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Green Shopping
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
Coast-to-Coast: Craft With Etsy Labs in Brooklyn amp; San Francisco
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/people/julieincharge”emimg style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/03/Julie_author_finder_.jpg” alt=”" width=”110″ height=”158″ //em/a/p
pembr /This week we are pleased to announce bi-coastal crafting events! Join the Etsy Labs in both strongBrooklyn /strongand strongSan Francisco/strong (and online!) for free hands-on workshops to kick off spring, here in North America. So, read on for twice the crafting fun this week…/em/p
pembr /Crafting in Brooklyn, NY:/em/p
pstrongOpen Craft Night at the Etsy Labs in DUMBO/strong/p
pstrong/strong/p
p style=”text-align: left;”This week we’re hosting an open a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/craft-night-brooklyn”Craft Night/a, as we usually do on the la href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/etsylabs/4457653981/” target=”_blank”img style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/03/IMG_7754.jpg” alt=”IMG_7754.jpg” width=”375″ //aast Monday of each month. Instead of an organized project, this week we are throwing the doors of the a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news/all-about-etsy-faq-series-welcome-to-the-etsy-labs-936/”Etsy Labs/a wide open and letting you dive into any project that strikes your fancy. Bring along any project you’d like to develop or finish during this week’s Craft Night, or start a brand new project using our tools and extra supplies. Let’s craft the pain of a chilly winter away./p
pemWhen:/em Monday, March 29. Drop in between 4 to 8 p.m. br /em/em/p
pemWhere: /emEtsy Labs atnbsp; a href=”http://maps.google.com/maps?q=55+washington+st,+brooklyn+ny+11201amp;oe=utf-8amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:officialamp;client=firefox-aamp;um=1amp;ie=UTF-8amp;split=0amp;gl=usamp;ei=Fc2mSumRM9GlnQeAg-G7Bwamp;sa=Xamp;oi=geocode_resultamp;ct=titleamp;resnum=1″ target=”_blank”55 Washington Street, Suite 512/a in Brooklyn, NY/p
p style=”text-align: left;”strongbr /Upcoming Events at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn:/strongbr /4/1: a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/events/etsy-speaker-series-the-handmade-marketplace-7517/” target=”_self”Etsy Speaker Series/a: The Handmade Marketplacebr /4/4: a href=”http://churchofcraft.org/2008/10/01/welcome-nyc-crafters/” target=”_blank”Church of Craft/a meetingbr /4/5: Embroidered necklaces with a href=”http://daniellexo.etsy.com/”daniellexo/abr /4/12: Knitted postcards with a href=”http://knitknit.etsy.com/”KnitKnit/a/p
pembr /Crafting in San Francisco, CA:/em/p
pstrongCraft Bar with Etsy Labs at the a href=”http://www.mocfa.org/” target=”_blank”Museum of Craft and Folk Art/a in San Franciscobr //strong/p
pCraft Bar with Etsy Labs at MOCFA continues! Each month, the Museum of Craft and Folk Art features an original, easy-to-follow project, designed to guide and encourage you. For those who prefer a less structured craft experience, there ema href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/mocfasf/4081723932/” target=”_blank”img style=”float: left;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/03/MOCFA.jpg” alt=”" width=”380″ height=”285″ //a/emis also a free-form “Stitch and Bitch” area where you can start a new project, or work on an existing one./p
pJoin crafter extraordinaire a href=”http://www.katykristin.com/” target=”_blank”Katy Kristen/a as she shares tips on how to take old sweaters and turn them into cute and cuddly plushies or upcycled cup cozies! April’s Craft Bar is free for students and will feature live music from local favorite, Allie Simpson. Take inspiration from the gallery and the store while you explore the creative process, socialize, and enjoy refreshments. More details a href=”http://www.mocfa.org/exhibitions/index.htm” target=”_blank”here/a./p
pnbsp;/p
pemWhen:/em Thursday, April 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. PT at MOCFA. Online demo with Amelia (who penned a recent a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-tuesday-upcycled-apron-7168/” target=”_self”How-Tuesday project/a) at 1 p.m. PT.br /br /emWhere: /emMuseum of Craft and Folk Art at a href=”http://maps.google.com/maps?f=qamp;source=s_qamp;hl=enamp;geocode=amp;q=51+Yerba+Buena+Lane,+San+Francisco,+CAamp;sll=40.65,-73.95amp;sspn=0.263606,0.611801amp;ie=UTF8amp;hq=amp;hnear=51+Yerba+Buena+Ln,+San+Francisco,+California+94103amp;ll=37.786386,-122.403853amp;spn=0.008581,0.019119amp;z=16amp;iwloc=r0″ target=”_blank” 51 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA/a./p
pnbsp;/p
p style=”text-align: center;”Looking for further crafting inspiration?nbsp;/p
p style=”text-align: center;”a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-tuesday-upcycled-apron-7168/”strongUpcycled Apron/strong/astrong | a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-tuesday-top-10-spring-tutorials-by-etsians-7440/” target=”_self”Top 10 Spring Tutorials/a/strongstrong/strongstrong/strongstrong/strongstrong /strongstrong/strongstrong| /strongstronga href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/How-Tuesday”How-Tuesday Projects/a/strongstrong/strongstrong/strongstrong/strongstrong/strongstrong /strongstrong/strongstrong/strongstronga href=”http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=finger+puppetsamp;search_type=all”/abr //strong/p
p style=”text-align: center;”strong/strong/p
p style=”text-align: center;”emWill we see you at an a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news/all-about-etsy-faq-series-welcome-to-the-etsy-labs-936″Etsy Labs/a event this week? Let us know in the comments below!/em/p
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
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Monday, March 1st, 2010
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Thursday, February 25th, 2010
How-Tuesday: Upcycled Apron
p style=”text-align: left;”img style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/02/Amelia_Author.jpg” alt=”" //p
p style=”text-align: left;”emLoosen your apron strings and buckle down for the latest edition of a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/How-Tuesday/”How-Tuesday/a! This week’s project comes to us by way of Amelia Strader/emem, /ememassistant buyer, museum store associate, and/emem the queen of all things crafty at the a href=”http://www.mocfa.org” target=”_blank”Museum of Craft and Folk Art/a in San Francisco, CA. Amelia is a crocheting superstar and a driving force behind hands-on crafting events/emem, including Craft Bar, /ememat the museum. /ememRead on for tips for making your own apron out of 100% recycled household cast-offs./em/p
p style=”text-align: left;”This apron design was inspired by a cute apron that my grandmother handmade in the 1950s. As my spin on her apron, I’ve incorporated recycled and upcycled materials. This pattern involves three main stages: fusing plastic bags, creating a plastic ball of yarn, and crocheting borders on the apron with the plastic yarn./p
p style=”text-align: left;”On Thursday, March 4, 2010 at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, we will be hosting another Craft Bar with Etsy Labs @ MOCFA, a free event cosponsored by Etsy. This month’s hands-on project at Craft Bar will feature a crochet project using yarn created from recycled plastic bags, similar to this week’s a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/how-tuesday/” target=”_self”How-Tuesday/a project. More details can be found a href=”http://www.mocfa.org/index.htm” target=”_blank”here/a.embr //em/p
p style=”text-align: left;”Now let’s get started!/p
p style=”text-align: left;”strongSize:br //strongOne size fits allstrong/strong/p
p style=”text-align: left;”strongFinished Measurements:br //strongLength: 17″ approximatelybr /Width: 24″ approximatelybr /Ties: 21″ approximately/p
p style=”text-align: left;”strongMaterialsbr //strong15 ndash; 20 large plastic bags in white for main color (MC)br /10 ndash; 15 large plastic bags in blue for contrasting color (CC)br /US K ndash; 10.5 (6.50 mm) crochet hookbr /3/16rdquo; hole punchbr /Roll of parchment paperbr /Brown paper grocery bagbr /Iron and ironing boardbr /Rulerbr /Stitch markersbr /Yarn needle/p
p style=”text-align: left;”nbsp;/p
p style=”text-align: left;”strongInstructions/strong:/p
h2 style=”text-align: left;”Fusing Plastic Bags/h2
