I was glad to see this article and to share it with you. I am not advocating becoming completely Vegan or Vegetarian, but if you reduce the amount of meat you eat, like doing Meatless Mondays (or in our house, we eat meat mostly on the weekends) – you can help to reduce the strain on the planet, as well as eating a healthier diet.
Cheers, and happy holidays.
As always the last few weeks of the year spin fast, and here I sit a week before Christmas, days before Solstice, Hannukah a day away, and I have not posted as often as I had hoped.
I have been working at planning better for 2023, and hope to post more regularly again – as there was a time when I posted nearly daily and certainly every week.
For now, though, I leave you with this graphic:
I wish you a Very Happy Holiday, whichever one you celebrate. And I hope the new year brings you health, wealth, and the time to enjoy both. Remember to Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle…the planet needs good stewards. See you all in 2023, more regularly (fingers crossed).
The scariest part of Halloween this year is probably the state of the world. Wars, climate change, pandemics, famine….and yet the more things change, the more they stay the same (as the saying goes).
In terms of responsible living, each of us can make a difference (regardless of how small that difference may seem)…and it doesn’t require large amounts of cash or dedication of hours of labor. It starts with small steps. It starts with being thoughtful (or dare I say it, mindful).
We only have this planet to live on. We cannot stick out a thumb, as in “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe”, and catch a ride to some other place that is habitable and also might welcome an interplanetary immigrant.
What can you do when you are busy working and trying to pay bills and trying to provide for your families? Well, as it turns out you might be able to do more than you think you can.
Start by choosing to look for ways to be frugal while living your life.
It is okay to wear the same clothes as long as they fit and are clean. Look into how you can repurpose and recycle the clothing you can no longer wear (can you repair and wear casually? Can you make something new from it? Can you use it for stuffing or for rags to clean with?). If you have simply outgrown something, then can you resell it in a consignment shop, or on eBay, or in a garage sale? Do you have a local “Buy Nothing” group that you can offer it to?
Do you turn off the lights when not in use? Do you shut down your computer and printer when not in use.
Do you make sure not to leave the water running when not in use?
Do you look for ways to use up all the food you’ve purchased? (We, in the US, are really bad at wasting food).
Little things add up. What things do YOU do, to save resources (and money)?
As always, the final quarter of the year snuck up on me, and here we are at the end of summer, about to start a new season and October is only days away. This year I have been delving into fabric arts, with an eye toward keeping things out of the trash/landfills and making practical use of the mantra “Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose”. During this exploration, I have shared some of what I have been doing, even the first tries which were learning experiences – mostly because I think it is good for folks to see the stuff that doesn’t work out well as much as seeing great finished projects. I do the same thing with my art… and sometimes I am surprised because the things I think look awful are often something that someone else loves.
And that is a lesson in and of itself. The old adage that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” definitely applies to arts and crafts. So to all of you out there, who, like some of my friends – expect yourself to be perfect – I remind you – sometimes it is the imperfections that will make it appealing to someone else.
Using materials that would normally go into the trash is a way of re-establishing value. It is also a way for each of us to help keep the planet habitable. 🙂
If you reuse, recycle, and repurpose in your arts and crafts – let me know – I’d like to interview you and share your story!
By now you’ve seen some of the projects I’ve done using plastic bread bags and leftover yarn. I’ve also made some using clothesline rope and yarn. I love playing with ideas (where do I get my ideas? Youtube, Pinterest, and looking at other artist’s work).
Here are some of the ornaments that I made using clotheline rope and yarn – the first one uses the loop back method to create a hole for hanging the ornament (see first picture).
I have loads of jewelry findings, so I dug through my stash for end caps that had hooks or holes for a way to hang the ornaments, and used those for the two larger ornaments. And these are indeed large, about 6 inches in diameter…which would look great on a big tree or hanging in a window.
I am also trying to figure out what to use as a wire form in order to make a tree topper – I would make a “round” ornament and affix it to the “stand” so it could be slid over the top bough or branch. My challenge is both to make it sturdy and pleasing to the eye, as well as to use materials that might otherwise be in the trash/landfill. I’ll let you all know what I come up with. If you have any ideas, please feel free to message!
My current focus project is making a bunch of small “baskets” to use as soft sculpture on a canvas using cut up bread bags (we eat a ton of breads and bagels even when I regularly bake sour dough). Yes, yes, I know I am all over the place – I just like to work on lots of things – and sometimes paint needs to dry or glue needs to set – so I have other things to do while that is happening.
