Fun Crafts from Knitting (or Crochet!) Scraps

Knitting and crochet both have a lot of benefits as autumn craft activities: they can be enjoyed alone or with friends; they're portable for holidays and road trips; and kids can join in the fun (particularly with techniques like arm knitting or finger crochet). These pastimes are also great from a sustainability standpoint, as needles/hooks are durable and rarely require replacement and yarn can be purchased (or found at the Reuse Centre) in a variety of eco-friendly fibres.

One of the reuse challenges that I encountered when I started crocheting regularly was what to do with the many scraps of yarn that I accumulated from different projects. I found that the easiest solution was to wind each piece into a small roll and store them in a mason jar or on an empty paper towel tube. Here are 3 fun ideas for how you can put those scraps to use.

1) Ornament or Hanging Mobile

Yarn scraps can be wrapped around styrofoam balls to make individual ornaments or a stunning hanging mobile. This project provides the opportunity to be creative with color, size and arrangement, making the finished project suitable for anywhere in the home, in any season.

2) Wall Hanging

This is another versatile home decor project, requiring yarn scraps and a piece of dowel. Check out A Pretty Fix for a great example. Different colors and textures of yarn can be used in combination and the dowel could be replaced with a branch or piece of pipe for a more rustic or modern look, respectively.

3) Gift Wrap

Although this example from It Happens in a Blink is for a Christmas present, the idea is great for any time of year. Alternatives to conventional gift wrap are important from a sustainability perspective, plus a fun and personalized package is sure to bring a smile to the recipient's face!

-Karlene (Volunteer)

How to Throw a Waste-Free Party

Summer is full of weekend get togethers and backyard barbeques. All these parties can create a lot of excess waste and garbage. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many ways to reduce or eliminate waste at your next summer party. Here are some tips.

Use reusable plates, cutlery and napkins 

• While disposable dinnerware may be tempting to use for convenience, it creates a lot of extra garbage. Most of these items are plastic, Styrofoam, or coated with a water-resistant finish so they are not recyclable. If you must use disposable items try to find ones that are labelled as Certified Compostable. 

• An easy alternative to disposable plates, cups, and cutlery is to use your own dishes and flatware. What’s that? You don’t have enough? Ask your guests to bring some. Having an assortment of dishes creates an eclectic fun atmosphere for the party. 

• Along the same idea of using reusable dinnerware, the same applies to drinkware. Skip cans and bottles for beverages and serve drinks from pitchers or jugs. This will prevent having to recycle empty bottles and cans. It will also allow guests to have as much or as little water/juice as they want; they aren’t stuck with finishing the entire bottle or can or having to dump out the leftovers. Remember to use reusable cups and glasses too! 

• Worried about washing all those dishes? Most of the individual plates, glasses, and cutlery can go in the dishwasher. That just leaves the serving dishes, which will have to be washed by hand. This is not such a terrible thing! Recruit a couple of your guests to stay later and help. This is a great opportunity to reflect on the party and have one-on-one conversations with guests that you may not have had a chance to chat with earlier. 

Ask guests to RSVP and confirm numbers

• Knowing how many people to expect is important in determining how much food and beverage is needed and reduces the amount of leftovers after the party. Whether you send out a formal invite or a casual instant message, try to get an accurate number of the guests you are expecting. 

• For quantity planning, check out the spruce for tips on planning quantities of food needed.

Have guests bring reusable containers for leftovers, or try a potluck, instead

• This will reduce the amount of food that is wasted. Guests can take home a little bit of everything and have lunch or dinner for the next day. If you choose potluck style, then guests can take home their individual leftovers and you aren’t stuck with all of the remaining food.

Skip paper invitations

• There are lots of great websites where you can create custom invitations for your party and send them via email or text message. These sites allow you track RSVPs, set up potluck instructions, plus loads of other additional features. Punchbowl is one that I like. It’s very user friendly and offers a variety of fun templates for any theme.