p style=”text-align: left;”img style=”float: left;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/02/photo1_fusing_plastic_bags.JPG” alt=”" width=”300″ /1. To create the apron skirt, fuse together three layers of plastic bags in MC. To protect your ironing board, cover with a large sheet of parchment paper. Smooth out plastic bags and place on top of each other. Place them on the ironing board and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Arrange plastic bags so that you create a 13rdquo;L x 18rdquo;W rectangle./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Set the iron on cotton/linen setting with steam. Slowly move iron over all the layers using steam. Be sure to keep the iron constantly moving and never touch iron directly to the plastic bags. Let the plastic cool and check to see if the layers are fused together. If the layers are not completely fused, reposition parchment paper and go over it with the iron again. Flip plastic over and iron on the opposite side. It takes at least a couple of rounds of ironing on each side for the plastic bags to be completely fused. The plastic bags will shrink a little as you iron them. This is not an exact science, so it is a good idea to test your iron settings on some extra plastic bags. An odor is emitted when ironing the plastic bags, so be sure to work in a well ventilated area./p
p style=”text-align: left;”em(More tips on fusing plastic bags can be found a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/fusing-plastic-bags-with-the-etsy-labs-1098/”here/a, in Etsy’s video tutorial.)/em/p
p style=”text-align: center;”img src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/02/paper_and_pattern.jpg” alt=”" //p
p style=”text-align: left;”span2./spanspan /spanspanDraw out the apron skirt pattern onto stiff paper or brown paper grocery bag (see a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/02/apron_pattern.jpg” target=”_blank”technical sketch/a above for pattern measurements). Donrsquo;t worry about sketching out the pattern perfectly./spanimg style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/02/photo3_hole_punching_plastic.JPG” alt=”" width=”175″ height=”234″ //p
p style=”text-align: left;”nbsp;/p
p style=”text-align: left;”3. Fold the plastic sheet in half width-wise. Place the pattern on the plastic sheet, making sure to line up the front of the pattern with the folded edge of the plastic. Trace the apron skirt pattern onto the fused plastic sheet with a pen. Cut the apron out with scissors./p
p style=”text-align: left;”4. Punch holes around all sides of the apron skirt. Leave frac14;rdquo; space between holes and frac14;rdquo; from center of hole to edge of plastic. Donrsquo;t worry about having the same number of punch holes on both sides of the apron./p
h2 style=”text-align: left;”br //h2
h2 style=”text-align: left;”br //h2
h2 style=”text-align: left;”br //h2
h2 style=”text-align: left;”Creating Plastic Yarn (or “Plarn”)/h2
h2 style=”text-align: left;”img style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/02/photos_4_5_6_7.jpg” alt=”" width=”400″ height=”303″ //h2
p style=”text-align: left;”Use the remaining plastic bags in MC to create a ball of plastic yarn. Fold the plastic bag lengthwise to form a narrow tube. Cut off the top handles and bottom edge of plastic bag. Cut up the rest of the plastic bag into 1rdquo; wide segments./p
p style=”text-align: left;”These segments will be loops when unfolded. Loop the loops together to form a continuous chain, and wind into ball. Create a second ball of plastic yarn in CC./p
p style=”text-align: left;”nbsp;/p
p style=”text-align: left;”nbsp;/p
h2 style=”text-align: left;”Crocheting/h2
p style=”text-align: left;”emNote: Keep your stitches loose. Using the plastic yarn, crochet the borders on both sides of the apron first, then crochet waistband, and lastly, the crochet bottom hem.img style=”float: left;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/02/photo8_Crocheting_with_plastic_yarn.JPG” alt=”" width=”401″ height=”300″ //em/p
p style=”text-align: left;”strongApron Sides (Repeat for each side)/strong/p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 1: In MC slip stitch into first punch hole at side waist, chain 1, single crochet in remaining punch holes across side to bottom edge of apron, chain 2, turn./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 2: Double crochet in each single crochet across to end, chain 1, turn./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 3: Single crochet in each double crochet across to end. Fasten off./p
p style=”text-align: left;”nbsp;/p
p style=”text-align: left;”strongWaistband/strong/p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 1: In MC, make a 21rdquo; chain of stitches (creating apron tie). Join to waist at top left crochet border with a slip stitch, chain 1, place stitch marker, single crochet across top of waist to edge of right crochet border, place a stitch marker, chain 21rdquo; of stitches, turn, chain 2./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 2: Double crochet in each stitch across waistband to end. Fasten off./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 3: In CC, single crochet in every double crochet across waistband to end. Fasten off./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 4: In CC, join to top of waist, at stitch marker, with a slip stitch, chain 1, (3 double crochet) in the next single crochet, chain 1, *single crochet in the next 3 single crochet, chain 1, (3 double crochet) in the next single crochet, chain 1* repeat from * until stitch marker, end with a single crochet. Fasten off./p
p style=”text-align: left;”br /strongBottom Hem/strongbr /Row 1: In MC, slip stitch to right bottom crochet border, chain 1, single crochet across border and punch holes to edge of left bottom border, chain 2, turn./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 2: Double crochet in each single crochet across to end, chain 2, turn./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 3: Double crochet in each double crochet across to end. Fasten off./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 4: In CC slip stitch into first double crochet, chain 1, single crochet in each double crochet across, chain 1, turn./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row 5: Single crochet in first single crochet, (3 double crochet) in the next single crochet, chain 1, *singlebr /crochet in the next 3 single crochet, chain 1, (3 double crochet) in the next single crochet, chain 1* repeat from *until 2nd to last stitch, end row with a single crochet. Fasten off./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row A: This row is crocheted into Row 1. With right side facing and waist edge at bottom, join CC with slip stitch to the first stitch of row 1 of bottom hem. Continue to work in row 1, single crochet across bottom hem in spaces of row 1. chain 1, turn./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Row B: Single crochet in the first stitch, (2 double crochet) in the next single crochet, *single crochet in the next 2 single crochet, (2 double crochet) in the next single crochet* repeat from * until 2nd to last stitch, end with a single crochet. Fasten off./p
p style=”text-align: left;”nbsp;/p
h2 style=”text-align: left;”img style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/02/pocket_pattern.jpg” alt=”" height=”300″ /Pocket (Optional)/h2
p style=”text-align: left;”1. Draw out pocket pattern onto stiff paper or brown paper grocery bag (see technical sketch on the right for pattern measurements). Donrsquo;t worry about sketching out the pattern perfectly./p
p style=”text-align: left;”2. Place the pattern onto fused plastic sheet and trace with a pen. Cut the pocket out with scissors./p
p style=”text-align: left;”3. Punch holes around all sides of the pocket. Leave frac14;rdquo; space between holes and frac14;rdquo; from center of hole to edge of plastic. Donrsquo;t worry about having the same number of punch holes on both side of pocket./p
p style=”text-align: left;”4. After crocheting a border on pocket, decide where you want to place it on apron. Trace pocket sides and bottom on onto the skirt. Punch holes about frac12;rdquo; in from trace line./p
p style=”text-align: left;”strongbr /Pocket Border/strongbr /Rnd 1: In CC, slip stitch to punch hole in top right corner, chain 1, single crochet through every punch hole starting down the right side, join with slip stitch to first single crochet./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Rnd 2: Chain 1, single crochet in every single crochet, join with slip stitch to first single crochet./p
p style=”text-align: left;”Rnd 3: Chain 1, single crochet in every single crochet, join with slip stitch to first single crochet. Fasten off./p
p style=”text-align: left;”nbsp;/p
h2 style=”text-align: left;”Finishing/h2
p style=”text-align: left;”Using a yarn needle and CC, stitch pocket to skirt through punch holes. Using a yarn needle, weave in allbr /loose ends./p
p style=”text-align: left;”nbsp;/p
div style=”text-align: center;”
p style=”text-align: center;”emThank you to Amelia Strader/emem from the a href=”http://www.mocfa.org/” target=”_blank”Museum of Craft amp; Folk Art/a for sharing this project with us./em/p
/div
