GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. JANICE #2 WON!
Thank you all for entering.
I really like recycling, reusing, and repurposing items. My next column in our local newspaper will be about that very topic. But before that article is published, I’d like to share a wonderful book I received recently to review. It’s Eco Craft by Susan Wasinger.
In this user-friendly book, Susan gives the reader over 30 different, creative green projects. Her four sections – decorate, create, illuminate, and celebrate – list clear and colorful step-by-step instructions on making a variety of recycled projects I have never seen or even thought about before. The six-pack screen and the grocery bag shade were just two of those. In her projects she uses mostly materials we all have around the house: glass jars and bottles, yellow pages and phone books, milk jugs, soda cans, and tin cans. Also, her ideas can be easily converted to materials you have around the house.
I really love this book and I was so excited I could hardly wait to get started. So far I’ve made two different projects. As I’m looking back through this book to write the review, I’m seeing others that I’ve just got to make!
I’ve been wanting to make a recycled tote but just couldn’t find directions I really wanted to attempt until this book. She made her tote out of coffee bags. Since we haven’t saved our coffee bags (we will now!), I substituted a cat food bag.

I cut up my cat food bag, made sure that the inside white material would be the outside of my bag, taped it all together with colorful duck tape and added a couple staples. Love this tote.
It is so strong and was so much fun to make. Using the inside white lining on the outside of the bag made it so versatile. I love the silver duck tape and could see another one made just with the silver.
The next project I would never have thought about. We don’t buy much produce since hubby grows most of our food, but we do buy mushrooms. (We did try growing mushrooms, but that’s another story!) Anyway, they come in these blue containers. She used a plastic-to-go container, but I thought this would work fine with her technique.
She used glue and water to paste newspaper strips onto the container. I remember doing something like this when I was a kid. She added tissue paper on the inside to give it a little color. I decided to take it a step further. I added tissue paper accents on both the inside and outside and covered with sparkle Mod Podge!
Now to decide what to store in it. Let’s see what I have around here that needs a home.
I spotted another one of those mushroom containers in the fridge. I’m looking forward to having a whole set of these in my cave. They can be used as drawer dividers or just colorful bins to contain stuff. Of course, I can see using scrapbook and homemade papers and glitzy embellishments instead of newspaper. Pretty neat way to save something from the dumpster. It’s fun making new from something we usually discard and can’t recycle.
I also wanted to mention that I really enjoyed her introduction about turning green and starting where you are with what you have on hand. She gives the reader a little bit of personal information on her quest to repurpose and reuse. And her projects sure inspired me to do more eco-crafting.
And now for the great news! This book can be yours by just commenting on this post. The drawing will close Wednesday, June 23 at 6 pm CST. I will be using the random generator or maybe I’ll put all the names in the hat and let hubby draw. Anyway, be sure that you leave a way for me to contact you to get your mailing address. Good luck!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review and received no monetary compensation. The giveaway prize being offered is the review copy I received.
Oh my goodness. What great ideas. I was saving a bird food bag and it was hanging around for 2 or 3 weeks. I was watching an episode of “Hoarders” and during a commercial I went out to the kitchen and threw my beautiful bag in the trash. Bummer!
Rebecca
Great ideas for reusing things in a creative way….love the bag.
Would love to have a copy for more green ideas.
Janice F.
This looks like a great book! I have a couple of containers on my counter that could become storage trays for small “stuff” that needs a home. I like the inspiration, but I also need concrete guidance. This looks like just the thing.
Thanks for doing this giveaway.
And for commenting on my blog the other day.
denny1600 (at) gmail (dot) com
Rebecca, I saw a beautiful bag online recently that was made from one of those bird food bags. I know I’ve done that. I’ll get in a cleaning frenzie and throw out stuff and wish I hadn’t.
This update on the recycling projects has given me ideas for cleaning out my kitchen junk draw and resorting and reorganizing items in these attractive little containers. I am going to read that book and clean my draw today! kjp
I love that recycled bag idea!! I have a 20 pound dog food bag that I will have to play with:)
I just found your blog yesterday and I love it! I need to grab another cup of coffee and read some of your back posts, I’m learning a lot:)
Cute bags and great idea with the mushroom containers..love it!!