Serve seasonal, minimally-packaged bulk food

• Purchase seasonal local produce and prepare and cut it yourself. This will reduce a lot of plastic waste from pre-packaged fruit and vegetable trays.

• Purchase deli meat, olives, nuts, and other snacks in bulk. This will not only save you money but will minimize having to toss empty bags and packaging.

Do you have any other ideas for hosting a waste-free party? Comment below with your thoughts and ideas.

Vanessa (Staff)

From Kitchen Trash to Canada Day Crafts!

Now that the kids are out of school, it's a great time to start on some fun and easy summer crafting! Instead of going out and buying new supplies, why not use items that might be already lying around the house? Reusing is less expensive, more convenient and eco-friendly.

If you're looking for new-to-you craft items, the Reuse Centre is a great place to start as they have an ever-changing selection of arts and crafts supplies at a fantastic price (only $5 for up to 25 kg of materials).

With Canada Day fast approaching, here's a selection of craft ideas that the whole family can enjoy together. Each project takes a common kitchen recyclable that can be found in your blue bag and turns it into something festive!

1. From Soup Can to Wind Sock

This craft is a great example of how a common waste item (like an old soup or vegetable tin) can be upcycled into something celebratory! This activity is also great for using up scraps of coloured paper and ribbon to create the windsock and string, yarn or wire for the hanger loop. Check out Today's Parent for a tutorial.

2. From Glass Jar to Centerpiece

Although the original project calls for mason jars, spray paint and wood cutouts, this project can be made more inexpensively and kid-friendly using empty jars from jams or sauces, acrylic craft paint and a DIY maple leaf made from leftover card stock. Check out Love to Create for details.

3. From Milk Carton to Bird Feeder

This feeder from Today's Parent has been painted to resemble Jellybean Row houses in St. John's, Newfoundland, but you can come up with any design imaginable! Setting up a bird feeder provides a great opportunity to observe and learn about local wildlife and to share why nature and sustainability are so important.

Happy Canada Day!

-Karlene (Volunteer)

Create a Cheerful Craft Nook on a Budget! (Part Two)

We will continue our project of creating a fun and sustainable crafting space!

In part one, we discussed how to find a workstation and think about storage. Now we will move on to the next steps.

3) Choose energy efficient lighting. Good lighting is critical for your crafting area, especially if you’re reading patterns, taking photographs or working on a smaller-scale project like cross-stitch. Especially in the winter, our natural light fades quickly!

Photo: Karlene L.

My craft nook is in a basement with dimmable LED fixtures and an LED desk lamp with adjustable brightness and position. This way, I can control the amount of light I need – whether I’m watching a movie or working on a project – and the energy used is a fraction of that consumed by conventional incandescent bulbs.

4) Accessorize! Congratulations, you’ve made it to the really fun part! Your space should be an extension of who you are, so whatever brings a smile to your face, now’s the time to display it using shelving, cork boards, pegboards or a gallery wall!

My area is a work in progress so the walls are still bare, but I’m taking inspiration from my office where I have a beautiful vintage map of Belgium (to remind me of my travels) and a display of some of my completed craft projects (to provide inspiration).

Photo: Karlene L.

My accessories include a vintage tall ship model, a locally-made ceramic yarn bowl, two "Made in Alberta" letterpress cards, a repurposed IKEA (zebra print!) office chair and a whimsical button-print rug.

Photo: Karlene L.

Another great idea is to hang paintings that you can make with your family – no experience necessary! With a few inexpensive stretched canvases (available locally at Michaels, DeSerres or The Paint Spot), brushes and acrylic paint, you can have a fun family afternoon and decorate your space at the same time.

So there you have it! With a little bit of time and creativity, you can have the whimsical and sustainable craft nook of your dreams. Instead of saying, “there’s no way I’m cleaning off my desk and dragging the sewing machine out,” you can just sit down at your workstation and start making.