p style=”text-align: center;”a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/fusing-plastic-bags-with-the-etsy-labs-1098/”strongFusing Plastic Bags/strong/astrong | /strong stronga href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/How-Tuesday”More How-Tuesday Posts/a | /strongstronga href=”http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=handmadeamp;search_query=apron”Aprons on Etsy/abr //strong/p
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Friday, February 19th, 2010
Etsy at the Design Triennial: Why Design Now?
pGood news, friends! Etsy has been invited to be part of the National Design Triennial at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. The theme for this exhibition is “a href=”http://cooperhewitt.org/EXHIBITIONS/triennial/why-design-now.asp” target=”_blank”Why Design Now/a?” and, in part, explores the impact of community and sustainability on the designed world./p
pA few examples of Etsy items will be there on display: congratulations to a href=”http://necklush.etsy.com”necklush/a and a href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/Toolgrrl”Toolgrrl/a! We will also have a computer kiosk in the interactive section of the exhibit so that visitors can explore a href=”http://Etsy.com”Etsy.com/a./p
pI sometimes think of Etsy itself as a massive gallery mdash; a collection of handmade and vintage artifacts. But what also excites me about being part of the Triennial is that Etsy will also be stepping forward as a group of creative people across the world. We’re collaborating with folks at the museum to plan crafting events and talks to go along with the Triennial. We’re also taking part in an ongoing discussion about our role in the world as creative people and how we can use that creativity to make an impact./p
pstrongGet Involved/strongbr /Some of the designers and organizations involved in the exhibit have been invited to share a three minute recording that visitors will access via an iTouch. Our recording will explain what Etsy is and talk a bit about what design means to us. I really think Etsy is all about you mdash; collectors, crafters and artists, and people who care deeply about design mdash; so I want to hear from emyou/em, the Etsy community. I hope to quote some of your responses when I do the recording. (Shout-outs!)/p
pSo, tell the world: “Why design now? Why is design important today?” Post in the comments below./p
p style=”text-align: center;”stronga href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/”Craftivism Posts/a | a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/museum/”More Posts Tagged “Museum”/a/strong/p
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Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Resolutions for Reuse
pemGarth Johnson is an artist, writer and educator who lives in Eureka, California and teaches at College of the Redwoods. His book, /ema href=”http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781592535408?aff=etsy” target=”_blank”1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse/aem, was just released by Quarry Publishing. Additionally, he maintains the blog a href=”http://www.extremecraft.com” target=”_blank”Extreme Craft/a and a a href=”http://readymadeblogs.mydevstaging.com/blogs/johnsons/” target=”_blank”new blog/a for /emReadyMade Magazineem about his adventures with his 1905 Victorian home. Garth is also the co-host of /ema href=”http://www.reconstructdvd.com” target=”_blank”Reconstruct: Eco-Friendly Crafts Made Easy/aem, a step-by-step DVD that shows viewers how to make their own projects out of recycled materials./em/p
pimg style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/deejay.jpg” alt=”" /Quarry recently published my new book, em1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse/em, which gathers 1000 projects from contemporary crafters, artists and makers from across the globe. Every project in the book reuses materials in a clever way, transforming everyday materials into exciting pieces of fashion, art, jewelry and furniture. There are stunning works of craftsmanship in the book by established masters, but also “quick and dirty projects” that may not have taken much time or elaborate equipment to assemble, just a leap of imagination.br /br /I invited many of the contributors to the book personally, asking them to submit projects I had seen or written about previously, but the bulk of the contributors came from an open call for entries that circulated on blogs and message boards. I spent countless hours sifting through Etsy sellers, trying out every variation on “a href=”http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=handmadeamp;search_query=repurposed”repurposed/a,” “a href=”http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=handmadeamp;search_query=recycled”recycled/a,” “a href=”http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=handmadeamp;search_query=upcycled”upcycled/a” and “a href=”http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=handmadeamp;search_query=trashion”trashion/a” that I could think of. I also had the good fortune to host a few Etsy a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/shop-live/”Shop Live events/a where I got to play show-and-tell with some of my finds and chat live with Etsy makers. In fact, the book wouldnrsquo;t have been possible without Etsy. I would estimate that nearly half of the contributors have (or have had) shops on Etsy.br /br /I spent a solid year soliciting, then sifting through the more than 7,000 files that were submitted. I had to juggle paperwork and files for each artist, which was almost as challenging as the agonizing decisions about which projects to choose. In the end, though, the monumental amount of work that went into assembling the book was well worth it. My book designer, a href=”http://www.sandrasalamony.com/” target=”_blank”Sandra Salamony/a, helped make visual sense out of the material, giving harmony to the wide range of work.br /br /The best part for me was getting to know the people who submitted work to the book. I had met a handful prior to putting the book together, but I was introduced to the plenty of new people in the process.br /br /Itrsquo;s now 2010. My wife and I just bought an old Victorian house in Eureka, California. Wersquo;re doing a lot of decoration and restoration, and wersquo;re trying to fill the house with as much repurposing as possible. One new acquisition is an exquisite chandelier from a href=”http://www.myspace.com/tincanluminary” target=”_blank”John Hardin/a, an artist featured in the book, which is made out of tin cans that have been transformed with a welding torch.br /br /Wersquo;ve actually been writing a blog for emReadyMade Magazine/em called a href=”http://readymadeblogs.mydevstaging.com/blogs/johnsons/” target=”_blank”Keeping Up With the Johnsons/a, which has been a fun 21st century experiment in home renovation. Itrsquo;s been really helpful to ask advice from emReadyMade/emrsquo;s readers, as well as sharing our tragedies and triumphs. Wersquo;re going to be working on other repurposed projects like a souvenir-plate tiled backsplash for our kitchen and shelving made from old wooden soda crates. Wersquo;re trying to furnish our entire house in antique, refinished and repurposed furniture.br /br /After all of the work it took to put the book together, itrsquo;s amazing to finally hold a finished copy in my hands. Every page is loaded with exciting ideas that inspire me to create my own repurposing projects rather than following step-by-step instructions. In fact, the main part of the book only contains photographs and some information about the maker. My hope is that the reader is constantly guessing what materials were used and flipping to the index in the back of the book for more information.nbsp; br /br /Response to em1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse/em has been tremendous so far. I owe a huge debt of inspiration and gratitude to the makers who submitted their work. Creative reuse has always been a part of life in the small town in Northern California where I live, and itrsquo;s great to see that the concept is opening up new avenues of creativity for people around the world.br /br /In conjunction with the book, Irsquo;ve been looking at instances of creative reuse throughout history, and I found that creative reuse has always been the norm. Itrsquo;s time we catch up to our ancestors. Etsians who contributed to em1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse /emshare some repurposing tips and new year’s resolutions below./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/reuse_frucci_eyepop.jpg” alt=”" //p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/FrucciDesign”FrucciDesign/a: I collect the wrapping paper of all my gifts and I reuse it. I’ll make some jewelry out of it, but you know, there are many ways to reuse paper, such as mail envelopes, cards, placeholders, name tags, and