Great Green Goods - Shopping the Eco-friendly Way!

Recycled Pitcher and Glasses

green — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:20:00 +0000

These blown glass tumblers and pitcher are made from lead-free, un-tempered and recycled glass, which is melted at very high temperatures. Completely handcrafted which guarantees that there will never be two pieces exactly alike. Perfect for you folks out there who like to step away from the mass produced cookie cutter type home goods. It will feel good to drink and serve your diet coke in something other than the same ‘ole, same ‘ole. Novica.com has customer reviews of their products and everyone is raving about the quality and craftmanship of these items.
$47.49 for the tumblers and $39.99 for the pitcher at Novica.com

Recycled Vacuum Tubes

green — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:26:40 +0000

Easter is coming and you can have the most eco-friendly …not to mention the most interesting peeps a person could hope for! Made from recycled vintage radio vacuum tubes. The chicks are flocked so that they are fuzzy and the roosters come with hand shaped comb cocks and beaks. Get them quick because I don’t think my Easter will be complete with out a dozen of these!
$8.00 each at LunaClayDesign’s Etsy Shop

A doodad tchotchke of the recycled vacuum tube kind!
$16.00 at LunaClayDesign’s Etsy Shop

Wear a vacuum tube around your neck and remind yourself of simpler times and bigger boxier TV sets. Those days before flat screens were grand! weren’t they?
$20.00 at HighWindSteamWork’s Etsy Shop

A hanging decor item anywhere you need some inspiration. Perfect for those of you who turn on your lights with a pull chain. It is created from a vintage vacuum tube, also known as a thermionic valve.
$95.00 at TrashandTrinket’s Etsy Shop

This clock is made from a recycled 7” sawblade and is adorned with 1950’s era vintage radio vacuum tubes. Begs you to ask the question, “Does anyone really know what time it is?”
$49.00 at OverClocked’s Etsy Shop

Created from a recycled vintage electrical vacuum tube and adorned with a purple butterfly image sealed on to the outside of the tube.
$50.00 at Thesteampunktrunk’s Etsy shop

Recycled Crafts from Haiti

green — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:04:46 +0000

These items are created by a group of more than 200 Haitian artisans called Comite Artisanal Haitian (CAH). The group was founded in 1973 as a non-profit organization.

$39.00 at One World Projects

$17.00 at One World Projects

One World Projects will donate 50% of all Haitian product profits to non-profit organizations such as Partners in Health / Stand with Haiti (www.standwithhaiti.org) and AmeriCares (www.americares.org).

Embroidered covered journal created from recycled cement bags and filled with recycled paper.
$25.00 at Haitian Artisans for Peace International

Haitian Artisans for Peace International (HAPI) was founded in March 2007 with a mission for ‘securing health, education, dignity and hope through economic opportunities’.

Handmade of papier mache from recycled materials by artisans in Haiti.
$45.00 at Stray Dog Designs

Available in 15 different colors. Papier mache crabs created from recycled materials. Handmade by artisans in Haiti.
$135.00 at Stray Dog Designs

Small colorful clutch or purse is handmade by artisans in Haiti out of recycled materials as part of the RARA project. The RARA Project helps underprivileged Haitian women generate income to provide for their families, and trains them in skills such as sewing and weaving, all while promoting environmental responsibility.
$22.00 at The Hunger Site

Recycled empty oils drums transformed into sculptured steel designs .
$79.00 at VivaTerra (VivaTerra is raising money and has already donated $10,000.00 to Carribean Craft)

More oil drum art from Haiti…purchase from Fair Trade Marketplace and while you are at it pick up one of their Organic Cotton Unity T’s and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Fair Trade artisans and farmers in Haiti.
$29.95 at Fair Trade Marketplace

Recycled Skateboard Jewelry

green — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:32:15 +0000

Recycled skateboard bangles and earrings made from used and recycled skateboards. The colors and patterns are often left over from the original skateboard complete with its own personality and pizazz. This jewelry is a great opportunity to show off your creativity, individuality and take action to save our planet.

Rings are $54.00, Earrings are $42.00 and bracelets are $24.00 at MapleXO
Available at Maple’s Etsy shop too.

Eco-friendly Bags

green — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:30:54 +0000

We’re introducing a new advertiser on GreatGreenGoods today …and we are so happy to have them! If you looking for a good looking bag that is also eco-friendly, you can’t go wrong with a bag from instinctive. They are made with recycled materials (the main body fabric, the polyester webbing and the plastic buckles are all recycled) and they are manufactured in a Fair Labor Association and Social Accountability International approved factory. What separates instinctive from the pack is that they have a lifetime “Takeback” policy….which means that if you want a new look, you can return your bag for repair or replacement.

$49.99 at Instinctive

$59.99 at Instinctive
There are additional styles available on the Instinctive website and don’t forget … when you purchase one of these bags, 1% is donated to The Wild Foundation.

