Ten easy-to-make DIY projects to get your kids all geared up for school.

Hard to believe for most parents, but it’s time to send your kids back to school. Instead of spending tons of money on all that back-to-school gear they need, involve them in the process and make the stuff yourself. All you need are some basic tools and materials and a serious sense of play. Here are ten great back-to-school DIY projects you (and the kids) can easily make at home.

Apple Print Drawstring Backpack.
A is for Apple, and this easy-to-make drawstring bag by Alphamom features an apple print that is made using an actual apple, and its leaf. You could also totally decorate this bag with any motif you like, or better yet, let the kids design one.

Initial Drawstring Backpack
Drawstring bags are great because they are so easy to create, which means you can actually make more than one of these. We love the striped fabric in combination with a large bold initial on this DIY bag by Momtastic. You could also make this with smaller letters to spell out your child’s whole name (but think twice about that if that name happens to be really long).

Patterned Backpack
Who says you have to buy a new bacpack just because school starts again? Maybe an old backpack could do just fine with a fun little update. This floral backpack tutorial by Hello Cotton shows you how to add panels of patterned fabric – which, by the way, doesn’t have to be floral – to an existing bag to give it a whole new look. We’re thinking you could do this and just tell your kid it’s a new bag.

Solar Backpack
For all those science nerds out there (and their parents), this DIY solar backpack by Dick Demenus (via NPR) would be a fun family project. It involved soldering and weatherproofing, so it seems like it could take a while, but making it yourself means it will cost around $40 – far less than the $200 or so that similar backpacks cost in the store.

Fabric Lunch Bag
Instead of packing them lunch in paper bags, make a washable, reusable lunch bag that will last all year long. This fabric lunch bag by The Purl Bee features cute embroidered detailing on the front, which you can skip or modify (maybe let the kids loose with some permanent markers?). The basic construction, though, is very simple, sturdy and, of course, easy to make.

Oil Cloth Lunch Bag
If your kids are on the messier side of the scale, it could be a good idea to try your hand at making one or two of these resuable oil cloth lunch bags by Skip to My Lou. They can easily be washed off and you can make them from worn out outdoor table cloths you may have laying around after summer.

Bicycle Frame Lunch Bag
If you’re fortunate enough to live in a place where it’s safe to send the kids off to school in their bikes, you should totally make sure they have a lunch bag that attaches to their bike frame. This simple tutorial by Evil Mad Scientist shows you how to make it. While you’re at it, make one for yourself too (oh, and start biking to work).

Drawstring Gym Bag
Sometimes it’s helpful to have a smaller bag to pack special things for school – such as gym clothes or supplies for a special project. This drawstring pouch by Planet Green takes only minutes to make. Using a tea towel is clever and saves time, but you can use any material you like.

Pencil Case
Help your little ones keep their pens, scissors, erasers and such in order with a nice pencil case. This DIY one by Pink Penguin is a little more involved, but – if you have the time to do it – totally worth it. Again, you can use any kind of fabric. Let the kids pick them and you can be sure they love their new case.

Chalkboard Notebook
Customizing notebooks is something most of us have done since we were in school. It’s a basic way to express our creativity, which is why we love the idea of one that can constantly change and evolve. Check out this tutorial by Warm Hot Chocolate and make the cover of your child’s notebook into a chalkboard. A bonus is that they can use it instead of passing notes, because that, well, kills trees you know.

The post DIY: 10 Backpacks and Other Projects You Can Make With the Kids appeared first on EcoSalon.

The key to a green lifestyle? Variety. Every day there’s something new you could be doing, keeping your enthusiasm fresh and raring to go. But…what? How do you find those all-important new ways to make a difference? You’ll need green living tips, designed to read in a glance. Here are ten sites that brim with them. Get clicking!

1. Green Living Tips

(On Twitter)

(On Facebook)

Brainchild of green businessman Michael Bloch, Green Living Tips is highly focused. Get past the somewhat unprepossessing homepage and you’re in for a lots of great information: hidden behind the categories in the left sidebar is tons of useful info, from the environmental difference between brown and white rice to ways to recycle or upcycle styrofoam. You could spend days here. We warned you!