collages just to name few./p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/EyePopArt”EyePopArt/a: Don’t be afraid to start with next to nothing! When I discovered that I wanted to paint, I was super poor and couldn’t afford to purchase canvases. So I just started painting on whatever was around. The first painting I ever did was on the side of an old hard shell suitcase. If you have a creative impulse, there is no reason to be limited by lack of access to materials. There are materials all around you! br /br /It’s been over a year since I’ve taught an art class to kids, and I really miss that! One of my favorite lesson plans is painting mandalas on recycled vinyl records. In 2010 I resolve to volunteer my time to teach this creative reuse class to kids at a local elementary school. I love talking to kids about upcycling and repurposing, because they totally get it! It’s not a hard sell, especially when they see what beautiful creations they are capable of making from scraps, trash, and junk! I think art and recycling go hand in hand, and kids understand that. They just need a little guidance. The more kids we can educate about reusing and recycling, the better the chances are for our planet’s future./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/reuse_thistle_wooly_hooks.jpg” alt=”" //p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/thistledownandfinch”thistledownandfinch/a: The best piece of advice I have for folks looking to creatively reuse is to open their minds. Wide, wiiiiide open. Think outside of the box. Literally emanything/em can be reused mdash; and (nearly as literally) anything can be made from that said-initial-anything. That’s what makes Etsy so great. That’s what makes art art and craft craft. (And art craft and craft art.) Reuse is as good for your brain as it is for your soul. And in this age of excessive consumption, it’s better for the planet than most things I can think of. br /br /My mantra for 2010 is “search for the bigger picture.” There’s enormous impact hidden behind everything that we consume, and it can be so simple to miss it mdash; but it’s so important to pay attention, because, often, I think, our intent can be nullified without our even knowing. People decide to buy organic to protect ecosystems and reduce greenhouse emissions, but their town only carries things flown the width of the country, wrapped in four layers of plastic, or someone wants to support sustainable clothing, but the mother-company is a conglomerate and the proceeds are in the hands of folks with abominable environmental records. br /br /It merits enormous pats on the back for making that initial commitment, for leading by example and trying to effect real environmental change, but marketers are saaaaaaavvy these days. It is (almost) the future, after all, and so it’s important to remember look behind things and to collect as many facts as you can to be sure that your resolve isn’t in vain and that this happy little planet of ours has us all watching its back as well as we think we are./p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/woolybaby”woolybaby/a: Most of my creativity regarding reuse comes from the thrift store, where there are so many treasures just waiting for a new life. I also “reuse” in lots of ways other than in my finished product. Just now I was turning my husband’s empty beer boxes into cubbies for my cut leather inventory. This summer I turned a tea box inside out and into a card holder for a craft show. Maybe these are ideas that others could try.br /br /In the new year, I plan to find a source for previously used tissue paper (for stuffing my slippers), perhaps from a local store, and find durable recycled shipping envelopes./p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/offthehooks”OffTheHooks/a: Instead of buying brand new yarn, why not try recycling and unraveling a second-hand sweater? This can often be even more earth friendly than buying new “eco” yarn as it takes no new energy to produce. Look for higher quality fibers such as soft wool, cashmere, cotton or even silk mdash; avoid serged seams and sweaters that have been shrunk or felted mdash; these are very difficult to unravel. Once unraveled, you can even dye your yarn!br /br /One of my new year’s resolutions to help the environment: To find more sources of local fiber for spinning my yarn. Until I can raise my own sheep for wool, I’d love to be able to meet and support the farmers who do this already!/p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/reuse_1byliz.jpg” alt=”" //p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/1byliz”1byliz/a: Spend time with children. Notice how they interact with their environment. They see possibilities everywhere and sometimes we need to shift our perspective to foster our own creativity. br /br /Resolution: Bike more, drive less./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/reuse_margaux.jpg” alt=”" //p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/margauxlange”margauxlange/a: An idea for creative re-use that I really like (but, I should be clear, I DID NOT personally come up with) is a “kitty scratcher stump” made out of cardboard boxes. I collected used boxes and other various discarded scraps of cardboard for about a month and a half and cut them into 6″ strips. Then I coiled the strips onto themselves, gluing with a hot glue gun as I went, until the circle was about 2 feet in diameter. I then painted the edge of the outside of the stump (colorful circus-like stripes), sprinkled the top with some catnip, and voila! My cat LOVES the thing and scratches on it all the time. I plan to eventually make more at various heights./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/reuse_western_mitchell.jpg” alt=”" //p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/westernartglass”westernartglass/a: When nibbling shapes from sides of beer and wine bottles, have an ample supply of band-aids, and be up-to-date on your tetanus shot! For the noodle year, as always, keep a wary eye for feral mushrooms and pheromone marshmallows./p
p style=”text-align: center;”stronga href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism”More Craftivism Posts/a | a href=”http://www.etsy.com/gift-guides/environmentally-friendly-gifts/261″Environmentally Friendly Gift Guide/a | a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/earth-tones/”Earth Tones Series/abr //strong/p
Read More: Search results (title) for: "eco friendly"
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Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Posted in Green Shopping | No Comments »
Friday, January 1st, 2010
Etsy Finds: Natural Instincts
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/authors/Iheartmoustaches” target=”_blank”img style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/02/iheartmoustaches.jpg” alt=”Christine” width=”105″ height=”159″ //a/p
pGrowing up, my childhood home was only a few miles in either direction from the beautiful pine barrens and beaches of the Jersey shore. My brother and I spent most of our free time hiking, swimming, observing wildlife and types of trees, bird watching, collecting leaves, shells, driftwood and sea glass. Today’s a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/etsy-finds/”Etsy Finds/a are inspired by my experiences as a child that have led to my appreciation of nature and my mission to make smart choices in my daily life that contribute to the preservation our planet./p
pnbsp;/p
p
table style=”text-align: center;” border=”0″ width=”560″
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34212785″ Forest Vinyl Mural Decal Kit /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34212785″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/1/182/a69/il_200×200.101490212.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://holly.etsy.com”holly/a, $95./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37436420″ ORGANIC HOODIE WRAP /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37436420″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/1/195/aaf/il_200×200.112352194.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://Enuwbe.etsy.com”Enuwbe/a, $69./p
/td
/tr
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16522361″ Driftwood Mirrorbr //a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16522361″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/0/062/53b/il_200×200.50204989.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://blackeyedsusan.etsy.com”blackeyedsusan/a, $235./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34871513″ Vintage Boy Scout Canteen /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34871513″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/8/861/29f/il_200×200.103716534.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pFrom a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://TheFancyLamb.etsy.com”TheFancyLamb/a, $58./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36931879″ Scarf with Evergreen Screenprint /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36931879″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/4/4c5/139/il_200×200.111125581.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://angeldamico.etsy.com”angeldamico/a, $22./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35029087″ ‘Ocean Flowers’ seaweed pressings /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35029087″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/5/5b4/8d5/il_200×200.104252415.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://AlgaNet.etsy.com”AlgaNet/a, $38./p