-Karlene (Volunteer)

Create a Cheerful Craft Nook on a Budget! (Part One)

Like many of you, I pour over craft blogs and gaze longingly when they profile their work spaces. Such beautiful storage! Such beautiful lighting! But, how do you begin?

For years, that’s as far as I went. I didn’t set up my own work space because I thought that it would be too expensive nor did I have the time or the room. I didn’t even know where to start!

That all changed when I saw a profile of a sewing space that was simple yet functional on the British Tilly and the Buttons blog. It looked like a charming place to curl up with a tea and a project on a rainy afternoon.

When I flipped through the crafter’s blog, I realized that she and I had actually been neighbours! If she could make it happen in her space, then so could I. All I needed was the UK profile of an Edmonton blogger to help me realize it!

Photo: Karlene L.

Although my space is a work in progress, it brings me joy every time I see it. Using a small corner of the basement, I designed an inexpensive, functional and eco-conscious playground for creating and exploring - and you can too! Here’s how to start.

1) Find a workstation. Your workstation needs will vary depending on your crafting interests and the space you have available. If you’re into crochet and lettering, you’ll need less flat space than someone who quilts. If you have the luxury of setting up a full sewing room, you’ll have more space for tables than someone carving out the corner of a larger room.

Photo: Karlene L.

In my nook, my eco-friendly workstation is my mother-in-law’s beautifully re-purposed dining room table. The wood is solid, the construction is meticulous and it’s expandable with two additional leaves hidden under the table top. Look for similar vintage gems at thrift stores, garage sales, Find or the Ambleside and Kennedale Eco Station Reuse Areas.

2) Think about storage. If you’re a minimalist: well done, this part will be easier! If you’re more like me, less so. Having all of your craft supplies handy makes projects faster and far less frustrating. Less time finding bobbins means more time stitching.

Photo: Karlene L.

My main storage piece is a happy yellow IKEA KALLAX, which offers space for both storage and display and is a more environmentally sustainable version of the classic EXPEDIT. I also re-purposed a pink IKEA office storage unit from several years ago, which is fantastic for storing patterns and notions. For smaller items such as buttons and crochet hooks, I reused mason jars (from preserves that we had received as a gift) and old coffee mugs (like the one from the Ambleside Reuse Area on the right).

Check back next month for Part Two where we work on lighting and accessorizing our new spaces!

-Karlene (Volunteer)

Edmontonians Breathe New Life into Pre-Loved Clothes

This past weekend, Change of Clothes hosted their third annual Clothing Swap, Repairathon, Upcycling, and Panelists event, the culmination of a week of Fashion Revolution events. Change of Clothes shares in the Fashion Revolution goals of awareness, positivity, and participation by providing a space for Edmontonians to extend the lives of their wardrobes through mending, swapping, upcycling, and donating. Change of Clothes also shares in the Reuse Centre's goals of diverting waste from landfills; in only two years, Change of Clothes has processed over 700 pounds of clothing through repair, swapping, upcycling, and donation!

When Claire Theaker-Brown returned to Edmonton after living in China, she felt that there was a lack of community focus around sustainable fashion. Edmonton already had the repairathon, random clothing swaps, craftspeople focusing on upcycling, and recipients of clothing donations; however, there lacked a hub to bring all of these people together. This sparked Change of Clothes, a space for makers to share knowledge and resources while fostering a community where shoppers and brands are brought together in one physical space.

This year's event kicked off with a panel discussion featuring: Brittany Nugent of the Publicity Room, representing the consumer; Crystal Tracy, the creator of beautiful children's clothing at Sweet Jane Studio; Janna Stewart, owner and operator of Cinder & Smoke women's fashion and the newly created Arturo Denim; and Change of Clothes co-founder Claire Theaker-Brown, also founder of Flatter:Me Belts. The panel provided an opportunity to hear about the struggles and successes of makers within this community of sustainable fashion and allowed members of the public to engage in honest discussion.

