green Archives - Jeffrey Phillip

I am a huge fan of weekend projects, and I especially love projects that allow me to use old items I have around the house, or inexpensive things I can pick up at my local thrift store or craft store. I find the creative process of the project to be a rewarding and productive moment of solace from the everyday stresses that surround me.

While I wasn’t prepared to work on any projects as Hurricane Irene passed over this weekend, I did discover two great ones from Danny Seo’s new book Upcycling: Create Beautiful Things with the Stuff You Already Have.

The projects: Two great floor mats that are easy and cost-effective to build, and have great style (see below). Had I had all the supplies necessary, I would have had quite a crafty hurricane experience. Instead, I have added the ideas onto my list of fun, future projects.

Leather Belt Rug

Supplies Needed:

A dozen old leather belts
A hole cutter
Hemp twine
A needle

Cork Bath Mat

Supplies Needed:

A white shadowbox
About 500 wine corks
No glue or adhesives necessary

Images & Ideas courtesy of www.dailydanny.com

Over the past several years companies have done an excellent job of taking the eco-friendly, reusable tote bag and making it not only functional, but stylish and fun too. However, these must-have, useful bags can very easily become a cumbersome mess as you start to collect them. The colorful collection you accumulate as event gift bags and from different stores, typically end up getting tossed around your car or your cabinets – you may even frequently forget them when you walk out the door.

Lucky for us, Julie Zizka seems to have had similar frustrations and has created the perfect solution – The Tote Buddy. This super simple product allows you to organize and neatly store your tote bags so they will no longer be a cluttery mess, and will always be ready for your trip to the store. The Tote Buddy works with a various size totes and is available for purchase on the company’s website.

Now, why didn’t I think of that?

Tag: green

Homemade Floor Mats with Style

Get Your Tote Bags Organized