/td
/tr
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34188992″ Brown Pebble Studs /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34188992″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/5/574/b62/il_200×200.101410700.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://lilarubyking.etsy.com”lilarubyking/a, $48./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35684695″ Eco Friendly Flatware Set for Two /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35684695″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/d/d75/a75/il_200×200.106472176.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://ponyup.etsy.com”ponyup/a, $28./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37409295″ Baby Memory Book /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37409295″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/9/949/faa/il_200×200.112263637.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://nouveaudesigns.etsy.com”nouveaudesigns/a, $65./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37346941″ Beach House Shea Butter Soap /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37346941″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/4/47e/d14/il_200×200.112054644.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://naiad.etsy.com”naiad/a, $6.50./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35417855″ Vintage Explorer Manual - 1956 /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35417855″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/8/86e/f94/il_200×200.105572790.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pFrom a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://sevenpoppies.etsy.com”sevenpoppies/a, $12./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21625799″ Twisted Aromatic Cedar Walking Stickbr //a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21625799″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/2/25a/0a9/il_200×200.59242063.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://brazoswalkingsticks.etsy.com”brazoswalkingsticks/a, $39./p
/td
/tr
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34664886″ Buffalo Plaid Camper Vest /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34664886″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/3/306/f5a/il_200×200.103018766.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pFrom a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://leasvintage.etsy.com”leasvintage/a, $32./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29767640″ Green Seaweed 8×8 Photograph /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29767640″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/b/bf8/c90/il_200×200.86546792.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://beautifuldarklight.etsy.com”beautifuldarklight/a, $20./p
/td
/tr
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36360644″ Discovery Tote - A Day for a Hike /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36360644″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/2/27f/c90/il_200×200.108735116.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://HELICOPTERstudios.etsy.com”HELICOPTERstudios/a, $60./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24000695″ Seashore Bracelet /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24000695″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/5/59f/0ea/il_200×200.73239494.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://TrinityLynn.etsy.com”TrinityLynn/a, $46./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20866605″ Print of Birds 12×18/a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20866605″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/d/d22/db1/il_200×200.56698324.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://RozArt.etsy.com”RozArt/a, $50./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36425316″ wild seahorse necklace /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36425316″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/4/4c4/ffc/il_200×200.108950174.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://makeit.etsy.com”makeit/a, $19./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27569324″ Crochet Baby Hiking Booties /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27569324″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/0/0a8/dc5/il_200×200.79167930.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://HeathersTreasureBox.etsy.com”HeathersTreasureBox/a, $24./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34411987″Navy Seahorse Pillow - Organic /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34411987″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/5/5d0/9d5/il_200×200.102161580.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://humblecollection.etsy.com”humblecollection/a, $34./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30478912″ Ocean Journey Necklace /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30478912″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/1/158/427/il_200×200.88943446.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://japonicas.etsy.com”japonicas/a, $48./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34855412″ Grocery Bag - Tote Bag - Beach Bag /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34855412″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/4/452/d19/il_200×200.103659536.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://NoCanHandleRandal.etsy.com”NoCanHandleRandal/a, $10./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30659915″ Take A Hike /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30659915″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/3/3cc/707/il_200×200.89547650.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://thewheatfield.etsy.com”thewheatfield/a, $15./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37449045″Garden of Joy Olivine Bracelet /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37449045″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/e/ef5/e78/il_200×200.112394524.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://ellejewels.etsy.com”ellejewels/a, $19./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7174444″ seaweed - original /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7174444″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/f/ff0/9d3/il_200×200.11784304.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://pengwynneart.etsy.com”pengwynneart/a, $65./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36760774″ Bird on Cherry Blossom Pillow /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36760774″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/f/f71/a9a/il_200×200.110087092.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://joom.etsy.com”joom/a, $28./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36801706″ Wood carved American Goldfinch /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36801706″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/c/c59/80d/il_200×200.110228765.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://handcarvedbyelaine.etsy.com”handcarvedbyelaine/a, $65./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37316447″ Starfish Necklace /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37316447″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/a/ace/f9b/il_200×200.111953632.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://charms4you.etsy.com”charms4you/a, $12./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27125419″ Sea Urchin Collection Necklace /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27125419″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/2/2d4/ca8/il_200×200.77680137.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://staroftheeast.etsy.com”staroftheeast/a, $147./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27796349″ Birds of North America T-shirt/a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27796349″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/8/86a/ff5/il_200×200.79931203.