I think this book sound great i will look for it at the library.
Fun blog i will visit again:)
I have a new chiweenie puppy and when her first puppy food bag is empty I’m going to make a book tote with it. I love that idea and how your bag turned out so great! I found your site from Kim Jones Serendipity Vintage Studio and you are in my Bookmarks. I love, love that you are a local blogger and I enjoy the same things you do! I sure hope that random thingy picks me to win the book!
Sonya Addington
Nice! And these look easy enough to do with kiddos too. Thanks for the chance!
I would love to win this!!!
Super ideas–might actually be within my crafting ability, I hope….
Thanks for the chance to win!
–Liza
ejm6x (at) yahoo (dot) com
Oh my! What fun it would be to try some of these projects! Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
I love the concept! I feel as if I don’t do nearly enough to recycle everyday objects.
Thanks for the chance!
six_one_nine_girlie86 (at) yahoo (dot) com
This book is such a cool idea! I love crafting and my roommate loves to recycle, so this would be perfect for us!
Great book! I am a third grade teacher and I bet some of the ideas in this book could be used in my classroom!
Thanks for the chance to win! 😀
It’s always fun to see how people reuse items. I loved those glass bottles (being a bottle saver, it was especially appealing).
Your clip holder is adorable. So are the clips! lol
Hi! I love these kind of ideas. It is amazing what you can make with everyday objects. We can reuse so many things if we put our minds to do it. Thank you for a great giveaway! 🙂
I love these ideas! I would love to make this stuff with my boys. Awesome!
This book looks so cool! I hope i win it, then i’ll have something to do this summer! thanks for this chance!
jessicanguyen_asdf@yahoo.com
Sounds like such a neat book- I would love to own it and make good use of it. Thanks for the giveaway.
nupur.kittur AT gmail DOT com
How fun – love the bag idea. My best friend is a home-schooling mom – I’d love to win this for her…she’d do every single craft in there with her kids I’d bet.
What a great project! I just bought a tote bag for my daughter that looks very similarly made. It would be fun to make our own. You can never have too many totes! We’re trying to reduce the amount of trash we throw away, and this book looks like it has a lot of ideas to make that possible. Thanks for sharing!
How cool! I’ve been looking for books with eco friendly crafting ideas, and this is spot on! Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
looks great, love the bag you made xx
How inspiring! I would have a lot of fun with my kids and the ideas from this book! Thanks for all you do!
what a great book! full of nice ideas!
I love crafting so much, it will help me a lot to get new projects.
thanks a lot for this nice giveaway
Oh wow… The cover of the book sucked me in straight away. This book belongs up on my bookshelf for all of the MooBear family to flick through so we can find new things to save our planet from hurting. I will be keeping our fair trade coffee packets from now on…. Xo Steph
I have been hanging on to all sorts of items to create using them. But no ideas yet, I bet this book would be a world of ideas for me. Thanks for the chance to win it.
is this international? what a fanatastic giveaway! so cool!
here’s my blog: http://stylishchatterboxing.blogspot.com/
I hold on to all kinds of things waiting for a great idea to help me repurpose them. This would help! Thanks for the chance! buckeye7081 at gmail dot com
I have so many “saved” objects that i just know would be perfect for something! It would be nice to have some inspiration! Thanks for the chance.
tamidenette at hotmail dot com
this looks awesome! reduce, reuse, recycle! 🙂
I love recycled and upcycled crafts. Looks like some fun and practical projects.
Wow!
This book looks like it’s full of great ideas!
Very very nice giveaway! Let us save Mother Earth! 🙂
Great giveaway. I am all about recycling!
What a cool book!
sillyabster@gmail.com
Such an interesting book!
Creativity is so much fun 🙂
2makes1kira(at)gmail(dot)com
What a neat book! And it looks like some of the projects my kids could actually enjoy doing as well. Thanks for the chance to win!
bamagv at aol dot com
This book looks great! I love trying to make something new from something old! stef4916 @ yahoo. com
Oooo – I’ve drooled over this book on Amazon! I’d love to win a copy! Thanks for the chance 🙂