On this cold Friday morning, I would like to share some design ideas we have seen this past week around the web – enjoy and be inspired!

Turn your tin can lids into wall art!

From Righteous (re)Style

Ice Lanterns

From Design*Sponge

Looking to refinish old wood furniture, but don’t want to deal with fumes and headaches of toxic wood stripper?  Check out this post on Soy Gel, a healthy alternative for wood stripping

From Crafting a Green World

First up, for those friends and family members in your life who like to craft or aspire to craft, Crafting a Green World posted some new crafting books they recommend:

Green Guide for Artists: Nontoxic Recipes, Green Art Ideas, and Resources for the Eco-Conscious Artist

And for parents, this is a great resource: Green Crafts for Children: 35 Step-by-Step Projects Using Natural, Recycled, and Found Materials.

I really like this one: The Green Crafter: 53 Eco-Friendly Projects for Every Week of the Year.

There are more books they recommend, so make a visit to their site!

Next, the Advent Calendar.  Though it’s a bit late for this year, I also think yo could make one as a present to give to someone for next year’s holiday season.  It’s a very easy project and great for multiple people to work on together.  All you need are some office supplies, brown paper bags, and surprises for each day.

Next, Superhero capes! I really love these and will most likely make one for my nephew next year.  All you need are some old sheets and a sewing machine.  I also know that recovergirl has made similar capes using old towels.

Holiday Wreaths! I have two to share with you – Design*Sponge featured this clothesline wreath last week that is EASY to make and looks great – I really like the subtle colors.  Also, last year recovergirl made a beautiful, colorful felted wreath out of sweater scraps.  Handmade wreaths are great gifts that friends and family can take out every year and think of you!

What are you making for gifts this year?

Into this:

Or this?

This is a question I received awhile ago and since then, I have been trying to think of/ find ways to reuse old fleece jackets.  Fleece is very handy – it is really warm, but after some time, it starts to not look all that great – but never fear, I have found some great ideas on how to prolong the life of a fleece and help with your cleaning and crafting creations, to boot.

- How can I Recycle This?, a great site based in the UK posed a similar question awhile ago and several people responded with pretty interesting ideas, including : using fleece as an insulator for frost-sensitive plants, as hot water bottle covers, rag rugs, dog blankets, bean bags, and cleaning cloths!

- If you are crafty with sewing, this site lists a couple of dozen suggestions (note that some of the links they list no longer exist)

- Homemade dust mops!

- Baby Toys! (no sewing required!)

- Polar Fleece Hats (thanks, Martha!)

- Crafty Fringe Scarf

Do you have ideas on how to use old fleece jackets?  I know there are hundreds of ideas out there.  Please leave us a comment!

The purpose of the competition is to install creative window displays with clotheslines, educating the local  community of the many “green” benefits of clothesline drying.  We have written about clothesline drying in past blog posts, but here are some more facts we learned:

1. Dryers use 6-10% of total residential energy use.

2. Americans use more energy on drying their laundry than Africans uses on all their consumption needs.

3. Some communities prohibit clotheslines, ostensibly, for aesthetic reasons.

4. Hang drying your laundry is better on your wallet and on the environment

5. For many people, hanging out clothes is a therapeutic activity.

6. There are numerous different sizes and styles of drying rack/lines available for individual needs and accommodations.

7. April 19 is National Hanging Out Day, a day of recognition and celebration for hang drying.

8. Alex Lee, Executive Director of Project Laundry List lives in Concord, NH

We look forward to participating in the competition again next year!  Enjoy the pictures below!

About two years ago, the majority of the Goodwill fleet of trucks switched to biodiesel.  Twelve out of the sixteen trucks currently operate on fuel that contains 5% biodiesel.

The trucks on biodiesel go through roughly 68,000 gallons of diesel each a month. Because 5% of that diesel is biofuel, Goodwill saves 54,776 pounds of carbon from being emitted in the atmosphere each month!

While we are excited about this accomplishment, Goodwill continues to look at further ways to decrease our fuel intake as we work together to decrease our carbon footprint.

For more information about Goodwill’s environmental initiatives, please visit our Green page.

What is your organization or business doing to reduce your environmental impact?  Please leave a comment and share your stories!

According to the article I read in the Lewiston Sun Journal, Hannaford customers currently bring home 12-15% of groceries sold in their own bags – Hannaford would like to increase this number.  If you live in the Augusta area, this is a great opportunity to stock up on reusable bags and make a commitment to less waste – and remember, you can bring your reusable bags anywhere, not just the grocery store.

Don’t live in the Augusta area?  You can get sturdy, reusable bags at any of our Goodwill stores for only $0.98!

How to make a Summer Halter from an Old T-shirt

If you have not yet visited Threadbanger, now is the perfect time!  They release weekly video tutorials on how to make your own clothes – from repurposed t-shirts to halloween costumes.  The videos are very detailed, giving step by step instructions, and are a great introduction to repurposing.  This week’s post features Megan Nicolay’s transformation of a t-shirt to a halter top – be sure to check out her latest book, 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt.

Crafty Reuse Ideas for Old Shower Curtain Liners

Crafting a Green World had a great post on how to reuse an old shower curtain liner once it has reached the end of its usefulness.  They suggest using to kill weeds in your yard or to create your own mini-greenhouse!  Read the how to’s on these projects and more over on their site.

Leaf Silhouettes

And finally, my favorite craft of the week: leaf silhouettes.  I actually found this on Martha Stewart’s site (!) – but they found artist Jenny Fowler on Etsy, who makes leaf silhouettes out of tiny leaves – the effect is amazing.  They did not have instructions on how to make your own, so I found this tutorial that will help you get started.

There is a  series of four classes being offered at the library this summer that will teach teens a new skill set that will allow them to look at old objects in a new way.  Teens may turn a sweater into a hat, a t-shirt into a cardigan, or make other creations.

The library suggests that teens pre-register to hold their place AND so they can pick up a gift certificate to Goodwill to pick out an article of clothing to refashion.  You can find all the detail on the Library’s website – make sure you sign up early!

The workshops are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, July 21 2-4 p.m.

Thursday, July 23 2-4 p.m.

Tuesday, August 4, 6-8 p.m.

Thursday, August 6, 6-8 p.m.

Woo-hoo!

Low Impact Living recently featured an article on what baseball teams are doing to improve sustainability at their stadiums.  Major League Baseball has a new Greening Program that was announced this past March.  In partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the program is working with all 30 ball clubs to reduce each team’s environmental impact.

Check out a sampling of how baseball teams across the country are implementing green practices and operations into their ball parks.

First things first: what are the Red Sox doing?

From Low Impact Living:

Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox along with the Colorado Rockies have installed a solar system in the stadium to generate power. The Red Sox’s system displaces 37% of their gas energy usage to heat water. They have also implemented a strong recycling program, with a team of people who go around the stadium collecting recyclables.

What else do you think ball parks could to be more green?

COAST Bus (Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation) serves the Seacoast New Hampshire area and Berwick, Maine.

While COAST does not offer any special summer deals, they have a great selection of routes to get you around the greater Portsmouth area, including Dover, Exeter, Farmington, Greenland, Newington, Newmarket, Portsmouth, Rochester, Somersworth, Stratham, and Berwick, Maine.

They also offer trolley service on Lafayette Road (make sure to get off at the Southgate Plaza to visit the Goodwill store!) and Pease International Tradeport.

New to taking the bus?  COAST offers some great tips on how to get started commuting green.  All buses offer bike racks.