile industries?

CC: Absolutely! The way that our demographic has been consuming goods has always been very much packaged and there hasn’t been a story connected to it. There’s always a need of a story and that’s a very powerful thing. That story usually includes how its been made, the person behind it, the inspiration and the emotion, and that’s really what the Kollabora community is. 

LO: How do you hope to see Kollabora develop and evolve?

CC: I’d love to see us go beyond the categories that we currently have. Much of our time is put into listening to feedback and so it’s really the community that will direct where we will go. It’ll be very interesting to see where they take us.

Images: Kollabora

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“Honey, the dog’s wine crate is empty – can you refill it for him?”

Banish thoughts of pooch-pampering gone mad. Fido isn’t polishing off that bottle of cheap Beaujolais deemed unfit for the dinner table – and that’s a relief because if he was doing so, you’d be poisoning him. What your dog really needs is a bowl of water, and a recycled wine crate is what’s on tap.

Wine crates used to be invisible and unloved – nothing but cheaply-made (read “virgin wood”) boxes to lug bottles of plonk around in. Now we’re wising up. They’re tough, they polish up gorgeously, there’s a huge supply of them (less so since they became recycle-hot, so nowadays you have to look around), and there are a million and one things to do with them. Free-standing wine cart? Light box? You name it.

Not that Fido gives two shakes of his tail for anything right now. He’s happily got his nose jammed in one of Whiner & Diner‘s range of recycled wine crate pet feeders. Pick a height, pick a color to match your room (or Fido’s coat), pick a style and your order is ready, completed with recessed, removable stainless steel silver bowls.

Or of course you could try making your own – but just think of the terrible trial of having to drink all that wine. Appalling. Still, Fido’s depending on you and you can’t let him down. Corkscrew at the ready!

Images: trentroche and Whiner and Diner

The post The Dish on Whiner and Diner’s Vintage appeared first on EcoSalon.

I’m  so over the annual mandatory retail blitz which prompts us to purchase scads of presents no one needs (and few can afford).

Enough is enough. Necessity is one thing; waste is another. Be an angel and give material items only to the needy. Give kisses,  homemade jam and DIY potpourri to your family, teachers, bosses, employees and friends. Stick to eco for everything else.

Here is my festive round up of gifts both you and Santa can live without:

A new cell phone

The cynical perspective is that these communication devices are made not to last. From batteries that die prematurely to signals that crash to the uncool technology factor, we are inclined to trade in our models for new bells and whistles. Instead of tossing out (remember, there is no out), research ways to make your battery last through a few more seasons.

Uggs

AOL Shopping wants you to buy Uggs for the holidays because “they are getting better and better, having evolved from a boho chic trend to an integral part of many people’s wardrobe.” The so-called sheepskin baked potatoes grew 57% in sales last year because of the desire to own newer pairs. Shouldn’t a pair of $200 boots (and I don’t mean the knock-offs) last several winters? I say keep the ones you have lovingly broken in and get them resoled and patched or whatever is needed to endure the city and slopes.

Toys

Dear Syd and Lolo: You have been more nice than naughty this year but that doesn’t mean I will buy you  toxic plastic entertainment to junk up your rooms, or virtual computer games or board games, DVD’s or learning gadgets. You hardly use the ones you have and your life won’t be improved by having more under the tree. Let’s take a hike, instead. Love, Santa.

Calendars

How much paper is wasted on these obligatory annual date keepers that are becoming obsolete? I was at Borders the other day and couldn’t believe the variety, from New Moon to 365 Cats to Nuns Having Fun. The ones that don’t sell are virtually useless, having no shelf life in 2011. Sure, some of them are green, but there are greener ways to schedule your days.

Diamonds

They aren’t a girl’s best friend. Everyone knows chocolate is. Or her Pug dog. Or maybe her laptop. The U.S. is the largest consumer of the rocks, purchasing over $33.7 billion dollars’ worth in 2005. If you must become engaged and do it with diamonds on Dec. 25, buy the conflict-free variety. Otherwise, say it with a handwritten letter or poem.

Ornaments

There are enough existing tree ornaments out there to deck all the halls of the  North Pole and then some. If you’ve busted your balls, buy used or eco tree decor that will last, or trade with friends and loved ones. Make your own DIY felt ornaments with your kids, string some corn, nix the lights or go solar. The more the demand, the more the production, the more the waste. When the old objects get thrown out, remember, there is no “out”.

Personalized Coffee Mugs

They’re far better than throwaway paper cups, but still tacky, and usually are made in China from toxic materials. Sure, Nana might enjoy getting her morning jolt looking at renderings of her precious babies with reindeer ears, but an eco-friendly commuter cup made from corn, stainless steel or recycled post consumer materials is a better way to go, plus, you won’t need a refill of that Joe.

Holiday Gift Baskets

Stores like Costco are make shopping for that boss or neighbors a no-brainer with a pre-packaged $130 junk food basket disguised as a gourmet food orgie. If you must give a basket, why not go with quality, healthy goods, such as fair trade dark chocolate and coffees? I’m sorry, but Jalapeno-blend cheese spread is not organic and summer sausages have Food Inc. written all over them.

Dalmatian Puppies

Rascal, one of the stars of the new 101 Dalmatians Musical was one of dozens of rescue dogs discovered at animal shelters for the stage show. Rescue was found with a broken leg at the side of the road. Like many Dalmatians, he was abandoned when he grew from an adorable Christmas puppy into a energetic teen. Resist buying puppies for Christmas unless they are from a shelter and you plan to see them through adulthood, just as you would a child.

Main Image: NeilT

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