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://isotope.etsy.com”isotope/a, $20./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36996470″ Sea Coral Adjustable Ring /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36996470″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/2/246/e4f/il_200×200.110883036.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://dharajewelry.etsy.com”dharajewelry/a, $99./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37311007″ Napping on Marshmallow Branches /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37311007″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/a/a32/f69/il_200×200.111936473.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://krisblues.etsy.com”krisblues/a, $20./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37065660″ splash bowl SEA GREEN /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37065660″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/d/dd6/106/il_200×200.111116069.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://englerglass.etsy.com”englerglass/a, $28./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36524725″ Beach Glass Knobbr //a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36524725″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/9/923/e3a/il_200×200.109287007.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://beachyrustica.etsy.com”beachyrustica/a, $11./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32633287″ Green Sand Dollar–original painting /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32633287″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/b/b02/062/il_200×200.96166797.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://karingrow.etsy.com”karingrow/a, $70./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33920774″ Campfire Rock necklace /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33920774″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/7/748/541/il_200×200.100502349.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://SecretSmile.etsy.com”SecretSmile/a, $10./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10355378″ X. Nature /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10355378″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/9/922/ced/il_200×200.22140656.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://maejane.etsy.com”maejane/a, $15./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36454012″ Ambrosia Maple Burl Bowl /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36454012″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/2/2a2/11d/il_200×200.109048903.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://JLWoodTurning.etsy.com”JLWoodTurning/a, $125./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34247793″ Ikebana-style Rock Vase /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34247793″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/b/b06/3ff/il_200×200.101608378.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://madrivermud.etsy.com”madrivermud/a, $35./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36774349″ brushed nickel drawer pullbr //a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36774349″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/a/a7c/756/il_200×200.110132495.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://monkeyshines.etsy.com”monkeyshines/a, $8./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36059997″ Starfish, Illustrated Book Pagebr //a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36059997″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/5/59c/4ea/il_200×200.107727274.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pFrom a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://elitas.etsy.com”elitas/a, $10.50./p
/td
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35598686″ The Road Not Taken - 8 x 10 photo/a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35598686″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/f/f8d/576/il_200×200.106187930.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://livvielane.etsy.com”livvielane/a, $18./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36665224″ North by Northwest Necklace No. 2 /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36665224″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/8/837/b39/il_200×200.109764983.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://mswedowsky.etsy.com”mswedowsky/a, $50./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28529079″ Jardin de sable necklace/a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28529079″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/a/a70/dcf/il_200×200.82390794.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://Olaladesign.etsy.com”Olaladesign/a, $105./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33000590″ Branch earrings /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33000590″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/8/849/760/il_200×200.97401254.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://masaoms.etsy.com”masaoms/a, $130./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36396928″ Floating Away… /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36396928″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/d/d8a/1ac/il_200×200.108853528.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://Stilllily.etsy.com”Stilllily/a, $40./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20607493″ Pod Necklacebr //a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20607493″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/f/f5f/d81/il_200×200.55831139.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://UnaOdd.etsy.com”UnaOdd/a, $34./p
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pstronga style=”color:#0192b5;font-weight:bold” href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22754078″ beachy necklace /a/strong/p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22754078″ img src=”http://images.etsy.com/all_images/e/e63/959/il_200×200.75974367.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”" width=”200″ height=”200″ / /a/p
pBy a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://offbeet.etsy.com”offbeet/a, $13./p
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pnbsp;/p
p style=”text-align: center;”Looking for more a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/etsy-finds/”Etsy Finds/a? Try these links:/p
p style=”text-align:center;font-weight:bold;”a style=”color: #0192b5″ href=”http://www.etsy.com/gift-guides”Gift Guides/a | a style=”color: #0192b5″ href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/guest-curator/”Guest Curators/a | a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/trends/”Trends/a | a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/Gift%20Ideas”Gift Ideas/a/p
p style=”text-align:center;”emNeed a daily fix of a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/etsy-finds/”Etsy Finds/a? Sign up for the a style=”color:#0192b5″ href=”http://mailinglist.etsy.com/”Etsy Finds e-mail/a! Conveniently delivered to strongyour/strong inbox!/em/p
p style=”text-align:center”a href=”http://mailinglist.etsy.com/”img src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2008/10/icon_EtsyEmails2.jpg” alt=”" //a/p
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Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
Quit Your Day Job: adVintagous
pemI’m excited to bring you the next /ememQuit Your Day Jobber who just so happens to have taken the plunge to focus full time on her success in selling a href=”http://www.etsy.com/category/vintage”vintage/a on Etsy. Allison of a href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/adVintagous”adVintagous/a started out listing a couple items from her closet in order to clear out some room and make a few extra dollars after realizing there was a a href=”http://www.etsy.com/category/vintage”Vintage Category/a on the site; she never imagined she’d soon be making a full-time living from it.nbsp; Allison went from a recent graduate during a recession working full time as a character photographer at a theme park to being her own boss bringing new life to vintage finds. Her best marketing advice is keeping up a shop newsletter and taking photos in natural light with a simple background. Allison is most thankful that Etsy has allowed her to concentrate on her true passions in life including vintage and birds./em/p