Wading into the waters of sustainable fashion can be intimidating. As Claire aptly points out, there are two words that really freak people out: "sustainable" and "fashion." But it doesn't need to be so complex. Fashion doesn't need to be fancy, expensive, or exclusive. And sustainability is about "progress, not perfection", as Claire often repeats throughout the panel discussion. One sure way to know you're making a difference is simply by extending the life of any consumable, offers Claire.

A great example of this was included in the day's activities. The House of Sew, Jillijade Jewellery, and Makers & Mentors were on hand to help participants upcycle jewelry and turn old t-shirts into fashionable headbands, as modeled here by participant Adam.

Kristen, an Edmontonian attending the event, believes we already have so much and don't need to consume more. "Sharing is caring," she jokes, explaining a sense of joy in the swap when you release, reminding yourself to let it go. She is no stranger to swapping. In university, she and her friends created what they called "The Sisterhood of the Travelling Dress", by time-sharing one versatile dress among the group. This spin on renting is a tenet of the Fashion Revolution's 7 Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle, rent, research, repurpose, repair.

A die-hard vintage hunter and self-professed denim enthusiast, Piyush frequently circulates through Edmonton's second-hand clothing venues. He sees the value in pre-loved clothes and has a keen eye for particular textiles, patterns, and brands. Piyush has fostered a close relationship with his tailor who helps him see his creative ideas to fruition, whether they be simple hemming or outlandish DIY concepts. At this year's event, he made use of the repairathon to add a patch, created by a Toronto designer that he recently acquired on Etsy, to a denim jacket. If you don't have the skill, resources, or interest in sewing yourself, take a page from Piyush's book and utilize the community around you!

Kassia, a veggie lifestyle blogger, gushes about the Change of Clothes yearly event, claiming it's the best swap in the city! She not only feels better giving her pre-loved clothes a second life, but maintains that some of her most valued pieces have come from this particular swap. Kassia explains that as a poor student, she sought to fulfill her glam style with the cheapest, most accessible stuff. What she noticed was instead a closet full of junk. As she "grew up" (her words!) she began leading a plant-based diet and began researching every aspect of her life, realizing that cheap clothes were not necessarily more economical.

This is the second time I've heard this idea, as panelist Brittany Nugent affirmed, "I don't make enough money to buy cheap clothes." She was speaking of her own journey into sustainable fashion and I admit, the concept took my brain a few beats to understand. The idea is pretty simple: buying cheap clothes is not only unsustainable, but it's throwing your own money away. Cost-wise, it makes more sense to buy fewer items, being more intentional and less impulsive with our purchases. Each piece may cost more but by buying quality items, we ensure a longer lifespan. Worried about the shelf-life of fashion trends? That's where repurposing (upcycling) and swapping come in handy. Other options include renting current fashions or vintage shopping.

What's more, intentional shopping, by design, eliminates impulsivity. It requires research and thought. It requires asking the difficult questions and possibly writing a letter to your favourite brands asking who made the clothes. As Claire explained during the panel discussion, for her, it's less about where the clothes are made and more about who made them. Whatever your main goals, as a consumer, the power is yours. "I'm voting with my dollars," says Brittany who makes the decision to spend with retailers when she knows the story behind the clothes. "We've lost the value of our clothes," says Janna. It's time we rethink this.

These are the exact reasons Chelsey mends her damaged clothing. She believes repairing a favourite piece not only prolongs its life and allows her to continue enjoying it, but she also finds it much cheaper than buying a new item. She focuses on selecting clothes that will last year after year to get their full wear and mends items when necessary.

Claire asserts, "building a sustainable fashion community is not going to happen out of guilt." Happily, Change of Clothes has provided a space to meet the motivations of anyone, from a sense of duty to simple economics. And with numbers growing steadily each year, Claire believes there could be a need for the event to run twice a year. They've got a great space at the Ritchie Community Hall and a great base of volunteers. So if you're interested in learning more or engaging with the community, reach out by tweet or instagram!

- Ellen (Volunteer)