I picked coordinated “Fall” colors – and will make several of these smaller “baskets” which I plan to affix to a framed canvas (which I will paint ahead of time). I could also see these easily on an Autumn themed wreath or as part of a table centerpiece. You are only limited by your imagination! Plus I am prepping some fabric scraps to use to make some baskets, as well!
I was recently interviewed for “A Heart For Writing” with Joan Raymond, and I mentioned that I will be putting together a book on how to do many of these crafted items. I hope you will stay tuned and also give your input about what you would like to know more about and which projects are the most interesting to you.
Until next time, remember “Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose” – every little bit counts!
I am seriously enjoying finding ways to use fabric scraps, bits of yarn, and plastic bags – that keep them all out of the landfills.
It is relatively simple to do even if you are not “crafty”.
Here’s another great way to reuse plastic bags!
Project III: Site Specific Installation “Everyday Objects”
Using some sort of scavenged, easily amassed material. Use a repetitive, accumulative process to create an installation that create a spectacle. This installation should be located in such a manner that the “site” is somehow considered- part of the context of the piece. Work with a partner.
Materials: used plastic bags(600~), cable ties, ropes, 2×4 wood, and a ring.
I save plastic bags. The zip lock type – I wash, dry, and reuse. Bread and english muffin/bagel bags, I save and use for pet waste…but even that makes me feel bad, because it goes into the land fill.
Recently I was browsing Pinterest, looking at what kinds of things I could do with a lot of the waste that goes into the recycle bin – and I found a post where someone was crocheting plastic bag “plarn” into mats for the homeless. I don’t have enough to make “plarn” (plastic bag yarn) but it did remind me that the bags could be used as the core of something else.
I have made a couple of baskets using bread bags cut into three inch strips and folded to make a “rope” to wrap leftover yarn around – and voila! Coiled baskets!
Here are the first two that I have made:
These were relatively easy and a lot of fun — as well as therapeutic, as it gives me something to do while listening to audio books. 🙂 .
I may give a shot at making plarn if I ever amass enough shopping sized bags but in the meantime I will be playing around with using fabric remnants and yarn to make coiled baskets and coasters. Maybe even a rug! It keeps them all out of the landfill and makes fun artsy items for the house.
Do you make stuff with plastic bags? I’d love to hear about it and share it!
It has been hard to focus on anything these last two years. I’ve had a lot of false starts and failed experiments, and I’ve learned a lot.
I’ve learned a lot about pandemics. I’ve learned a lot about how people deal with pandemics. I’ve learned a lot about how people process information (and information overload).
Ultimately the “real” pandemic seems to be a contagious form of rage.
You might wonder what rage might have to do with sustainable living, and learning how to have a higher quality of life with less “stuff”.
Part of the answer is just that there is such a disparity in addressing how to live on less. For those who currently live paycheck to paycheck – transitioning their thinking is not only hard, it may be impossible.
For example: a person making minimum wage and lucky enough to have a place to live, may not have access to fresh vegetables or the time to prepare them, since it is likely they are working two jobs to be able to afford the apartment they are living in. When you live with scarcity, you tend to hold on to and try to accumulate as much as possible. You cannot simply check to see if something gives you joy… you see what I mean?
And with the lockdowns of the last two years, if you were one of those folks doing a minimum wage job, you also found yourself in danger of losing wages due to being sick, or if the business had to close, or worse – being assaulted for trying to maintain mask mandates.
Everyone has had reasons to build up rage. Frustrations and stress are the building blocks to rage. And people who are angry tend to make everyone around them angry, too.
One thing that has become apparent, is that to counter this rage pandemic, we need to help each other. Treat each other kindly. And share our resources.
One way to share is to look for a community Buy Nothing Project Group. the concept is that if you have something that is still usable, instead of throwing it away, you offer it up to someone else in your community, who might need it. Clothing, food, appliances, baby stuff, craft stuff – whatever. And if you need something, you simply ask – and if someone wants to gift you, they do. It keeps things out of the landfill. It shares the abundance in a community. It builds relationships – many new friends have been made through sharing on the Buy Nothing groups.
Just a little reminder to you that you can do something about the rage pandemic, at the grass roots.
Be well.
As always, just because they are “friendly” does not mean that they are allowed everywhere without rules and restrictions. Things can vary from county to county and town to town – so best to double check with your local government and planning departments before you invest in anything.
“Caveat Emptor” (Let the buyer beware) is the best way to go. 🙂 And if you find other states that are “Tiny Friendly” – please let us know!
the zen of living smaller 