2. The Green Guide (National Geographic)

(On Twitter)

While National Geographic needs no introduction, you might not know about its Green Guide. If that’s the case, you’re missing out on stunning presentation and, in the main site or the accompanying blog, the kind of content you’d expect from one of the most reliably excellent magazines in the world.

3. National Resources Defense Council Green Tips

(On Twitter)

(On Facebook)

New to the NRDC? It’s a grassroots environmental action group (founded in 1970) with over 1.3 million members – and their resident experts have set up a page loaded with good, green advice.

4. Green Living Ideas

(On Twitter)

(On Facebook)

Helmed by Sean Daily (GreenTalk Radio Podcasts) and part of the Simple Earth Media Network, Green Living Ideas (and its close neighbor Blue Living Ideas) is a green tips resource that doesn’t quit. Click on “topics” on the homepage and go exploring the 200+ categories of archived posts – as long as your next few hours are free, of course.

5. Organic Authority

(On Twitter)

(On Facebook)

A specific tips site, this one. For all you foodies, a site featured on Oprah Magazine that’s a wealth of vegetarian and healthy food tips laid out thusly. It even has its own web TV show. Tuck in!

6. The Daily Green

(On Twitter)

(On Facebook)

Does The Daily Green need any introduction? Nope, but here’s one anyway. Often featured in mainstream media (the Today show, for example), this green consumer darling is built around a core of tips and advice not only from staff members but also from its readers.

7. GreenUPGRADER

(On Twitter)

(On Facebook)

Longtime friends of EcoSalon, the team at GreenUPGRADER is here to spread the word about nifty improvements around the home, whether in the form of new innovations or natty tricks you can apply yourself. Warning: Reading this website may result in recurring attacks of DIY.

8. Mother Nature Network

(On Twitter)

(On Facebook)

The tips over at the brilliant Mother Nature Network aren’t neatly categorized as at the other sites listed here. In other words, a game of “hunt the tip” beckons. But when the writing is this good, that’s far from burdensome – there are some truly terrific articles to discover. For example, were you aware of all of these uses for salt?

9. Planet Green (Discovery)

(On Twitter)

(On Facebook)

Like MNN, Planet Green – backed by Discovery, like its sister site Treehugger – is a place that surrenders its tips a little reluctantly (read: prepare for some reading). But what tips they are! From ways to teach kids the value of real food to growing Gandhi’s favorite food … and don’t forget each section’s “How To Go Green” roundup (here’s the Home & Garden one).

10. Treehugger (Discovery)

(On Twitter)

(On Facebook)

No self-respecting green tips list would be complete without mentioning Treehugger – they’ve earned their spot with years of good quality (but rather loosely categorized) green tips. Yes, they have a “How To Go Green” section – but it links to the one at their sister site, Planet Green. You’ll have to go explore through the archives, but if you’re willing to invest the time, Treehugger has the goods!

Photo credits: Arria Belli, pacomexico, Ed.ward, Mickey.!, *clairity*, Stephen Korecky, Lauren Manning, Niffty.., Bruce Tuten, alexbartok and miyukiutada. All photos from Flickr, licensed for commercial use under Creative Commons.

The post 10 Green Living Tips Websites We Love appeared first on EcoSalon.

• Isaiah Mustafa aka “The Old Spice Guy” ups his sex appeal after confessing he’s on a vegan diet – Ecorazzi
• It’s not a bad idea to begin tackling your fall gardening – Planet Green
• Volvo is the latest automobile maker to jump on the green car train – Triplepundit
• Did you know that you get fewer pests, a more balanced ecosystem and healthier crops with organic farming? – Tonic
• 10 supplements from your naturopath you should exercise caution before taking – Blisstree
• Finally, the 4-11 on the SunChips compostable bags – Your Daily Thread

The post The Old Spice Hottie Goes Vegan, and Other News from Our Eco Pals appeared first on EcoSalon.

