Scrappies and scraps of recycled mess!

This is an ugly scrappy mess of recycled goods collecting in my garage. I try to recycle everything. Those clever green magazines and books explain how to design your ideal recycle station. I cringe. Recyclable materials are still trash and trash comes in many different shapes, textures, sizes and smells. The curbside program picks up all my #1 and #2 plastics, glass, aluminum and newspaper. But the rest I designate to my garage collection (pictured above!). Lovely, eh?

Now can’t you just see these little Scrappies skinny or triangle cats hanging out on your couch, your window seat, a book shelf, or adorning a loved one’s bed? Those are cute scraps!! Scrappies wooly pins are also available. All are one of a kind and handmade. Designer Sarah Steedman has been sewing her entire life. Her Scrappynation products are made using recycled sweaters, clothes, and accessories as much as possible. The polyfil stuffing is made in Chicago by workers at CARC, an employment facility for adults with developmental disabilities. Each cat and pin is unique dependent on the fabric scrap colors used.

Here’s to the messy and the cute side of scraps!

e.

Greenest of the Green Alternative

Hello Celery Street Pedestrian,

I am so not a crafty person. When I was in a MOPS program (Mothers of Preschoolers) the craft leader always ended up

finishing my craft project, since I was too thrilled enjoying my hour and half of adult

conversation. When Julie handed me the completed project I was amazed and proud by what I had accomplished…thank you Julie. I would carry my prized craft home in Audrey’s diaper bag to become a regular functioning part of my household. Tonight at dinner we used the salad serving set that I had decorated in 2003.

What is my reason for bringing this up? If some of you have not found the greenest of green perfect thing that you were looking for on our web site then I have another suggestion for you. Crafting is another way of going green.

Kathy Cano-Murillo with the Arizona Republic did some research on Recycled projects and came up with a very clever and functional idea. A recycled grocery bag tote… Now promise me you will use those last left over plastic bags on this project. The plastic bags you still had tucked at home before you said “paper please” or started using your styling new shopping bags.

RECYCLED GROCERY BAG TOTE

Take all the those plastic shopping bags from the store or mall, cut them up and sew them together to make sturdy totes that you can use at the grocery store or farmer’s market. Make several of these so you can keep them around for your next food run.

Supplies

About 36 plastic bags (if you are going to be a walking billboard, I would use your favorite and hottest stores’ bags)

Scissors

Sewing machine

Canvas tote (to use as a pattern)

Directions

Flatten the bags into stacks of six. Cut across the top to remove the handle portion. Cut the stacks of six into strips or squares, and sew up all the sides. For a quilted look, sew lines in the center.

Make enough of these thick squares or strips until you have plenty of pieces to create a bag that is the same size as the tote, and sew the pieces together. For handles, cut the thinner strips and sew inside the top panel on both sides.

There you go! As for me, I don’t sew and I don’t do crafts…but I love this idea and wish I were more artsy and not afraid of my mom’s sewing machine.

If any of you attempt this cool green project send me a picture and your comments.

I promise I won’t have any more craft projects on this space for a while.