pstrongHow did you originally get into the business of selling vintage?/strongbr /I’ve always loved the different eras of vintage mdash; mod 60s, glam evening dresses, big poofy 50s skirts, all of it! I’d been collecting vintage dresses at thrift stores and estate sales personally for years, as well as shopping on Etsy for handmade goods. One day last year, I noticed that Etsy had a a href=”http://www.etsy.com/category/vintage”vintage section/a and decided to put some pieces from my own closet up on the site, and things just went from there. It’s great because if I find something really amazing, I get to buy it, even if it doesn’t fit! I always hated to leave something wonderful behind because it was too small or too large.br /br /strongTell us about your previous working situation./strongbr /After I graduated from college, I found myself working as a character photographer at a theme park in Orlando. While the park was fun, and the people were great, it was not a career that I wanted, and graduating during a recession didn’t leave me many options.br /br /strongWhen you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?/strongbr /I knew that other people had been able to support themselves through Etsy, but it wasn’t something that I thought I would be able to do. My goal was to maybe find new homes for some of my dresses, and make a little bit of money to supplement my income. After spending a few months with just my toes in the water, I started selling vintage seriously this past March. I wasn’t expecting much, maybe a sale once in a while, but I was overwhelmed by the response to my finds, and was able to quit my day job this past summer. I’ve sold wedding gowns to brides, prom dresses, and even shimmery sequin pieces to bands for their photo shoots! I love the interaction with customers on Etsy, it’s very different from my experiences with other online selling venues, and everyone is so friendly and happy to communicate.br /a href=”http://adVintagous.etsy.com”img src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/AD1.jpg” alt=”" //abr /strongDid you do anything to prepare ahead of time, feel free to give us the nitty gritty business details?/strongbr /At first, I cut my hours to part time, to make sure I wasn’t getting in over my head. Then, when I left the park for good, my husband and I made sure we had enough saved up to last a few months if things didn’t work out, sort of a safety net.br /br /strongWhat are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What’s your best marketing tip?/strongbr /I’ve tried a ton of things mdash; Twitter, Facebook, blogging, Flickr mdash; but I think the most effective thing I’ve done as far as marketing is emto have a newsletter/em. Once or twice a month, I’ll send an email to people who sign up, letting them know about sales, and things like that. I also had little business cards printed up for my shop. I’m always meeting people who ask what I do, and it usually starts a big conversation about selling online. It’s still a pretty novel idea to most people! It’s nice to have a card to hand out so they can see my site when they get home.br /br /strongWhat have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?/strongbr /I’ve tried a few paid blog advertisements, and while I got some views, I didn’t really see any sales from them. In the end, I didn’t feel the money was worth it. I’m still experimenting with paid advertisements in different places.br /br /strongWalk us through your typical workday./strong/p
ul
liI wake up around 8 a.m., when my husband leaves for work. /li
liAfter he’s gone, I spend some time with our little bird, Peanut, eating breakfast and catching up on email and Convos./li
liThree days a week I volunteer at a local bird of prey rehab center, so on those days, I head to the center and spend the day with the birds./li
liOther days, I usually spend time visiting estate sales looking for those special vintage finds. In the afternoons, if the light is right I’ll take pictures, if not, I’ll process photos, and list items./li
liI usually pack up the day’s orders at night, so they are ready to go out in the morning mail the next day! /li
liAfterwards, my husband and I will usually watch some junky TV or play video games to unwind./li
/ul
pnbsp;/p
pstrongWhat do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?/strongbr /The embest best best thing/em about not having a day job is that most of what I do on Etsy can be done in the evenings, or on the weekends. Having an “unconventional” job has left my days free for a different kind of work mdash; volunteering! Animals, and birds especially, are one of my big passions in life, along with vintage and traveling. So three days a week I get to volunteer at a local bird rehabilitation center helping to care for sick and injured birds of prey, as well as educating the public about their importance. I love being able to devote so much of my time to something that means so much to me, and I would never have been able to do that without Etsy./p
pOn a more selfish note, I also love not having a commute. Before, I was driving an hour to and from work each day, and usually getting up at 6 a.m. to do it. I’m a born night owl, so now I can wake up at a comfortable hour, and work into the night if I have to. I really miss having coworkers and friends that I see every day, though. Sometimes it gets a little lonely doing everything myself. I do make time to spend with friends and family, but it’s not the same as having people that you work with every day.br /a href=”http://adVintagous.etsy.com”img src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/AdPhoto.jpg” alt=”" width=”552″ height=”379″ //abr /strongWhat’s the hardest part about running your own business?/strongbr /One of the hardest things is having no one else to rely on. If I get sick, or have to go out of town, nothing gets done. Since I do everything myself, the photography, the listing, the buying, and the shipping, if something goes wrong, I know I have no one to blame but myself. I take it pretty hard when something like a lost package happens, even if there’s nothing I could have done about it. Also, it is frustrating when I tell people what I do, and they act like I told them I live on the moon.br /br /strongIf you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself? What advice would you give someone else?/strongbr /I would love to go back in time and change the way I was taking pictures in the beginning. I had been switching back and forth between trying to take photos outside and trying to bring light to a dark room. emWhen I switched to a well lit room with natural light and a simple background, it was like a breath of fresh air./em Now I have to move furniture every time I want to take pictures, but it’s a trade I’m more than willing to make.em I think photos are the most important part of your listing, the best description in the world can’t help a blurry, underexposed photo./embr /br /strongWhat goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year for your Etsy business?/strong/p
ul
liAside from, of course, more hearts and sales, I would really like to make a dedicated shipping area at home. Somewhere I can lay things out for packing, and not have to run around finding tape, tissue paper, the scale, and all that. I think it would make shipping so much faster. /li
liI also need to work on keeping up to date spreadsheets and records of expenses and sales. Not my favorite part, but something I would like to accomplish./li
/ul
pa href=”http://adVintagous.etsy.com”img src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/Adshipping.jpg” alt=”" width=”556″ height=”339″ //a/p
pstrongIs there anything else you’d like to share?/strongbr /Having an online shop, and being your own boss is fantastic, but also a lot of hard work. I have so much respect now for others who do it full time! It’s not something that I ever expected to be doing, but I love it, and I’ve long since stopped wondering about the crazy places that life has taken me./p
div
p style=”text-align: center;”emThanks to /ememAllison/emem for sharing her story. You can see some of /ememAllison/emem’s beautiful work in the Related Items. Check out previous Quit Your Day Job /ememposts a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/quit-your-day-job”here/a. /em/p
/div
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Friday, December 18th, 2009
Furoshiki for the Holidays
pimg style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/Jenny_headshot_7499.jpg” alt=”" width=”169″ height=”256″ /emThis holiday season, once the gifts under the tree have been ravaged and unearthed, avoid dragging that garbage bag of crumpled wrapping paper and wilted bows down the driveway. Designer and illustrator Jenn Playford offers an environmentally-friendly and irresistibly pretty alternative. /em/p
pemJenn’s interests in colors, graphics, and textile, led her to the traditional Japanese wrapping cloth of /emfuroshiki, emand eventually, her own line of reusable fabric gift wrap, called/em ema href=”http://www.furochic.com” target=”_blank”Furochic/atrade;. /ememHere on The Storque, Jenn shares some techniques and inspiration from her book, /ema href=”http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780312566678?aff=etsy” target=”_blank”Wrapagami, the Art of Fabric Gift Wrap/a, emalong with a fascinating history of this resurrected craft./em/p