What is the Pacific Garbage Patch?

Simply put, it’s a swirling mass of plastic in the middle of the Pacific ocean that is big enough to qualify as the planet’s largest landfill. Roughly located in an area between 135° to 155°W and 35° to 42°N, much of the world’s trash has accumulated into this part of the Pacific Ocean based on the movement of ocean currents.

A rose any other name applies to the Pacific Garbage Patch – you’ll also hear it called the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” the “Pacific Trash Gyre,” the “Pacific Trash Vortex,” and the “Oh My…What Have We Done!?” among other names.

How does all that plastic get to the ocean?

The simple answer: Humans + Ocean Currents = Trash Vortex.

People create, consume, and carelessly toss plastics and the litter ends up in the water ways. As the plastic reaches the shoreline, currents carry it out into the ocean and a convergence of currents swirl the plastics into one general area.

No one is guiltless when it comes to the Pacific Garbage Patch – if you consume and discard goods, you are responsible for some portion of the plastic that is ending up in the ocean, even if you live hundreds of miles from the seaside.

To read more about the Pacific Garbage Patch and to watch a great slideshow explaining how trash from the middle of the continent can end up in the middle of the ocean: check out Planet Green.

Editor’s note: Article by Jaymi Heimbuch. Originally published by our friends at Planet Green. Planet Green is an offshoot of Discovery that covers every aspect of green living, from tofu to tattoos. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Planet Green on Twitter, too!

Image: Kevin Krejci

The post Why Is There a Trash Vortex Forming in the Pacific? appeared first on EcoSalon.

This week Green TV showed us two kinds of eco-disasters. An HBO drama tackled the environmental devastation in New Orleans and Planet Green exposed crimes against tigers.

“Treme” Shows Perseverance in the Face of Nature’s Fury

HBO’s New Orleans drama Treme may not seem like a straightforward choice for “I Want My Green TV.” But with everything that’s been going on in the Gulf with the BP Oil Spill, it’s hard not to think about the hardships the fine citizens of the Big Easy have endured over the last few years.

After all, the spill is not the first man made disaster to happen in New Orleans in 2005. Yes, Mother Nature sent Katrina but she didn’t build the insufficient levees. And there certainly are government agencies that could have chipped in then (and now) to help rebuild faster, more efficiently, and much more in tune with ongoing local environmental concerns – Brad Pitt and his Make it Right housing development aside.

Treme takes place in the aftermath of Katrina, and this week’s episode, “All on a Mardi Gras Day,” celebrated Fat Tuesday – almost six months to the day of the devastating hurricane. The show rode a lot of emotional ups and downs as characters embraced the spirit of the day while reconciling the recent devastation of their homes and families.

Every week, the series shows the delicate balance between the ugly truth of a city ravaged by environmental fury and the beauty of the healing power of human perseverance. As John Goodman’s character pointed out to his daughter, “It’s good to get out and see the destruction. It’s good. Get off the isle of denial every once in a while and be reminded how much of this city is still wrecked.”

Planet Green Doc Exposes Illegal Tiger Trade

This past weekend, Planet Green premiered the award-winning documentary, Dangerous Trade. In the hour-long film, a team of eco-crime investigators from the Environmental Investigation Agency (a sort modern day Green “Mod Squad”) investigate the seedy underworld of illegal tiger trades in China.

What they find is infuriating, horribly sad, and highly profitable. And there lies the reason why it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. According to the doc, China is the largest consumer of tiger products for skins, taxidermy, and medicine. And apparently the military turns a blind eye to the issue for their own profit and political reasons.

Ironically, this is the Chinese Year of the Tiger and with three subspecies already extinct and only an estimated 3,100 of the glorious animals left in the world – yes, we said the world – ending the illegal tiger trade is more important than ever. This fall there will even be a Global Tiger Summit in Russia (who knew?!) to commit to taking action toward saving the tiger.

