#eco DIY

[artisticdivasworld]

The world of recycled crafts

We visited recycled crafts briefly before Christmas, and you can read that post here. But if you’re interested in diving into the world of recycled crafts, it’s a great way to reduce waste, and it’s also incredibly satisfying to transform something old into something new and beautiful. Let’s walk through how you can start making crafts with recycled items, and I’ll share some cool project ideas…

[labgrownfemcel]

Idea: sew some cute little moths with scrap fabrics and sew them on holes you have on your clothes so you can keep wearing them :)

[eeks-cursed-art]

A couple patches that’ll be going on some patch pants, I bought the global warming patch at a pride event and made the rest

[cozypunkprints]

Finally got around to finishing this visible mending project from this fall.

[thedimelion]

The results will be a unique and slightly rustic flag. In general, I want people to be aware of their impact when it comes to buying textiles, and that there is alternatives when wanting new clothing or similarities.

[half-algorithm-half-deity]

Tips for making actually cheap punk clothes from someone that has spent a maximum of $11 on any specific project over 3 years:

Bottle caps make AMAZING pins. There's countless ways to make bottlecap pins, but I mainly do it by 1) filling the cap with hot glue and 2) gluing a safety pin to the back. It's up to the individual. But the point is: Save bottlecaps.

DRINK CANS ARE AMAZING FOR MAKING SPIKES! Any aluminum can works - Monster cans, beer cans, etc. - all you have to do is cut off the tops and bottoms; make it a flat sheet; cut the metal into small semicircles; and roll it into cones. They stay in place easily with hot glue, and when you put them onto anything, they look just as good as store-bought.

Save Can Tabs. They can be put onto jackets, made into chains, earrings, necklaces, or anything else you want.

Literally anything can be made punk. Jeans, cargo pants, denim jackets, t-shirts, shoes, hoodies - the sky's the limit. Don't let these tiktok punks tell you that only their $80 Social Distortion pants and $120 denim jackets can be punk. Any clothes you pull out of a dumpster can be punkified.

Old T-shirts that no longer fit and have a design on them can be cut out and made into backpieces. Band shirts are particularly great for this, so if you thrift a Motorhead shirt that's too small, you can cut out the design and sew it onto a jacket and bam - you've got an exclusive piece of merch.

This one's more of an opinion, but: If you're patching up a jacket, sew the patches onto the outside of the jacket. If you're patching up pants, create holes where you want the design, and sew the patches from the inside of the pants.

Do research. If a "thrift store" calls itself a cheap alternative store, but has $50 jeans, it's not a thrift store. It's a vintage reseller, and the clothes are almost always WAY overpriced.

Shoplift carefully. Go somewhere you don't usually go - a large chain like Walmart or Target or Staples, not a local business - and take small things. Don't go somewhere that you're a regular at, or shoplift multiple times in a short period of times, or do too much at once. You will develop a track record and have more of a chance of being caught. However, the workers don't get paid less for you stealing, and the big suits in corporate won't notice or care about a missing pack of dental floss.

Experiment! Have fun with it! I've been Frankenstein-ing my jacket for years and counting - I've taken off the sleeves, added new sleeves, painted on it, put patches on it, added pins, anything you can think of. Be loud, be ugly, be weird, be happy.

If you have a painted patch or spot on pants/a jacket/whatever and it's old, but you want to take it off now, or if you just made a mistake, acetone can get pretty much any amount and age of paint out of any fabric. By acetone, I mean most nail polish removers or rubbing alcohols.

Now, I hate buying things for making punk clothes, but there are a few things that, in my opinion, are investments that last FOREVER. This includes: Hot glue guns; nail polish remover (for the last tip, mainly); paint pens and containers of paint (fabric or not); sharpies; dental floss or just normal thread; fabric scissors; and SAFETY PINS. None of them are very expensive, but they'll come in handy for years.

ESPECIALLY SHARPIES. That's the one thing I won't debate is a perfect investment. You can get a set of 12 colors or 12 black ones for like $9, and you can use them for EVERYTHING. The color also won't bleed when washed, as opposed to most pens and markers.

