What creative ways cna you "go green" and re-use old things in new ways?

Question

Some of us re-use things to be artsy and creative, and me, well, yes, I was a little poor growing up, so this was also a necessity.

Nowadays, it seems like it could become more "cool" to make our own items from old materials.

For instance: I made curtains for the closet-turned china cabinet in our bedroom-turned-dining room, and window curtains to match, out of an unused floral sheet that was meant for a drop cloth! I have the black leather from a big organizer that my boyfriend wasn't using, and I will use it to cover my steering wheel in the summer, to prevent the actual wheel from getting so hot.

If this was a new car, I'd buy one that stays on year round... but I think we should all stop putting so much reuseable material in the dumps anyway.

So what are your ideas?

Answer 1

I love the scene in the movie "The Sound of Music," where the housekeeper tells Maria she is ordering new curtains.  Later Maria uses the old curtains to make play clothes for the kids!

You just have to think outside the box.  Or else recycle the box and just think.

Answer 2

Cereal boxes as file holders.  Milk jugs as planters. Pop caps as extra game pieces or make your own checkers or tic tac toe.  Donate used toilet paper rolls(the cardboard roll thingee-not used tissue,duh), paper towel rolls to local preschools, nursing homes, group homes, hospitals for craft projects.  Use a roll from paper towels to store plastic bags.  Peanut butter jars to store nails, screws,tacks, etc. Baby food jars for painting(mixing tempura paints or homeade paints), old clothes for rags.  these are common things I do and I always try to find more!!!  toothbrushes make good cleaners for the bathroom. phone books make good boosterseats(for older children who are still a bit short for the table) White blank cardboard from nylons for lists, writing, etc.I beleive in the three R's--Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.     here are some web sites I googled about the 3 R's apparently there are two more Rs  Reclaim and Rediscover. Wow.

www.42explore.com/recycle.htm

www.p2pays.org/recycleguys/why.asp

www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/recycle.htm

www.worldwise.com/redreusrecre.html

www.greenpeace.org

Answer 3

It sounds like you are on the right track with reusing items.  Keep on using your creative juices.  

One idea:   If you hot glue gun a small rock on to a stick you are halfway done with creating a dragonfly or a stick person. Cool!  You can use them as ornaments or as gifts on top of a gift.

Answer 4

I have lots of info that I think you will find quite helpful and enlightening:

http://ecowellness.multiply.com/   for excellent inspirational info within my blog to help not only our world and its creatures, but to also open peoples hearts and minds to many amazing wonders that life has to offer.  I also have lots of info in my blog to help fuel peoples imaginations to many possibilities that can be found only in the minds eye.

Along with lots of environmental info, amazing environmental pictures and videos (These videos show the beauty of this world and what life can be like if people take the time to appreciate life’s true beauty).

Let us all strive for a greener/brighter future by helping to create a solid foundation for future generations to build upon, so we can hand them a beautiful world, filled with never ending awe and wonders!!

Where peoples differences and uniqueness are accepted, where we all live as one, helping one another so that we can all play our own mysteriously beautiful melodies in the never ending, awe inspiring, song of life :-)

I truly have faith in humanity and believe that someday our lives and the world in which we live will truly be transformed for the better.