We’re guessing somewhere that Tony is screaming, “that’s grrrrrrreat!”

Tune in next time to see what’s cropping up on green TV.

Image: Tryburn

The post I Want My Green TV: From Louisiana Disasters to the Tiger Trade appeared first on EcoSalon.

Nowadays, it seems like American children are spending more time online than they are sleeping or breathing or going outside. KidsCom, the latest green website geared towards children, has the tools to help kids get excited about being active, changing their eating habits and making healthy lifestyle choices.

Virtual worlds are all the rage these days, and creative minds at KidsCom, a website full of online games for kids, are taking advantage of it to teach children about healthy living.

The hope is that if kids can get excited about growing whole foods and cooking meals at home, then they’ll keep those healthy habits into adulthood. We’ve seen from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution that savvy eating habits both at home and at school are hard to come by these days. But the lessons learned online need to be translated into the real world for them to do any good, so getting the game into classrooms is an important step.

To read more about the importance of developing healthy eating habits in kids, check out Planet Green.

Editor’s note: Article by Jaymi Heimbuch. Originally published by our friends at Planet Green. Planet Green is an offshoot of Discovery that covers every aspect of green living, from tofu to tattoos. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Planet Green on Twitter, too!

Image: spacecadet

The post Is This Food 2.0? Virtual World Gets Kids into the Garden and Kitchen appeared first on EcoSalon.

This week on eco-friendly television, Leonardo DiCaprio took us to Greensburg, KS, the first sustainable city, and Jon Stewart had a few words to say about Senator Lindsey Graham (mostly “waa”). Once again prompting us to cry out “I Want My Green TV!”

Can Greensburg Sustain Sustainability?

Out of the ashes of unthinkable tragedy rises an eco-phoenix, as the third season of “Greensburg: A Final Look” premiered on Planet Green.

In 2006, Hollywood’s green poster boy Leonardo DiCaprio had an idea for a TV series. He wanted to build an entire sustainable town and film the process as a reality show. But he couldn’t find the location.

A year later, nature intervened when Greensburg (no we didn’t make that up), was 95 percent destroyed by an F5 tornado. The community came together to rebuild, and they vowed to go green. Leo brought in camera crews to document the historic story of revitalization and perseverance.

As the third season kicked off, the green municipality was revealed – yes, progress has come to Greensburg. The Wind Farm is moving forward (ten turbines that will power the whole city and then some), the geo-thermal heated state-of-the-art school is under construction, and there’s even a uber-metropolitan fancy coffee shop for all the local’s mocha cappuccino needs. But one critical question is yet to be answered. Will there be enough jobs to sustain the sustainable town?

Maybe Leo should have built a green movie studio to put all the residents to work.

Jon Stewart Has One Word for Lindsey Graham: “Waa”

Leave it to Jon Stewart to call it like he sees it and school a U.S. Senator on his childish behavior.

It all started last November when Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, Democrat John Kerry, and Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman teamed up for the greatest tripartisan environmental effort in history. Their goal, a compromise climate and energy bill, was almost ready to be handed over to the Environmental Protection Agency for review. But when Democrats shifted their attention to the heated topic of immigration, Graham walked away threatening to vote against the bill.

And with that, the momentum surrounding the energy bill disappeared faster than the polar ice caps.

Enter Jon Stewart who thought Graham’s maneuvering felt like a disappointed child taking his toys and going home. When EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson stopped by The Daily Show, the host got right to the heart of the matter saying, “Do you feel that Senator Graham is a big fat baby? And would you like to say to him right now, “˜Waa. Waa. Waa. Waa, Lindsey Graham?'”

Jackson sidestepped the joke with a more adult suggestion – remind him how important his contribution is to the bill’s success. But Stewart had a another creative idea, “Have you thought about candy or a pacifier for Senator Graham?”

Graham probably won’t be stopping by “The Daily Show” anytime soon.

Tune in next time to see what’s cropping up on green TV.

