Reduce Reuse Recycle……….. Recraft?

While you won’t see this for a while, I’m writing this during the Twelve Days of Christmas (25 December 2009 through 6 January 2010). Usually a time when many consider making changes (dare I say ‘resolutions’?) for the new year.

I hope some of you have made one to take better care of our world, after all it is the only one we have. Sometimes, its a slow process to realize just how important changing existing habits or adding new ones to help the environment. I know it has been a slow process with me and one that I’ve realized is going to be ongoing.

Okay, so I’m sure some of you are asking what in the world does this have to do with crafting? Lots.

For starters, we all go shopping for craft supplies sooner or later. Never mind how many of those plastic bags you use to bring your groceries or household items home, how many do you use just shopping for craft supplies? You know those reusable canvas totes hold much more anyway and they’re not see through when trying to slip a few extra skeins of yarn into the house!

But there are ways to recycle that actually provide crafting supplies.

Crocheting or knitting from those same plastic bags can provide an assortment of items such as plastic totes that are sturdy and not only can be used for shopping but for toting damp items back from the beach or lake. It just takes a bit of time to make ‘plarn’ (http://www.homesteadweaver.com/crochetplasticbags.htm) and you have a wide range of things that would be great made from it. Totes, placemats, coasters.

Many knitters recycle old sweaters, finding decent ones in ops shops or thrift shops and unraveling the yarn to reuse into something else. Old blankets can become quilt batting. There’s so many ways things thought to be disposable can be recycled into handy items.

There’s patterns out there for so many ideas, CD container lids into yarn totes. Juice drink packets into totes and hats. CD’s themselves if damaged or not usable into coasters and ornaments and other items.

Crafters are only limited by their imagination when it comes to helping the environment in unexpected ways.

Crafty Witch Mary (a.k.a. Dragonsinger)