pI love fabric. Walking into a store where the shelves are filled with beautiful fabrics makes my heart race with anticipation, and the gorgeous colors, textures, and patterns are always invigorating and inspiring. I have always enjoyed making things using my vast collection of fabric, ribbon, yarn, trinkets, gems, and odds and ends mdash; and, especially, using these embellishments to decorate gifts. For years, pages from fashion magazines were my gift wrap of choice, as I felt that wrapping paper was wasteful. Eventually, my love for textiles and concerns about the environment prompted me to try wrapping gifts with fabric remnants from my collection./p
pAn interest in Japanese art and design, especially textiles, led me to emfuroshiki/em, a cloth wrap used in Japan since the seventeenth century to wrap and carry items./p
h2 style=”text-align: center;”History of Furoshiki/h2
pNara Period (Eighth Century): Starting in the eight century, a square piece of fabric called emhokei-fuhaku/em was used to wrap special items of value, including clothing for Buddhist priests and elaborate minstrel costumes. The wrapping was called emtsutsumi/em, and its main purpose was to protect and carry garments./p
pEdo Period (1603-1868): As bathhouses increased in popularity, the square wrap became known as emfuroshiki/em: emfuro/em meaning “bath” and emshiki/em meaning “to spread.” Furoshiki were used to carry toiletries and clothing to the bathhouses and were also placed on the floor to act as bathmats. During this period, wealthy families commissioned bridal furoshiki of different sizes, decroated with their family crests and symbols of good luck./p
p1800s: When cotton was introduced from overseas, furoshiki began to be produced on a larger scale. At the same time, people of Japan were traveling more for pleasure, often selling goods along the way. Furoshiki were used for not only transporting the travelers’ belongings but also their goods for sale./p
p1900s: At the turn of the twentieth century, the advances in textile production mdash; mainly automated looms from overseas mdash; made furoshiki even more accessible to the public. Furoshiki became mass-produced, and the tradition of using cloth to wrap gifts was established. Gifts wrapped with furoshiki would often be presented in person; the person giving the gift would unwrap and reveal the gift, and then keep the cloth to take home. The bridal furoshiki also became commonplace, and the bride used the large cloths for wrapping her belongings and the small cloths for wrapping gifts./p
pPost-World War II: After World War II, the Japanese became more highly influenced by American culture, resulting in the decline of furoshiki. The invention of the paper bag, followed by the plastic bag and the emergence of supermarkets across Japan in the 1970s, contirbuted to the disappearance of furoshiki. Plastic boxes and bags replaced furoshiki as a means of storage and for carrying goods. By the 1980s, the custom of using furoshiki to wrap gifts had declined almost to obscurity./p
p1990s - Present: When Japan’s economic boom ended in the early 1990s, people began to reflect upon the disadvantages and waste in a disposable society. In 2006, Japan’s then Minister of the Environment, Ms. Yuriko Koike, launched a campaign to encourage the use of furoshiki, instead of paper and plastic, and bring back the cultural tradition of wrapping and carryin gitems in fabric. She designed a furoshiki called the “Mottainai Furoshiki,” emmottainai/em, translating to “waste not, want not.” The result has been a renewed and widespread interest in the tradition of tsutsumi and a flowering of creativity associated with it. Furoshiki are beginning to be seen outside of Japan as people worldwide embrace greener lifestyles and adapt different cultural solutions to their own ways of living./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_title1.jpg” alt=”" //p
pThe 4-Tie Box Wrap is simple yet elegant. This wrap can hold almost any square box securely, and it works equally well for small or large and light or heavy packages. You can even carry the box from the top, holding it under the knots as a handle. The knots on top of the box give the illusion of a fancy bow./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_box_wrap.jpg” alt=”" //p
pstrongWhat You Need/strongbr /1 square wrap. The size should be large enough to have 5″ (12.5cm) left after tying the knots. A 28″ x 28″ (71 x 71cm) wrap works well for a 6″ x 6″ x 4″ (15 x 15 x 10cm) box./p
pstrongFabric Notes/strongbr /Almost any fabric will work, but if your box is heavy, it is best to avoid stretch fabric. Stay away from fabrics that are too thick, or the double knots will be bulky./p
pimg style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_kerchief.jpg” alt=”" width=”243″ height=”235″ //p
pstrongTips + Variationsbr //strongThis wrap works well with a scarf that has a 5″ (12.5cm) border. The wrap to the right has a solid color border, which looks like a separate element sitting on top of the box mdash; a big, complementary bow./p
pTuck a note, card, or photo beneath the first (lower) bow for a surprise when the recipient opens the gift./p
pstrongHow to Do It/strongbr /1. Lay wrap flat on a diagonal and place box in the center./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_box_step_1.jpg” alt=”" width=”270″ height=”216″ //p
p2. Pull up “b” and “d” and center above the box while arranging gathers evenly. Tie a square knot./p
p
table style=”text-align: center;” border=”0″
tbody
tr
tdimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_box_step_2.jpg” alt=”" width=”175″ height=”221″ //td
td
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_box_step_3.jpg” alt=”" width=”146″ height=”229″ //p
/td
/tr
/tbody
/table
/p
pimg style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_box_step_4.jpg” alt=”" width=”124″ height=”128″ //p
p3. Adjust corners of first knot. Turn box and pull “a” and “c” up, arranging gathers evenly. Tie a square knot above the first knot./p
p4. Adjust bow corners so that there is one flap in each of the four directions./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_title_2.jpg” alt=”" //p
pThe Over-the-Shoulder Wrap is simple yet functional. Three knots (two hidden) hold it in place and leave room for the bag to slide over a shoulder. Inside, there is ample room for items of varying sizes. It’s a great way to wrap a gift for the crafty person on your list mdash; fill it with yarns and other knitting and crochet supplies. This wrap can be easily reused because it holds its shape even after the gift is “unwrapped.”/p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_shoulder.jpg” alt=”" //p
pstrongWhat You Need/strongbr /1 square wrap. The wrap has to be at least 36″ x 36″ (91.5 x 91.5cm) to sit over the shoulder; otherwise, it will be more of a handbag./p
pstrongimg style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_shoulder_step1.jpg” alt=”" width=”192″ height=”160″ /Fabric Notes/strongbr /A strong, durable fabric such as a thick cotton or denim is best. If the fabric is too flimsy, it won’t hold its shape and may tear when carrying heavier items. Try a thick embroidered Chinese silk for a more formal look./p
pstrongHow to Do It/strong/p
p1. Lay wrap flat on a diagonal and fold “c” up toward “a” to form a triangle./p
pimg style=”float: left;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_shoulder_step_2.jpg” alt=”" width=”219″ height=”85″ //p
pnbsp;/p
p2. Gather corner “d” and measure approximately 1/2 the length of the side of the triangle. Tie into a single knot. Repeat the same for “b.”/p
pimg style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_shoulder_step_3.jpg” alt=”" width=”123″ height=”145″ //p
pnbsp;/p
pnbsp;/p
pnbsp;/p
p3. Flip the wrap inside out so that the two knots are sitting inside of the bag. Hold “a and “c” up./p
pimg style=”float: left;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/12/wrapagami_shoulder_step_4.jpg” alt=”" width=”136″ height=”131″ //p
pnbsp;/p
pnbsp;/p
pnbsp;/p
p4. Tie “a” and “c” into a square knot. Adjust fabric and gathers and place your gift inside the bag./p
pnbsp;/p
pnbsp;/p
pnbsp;/p
p style=”text-align: center;”emThanks to Jenn Playford and the good folks at St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing these projects with us. If you’re looking for more reusable wrapping inspiration, check out /ema href=”http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780312566678?aff=etsy” target=”_blank”Wrapagami/aem and Jenn’s a href=”http://www.furochic.com” target=”_blank”Furochic website/a/em./p
pnbsp;/p
p style=”text-align: center;”stronga href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/”More Craftivism Posts/a | a href=”http://www.etsy.com/gift-guides/environmentally-friendly-gifts/261″Environmentally Friendly Gift Guide/a | a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/How-Tuesday/”How-Tuesday Series/a/strong/p
pnbsp;/p
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