Recycled blue jeans

green — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:51:18 +0000

Working with recycled blue jeans is pretty easy ….just hit a couple of yard sales and buy up whatever you can find! When you style and size are not an issue, the material seems to be in abundance everywhere!! ....Here are a few artists that are making magic out of this ubiquitous fabric ….

These have so much personality and life! ...check out her blog for more denim loveliness – http://ilovedenim.blogspot.com.
Top – $60.00 at Barbara Bearo’s Etsy Shop. Bottom – $80.00 at Barbara Bearo’s Etsy Shop.

This rug is created entirely from old jeans…and woven by South Dakota artist, Annikki Marttila.
$45.00 at Finnish Weaver’s Etsy Shop

The “Kate” Sandal is made from Recycled Denim and has a few Austrian Swarovski Crystals added for pizazz along with elegant embroidery.
$39.00 at Art Fire

Created from “found denim” in Julie Floersch’s Brooklyn studio. Her artist statement does a great job explaining the beauty that can be found in this unique wall hanging.

Julie Floersch’s statement:
Using discarded materials, primarily found denim for it’s haphazard and painterly qualities, I incorporate various structure-forming techniques into complex geometric repetitions, giving them a slightly raised, subtle third dimension. These intricate patterns are then assiduously interwoven, juxtaposing hand crafted traditional Americana and pop culture imagery to reshape the concept of quilt making as a purely 2-dimensional art form.

$825.00 at Kwilti.etsy.com

Recycled Denim Throw Quilt (with your choice of fleece color backing) Size is 54×54 inches.
$40.00 at Lil Annie’s Attic

Recycled Denim Inspiration:

From the Equilters.com website, many quilts made from recycled jeans that will provide lots of inspiration!

Martha Stewart has some nice tutorials working with recycled denim.

The metamorphosis of old jeans design by : yao xie from china

Braided rug from strips of denim harvested from the entire family’s stash of old out-grown jeans.
See the wonderfully detailed tutorial here.

Crafting with Recycled Materials

green — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:31:43 +0000

Nothing is better than ~~playing~~ crafting with things you were going to throw away. Trash to treasure baby!

Some folks refer to the Big Green Book of Recycled Crafts ( Leisure Arts #4802) as the bible of recycled craft books. Leisure Arts was one of the first to publish books in this genre and many of us loved the old favorite Trash to Treasure. This book will not disappoint. It contains many crafts made from everyday materials like glass, paper, plastic bags and what-have-you. How about the bird bungalows made from plastic laundry soap bottles? Or a recycled bag keeper made from the sleeve of an old shirt?
$15.56 at Amazon

Recycled Crafts Box is great for beginner crafters. Each project features step-by-step illustrated instructions, and a full-color photo of the finished art-work. Recycled yogurt cups and spoons become collectible dolls and your old shoes become eye-catching planters.
$8.76 at Amazon

Gorgeous Gifts: Use recycled materials to make cool crafts (Ecocrafts) is a great book for all ages. Some of the projects include: tea light candleholders, plant pots, bookmarks, bracelets, hand puppets, puppet theater, refrigerator magnets, model airplanes, stained-glass windows, and computer mousepads. Not overwhelming at aprox. 50 pages.
$7.62 at Amazon

Craftcycle: 100+ Earth-Friendly Projects and Ideas for Everyday Living is one of the new books on the scene and it is worth it! Fun hip projects include felting old sweaters to make mittens and upcycling old records and CDs. Full of color and step by step instructions.
$15.63 at Amazon

Bags To Riches – Recycled Vases

green — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:47:04 +0000

Vases created by the creative and hard-working Etsy artist Diane K Designs. Each vase is made from recycled department store bags and grocery bags, which have been cut, folded, chained, sewn, and sealed. These are a part of a limited series and one of a kind.
$55.00 for the top vase and $89.00 for the bottom vase at Diane K Designs’ Etsy Shop

Recycled Tin Bi-Plane from South Africa

green — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:15:34 +0000

Made from recycled aluminum soda cans, this biplane would bring any room to life. It is made with such detail that the propeller and wheels turn, and it has a hook for hanging. The plane is approximately 9.5 inches in length and 4.5 inches in height.
$34.99 at Gifts with Humanity

Recycled Holiday Gifts

green — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 03:47:17 +0000

Made from recycled tape measures …what a colorful addition to any room. It is made from a coated plastic ….so just in case you make a spill it will wipe right up! ...and will come in handy if you need to measure your pie plate!
$49.00 at VivaTerra – Eco Living with Style. Find natural home décor, organic gifts and more.

Since ‘tis the season to make wise money choices, here is a great eco-pig for your dollars and cents. Made from recycled left-over silk scraps, it is colorful and useful!
$49.00 at VivaTerra – Eco Living with Style. Find natural home décor, organic gifts and more.