SAFETY PINS ARE A FASHION STATEMENT IN AND OF ITSELF. They're super useful in making clothes and jewelry, they're cheap and easy to find, and just nice to line the hems of your pants with.

When you make a square patch, fold in the edges slightly so that the edges don't fray. This makes it slightly harder to sew on, but it keeps the patch in good condition for longer - unless the idea is to look tattered. Then don't.

Don't be afraid to add something random and weird to your clothing because "oh people are gonna see it and know I like this weird niche thing" - that's the whole point! It's an expression of who YOU are, not what people want you to be. If people - especially other punks - judge you for it, fuck them. Unless...

No swastikas, no iron crosses, no symbols of oppression, no TERF shit. I'd say that's the only rule of punk - to say "oppression is punk" is going against everything punk stands for. Of course, if you do it anyways, you should at least know you deserve the beating you get at a basement show attended by underpaid and rage-filled faggots.

Of course, these are just mine, and there's plenty more that I do not know. If you've got your own way of doing things that goes against mine, that's awesome. But if you need to start somewhere as a kid punk, I hope this helped.

[rriotghoul]

I love making battle jacket patches. this is 11/20 i need to make for the hood of a jacket. also considering at some point maybe doing patch commissions in the future?

[sew-much-to-do]

DIY Reusable Food Wrap (How To Make Beeswax Wraps)

Here's how to make reusable beeswax wraps that are an eco-friendly alternative to cling wrap. Using the warmth of your hands to make them pliable, you can wrap them around fruits, veggies, bread, and containers like bowls and casserole dishes. They can also be made into reusable sandwich bags.

✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖

sew-much-to-do: a visual collection of sewing tutorials/patterns, knitting, diy, crafts, recipes, etc.

[iamthatwhich]

If you menstruate and are on a path of zero-waste, avoiding plastics, avoiding toxic chemicals, minimizing your footprint, or all of the above, then you’ve likely been faced with a frustrating conundrum: Menstruating is a natural part of your life, but there doesn’t seem to be too many ‘clean’, safe options to deal with it.

First off, let me say that I have been off and away from mainstream menstrual care for over 14 years, including birth control (wrecked my hormones), and storebought sanitary products (full of harmful chemicals like bleach, perfume and hormone-disrupting PFAs!). I have used silicone cups, discs, and cloth pads, and have a lengthy and thorough review of how they are used and what brands I prefer up on my Patreon.

However, for today I want to focus on one tried and true item: The pad.

Pads have been around for centuries- longer if you include their earlier predecessor, The Rag. However, in this time we’ve come pretty far to create a more secure, clean and manageable item— though the creation of the chemically-treated, plastic lined disposable pad has been a regrettable pit stop.

Cloth pads are great because they come in a wide range of colors and patterns (making them more appropriate for more kinds of menstruating people, including men and children) and can be reused for years if cared for properly. Over the past decade, they’ve gone from being available solely from independent sellers on sites like Etsy to  being sold alongside menstrual cups in the ‘alternative’ period care section of many stores. You can also specifically buy  pads made from organic or natural materials and avoid petrol-based textiles.

However, a downside here is that purchasing pads can still be expensive even if you aren’t buying direct from an indie seller. Now, it’s not that they aren’t worth every penny; having made 3 sets myself I fully understand the time, skill and materials that go into making them. But the fact of the matter is that under late-stage capitalism, paying the higher up-front cost for a set of reusable pads can be daunting, even if you know it’s cheaper in the long run (and it is). If you have access to fabric, a sewing machine, and sewing skills, you can half the price, and I’m going to show you  how. The cost of fabric can even be lowered by recycling old towels and clothing and I’ll talk about what you need in the tutorial! As a set of good cloth pads can last from 4-6 years or more, this is a great, frugal and eco-friendly option!

Additionally, I’m going to tell you how to wash and care for your pads since working with reusable pads is way different than just wrapping them up and throwing them in the trash.