Image: Wesley Fryer

The post I Want My Green TV appeared first on EcoSalon.

Our friends over at Planet Green came up with five low-impact ways to explore New York City’s Central Park. Most of them are free and all of them are decidedly earth-friendly. So why aren’t you there right now enjoying nature?

The first landscaped public park in the United States, Central Park has been the Big Apple’s 843-acre oasis for over 150 years. Perhaps the ultimate staycation destination in NYC, Manhattan’s backyard is home to:

26,000 trees

61 species of bird (numbering 7,776 birds in total)

A 71-foot, 244-ton obelisk originally erected in Egypt around 1500 BCE

6.1 miles of trails for running, cycling, hiking, and rollerblading

Lakes, meers, castles, skating rinks, and a whole lot more

To learn more about America’s most popular park, check out Planet Green.

Editor’s note: Article by Mickey Z. Originally published by our friends at Planet Green. Planet Green is an offshoot of Discovery that covers every aspect of green living, from tofu to tattoos. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Planet Green on Twitter, too!

Image: edyourdon

The post 5 Low-Impact Ways to Experience Central Park appeared first on EcoSalon.

Anyone who’s ever read the op-ed section of a newspaper or heard the word “Climategate” tossed around by a talking head shouldn’t be too surprised by the news that the US is actually losing ground in its Environmental Performance Index ranking. Planet Green has the full story analyzing the significance behind America’s failing environmental grades.

Last year, the U.S. ranked 39th on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI). This year, 61st.

Editor’s note: Article by Rachel Cernanksy. Originally published by our friends at Planet Green. Planet Green is an offshoot of Discovery that covers every aspect of green living, from tofu to tattoos. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Planet Green on Twitter, too!

Image: joiseyshowaa

The post The U.S. Drops 22 Spots in the Environmental Performance Index appeared first on EcoSalon.

Just because you can appreciate a natural approach to beauty doesn’t mean you have to stop wearing makeup. Planet Green’s interview with model-turned-natural-cosmetics-saleswoman Josie Maran gives you the scoop on the latest in eco-friendly beauty products. Instead of going back for that two-dollar drugstore eyeliner (you know who you are), why not buy something that’s not riddled with phthalates and other kidney-pulverizing compounds?

Model Josie Maran has spent plenty of time in makeup chairs – which is experience that came in handy when she started her own line, Josie Maran Cosmetics. Organic and natural ingredients in the moisturizers, mascara, blush, lip gloss, liner, and other beauty must-haves make for non-toxic products-many of which have more than one use, so you can condense your supply (and your morning routine). Now, Maran has partnered with Kelly Ripa for the Green Idea Swap: Along with Ripa, Zem Joaquin, and Anna Getty, Maran posts daily green tips on Ripa’s website, Kelly Confidential, and for every tip you share, Electrolux appliances donates $1 to Global Green’s sustainable building projects.

Planet Green: What’s one cosmetics ingredient we should absolutely avoid?

Josie Maran: I avoid synthetic fragrances. Synthetic fragrances contain phthalates which are added to many cosmetics and beauty aids to increase flexibility and break down other ingredients, but studies have shown that phthalates can cause damage to the lungs, liver and kidneys, and to harm the developing testes of offspring!

JM: Look for natural products that contain few ingredients. Less is more. Using products with the least amount of ingredients and additives ensures its natural purity. Josie Maran Argan Oil is 100 percent pure organic Argan Oil – nothing else. It’s my “beauty secret”, and the best lightweight all-natural moisturizer. And it’s a great product to try when you first decide to go natural!

Check out more of Maran’s beauty tips at Planet Green.

Editor’s note: Article by Blythe Copeland. Originally published by our friends at Planet Green. Planet Green is an offshoot of Discovery that covers every aspect of green living, from tofu to tattoos. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Planet Green on Twitter, too!

Image: Josie Maran

The post Josie Maran Shares Her Favorite Tips for Flawless Beauty appeared first on EcoSalon.