For the step by step directions, photos and care tutorial, click here to read for free on my Patreon. All of my content is Patron-supported and Patrons also receive private and early-release posts! If you appreciate my work, feel free to visit my membership page and choose the tier that works for you.

Free tutorial here.

Tips + Thank yous Insta

[the-solarpunk-activist]

A lot of stuff I hear in sustainability circles is oh, I still live at home what can I do?

Besties there is so much you can do.

You got chores? Dishes one of them?

You can fill up the sink with water and wash with just that. Less water than constantly running

I find that gross but my grandma does it. When I do dishes I use a jar with a drop of soap, fill it with water, and dip my scrub brush in that so I'm not wasting soap.

Dry dishes with a towel

Air dry your dishes

You can also ask if you can keep a potted plant (edible plants are bonus points) or a garden

Also bonus points if you use food scraps for a garden. That's a whole topic for another post another day but seriously look into it

Or you can trade plants with friends and neighbors

Or steal cuttings

You can wash your clothes on cold, ask if you can hang dry your clothes

You can use eco friendly laundry detergent, or just start using the actual amount needed. That stuff is so concentrated it isn't even funny

Use reusables whenever you can

Try to eat less processed foods

Try to eat more plant based

Try to limit your car trips

Take walks and pick up litter

Go to the beach and pick up litter

Bonus points for separating recyclables

Learn to repair your clothes, a basic sewing kit should be all you need for simple mends

Shop at yard sales, thrift shops, second hand, or local

Shampoo bars

Soap bars

Yes including hand soap

Weave baskets out of toilet paper rolls. No idea how you do it but I've seen it and they look pretty cool

Learn an "old fashioned" skill, like spinning yarn, canning, gardening, basket weaving, wood carving, etc

Try to be creative!! So much about Solarpunk and sustainability is about being creative with your solutions

[plague-vulture]

pillbug/isopod stamp and the patch i made w/ it :D

[eeks-cursed-art]

I was not expecting y’all to like those patches as much as y’all did but most of em are sewn on now so here’s the pants, also featuring my cartoon boots that I just painted yesterday

[cozypunkprints]

Mackerel patches are heeeere! I'm so so pleased with how these came out.

shop

[angelsberrymilk]

Dean is the type to strangle someone to death with an empty bag of crisps.

[envirogoth]

today I just finished up a hat my friend asked me to make for her sister. she asked how much, I said $5. I learned how to crochet because another friend gifted me a loom and some black yarn for my birthday one year. I only knew how to make one thing- hats. I didn't even make them correctly. it was supposed to bunch up in the middle to be a beanie. well I messed something up on the last step and it became a square. putting it on made cat ears. my friends thought it was cute, so I decided to make some for Christmas gifts!

the crocheting took a couple of hours, but it was fun, though frustrating, and I was just excited to make my friends a cute hat they enjoyed. I didn't think they would be so coveted that more people would ask for them *and pay*!

so when my friend asked me how much the hat would be I told her 5 dollars. after all, isn't that how much hats cost? when you go to Walmart, isn't a hat about $5?

My hats aren't amazing quality. the loom is large, so the loops are big, I still only know how to crochet one thing (two if you count the fact that now I know how to make a non-cat beanie..) and I can't tie my loose ends in a pretty way. but they are made from a soft yarn that keeps your head warm, and they are ADORABLE.

then I factor in the work I put in. once when I was really in the mood for crocheting I took a quick 4 hours, give or take, while binging TV shows.

the materials were cheap, about $9 for a skein that can make like 3 hats

so I'm putting in $3 per hat and selling them for $5.. making my time, over 4 hours, worth.. 50 cents an hour..

i asked for 10 since they're friends of friends, and maybe I'll ask for 15 next time.

I am not going to charge $40 for my hats. frankly nobody would buy them. but in what world should i be selling myself so short that I sell them for 5?

in what world should a hat cost $5. I don't even have shipping costs, and I don't have employees to pay. sure, I also don't have machines, or cheaper materials...

but there is someone out there, putting effort into that shein hat you got made out of plastic for $5, who is getting paid cents an hour. do they deserve that?