Monday 31 March 2014

Leftover treats? Wear them.

Have you noticed this too?

There are bound to be some candies that are close to their expiry date packaged in hampers received during the festive season.  Instead of gouging them up with your kids, you can do what Hoyan Ip is doing with her stock of leftovers candies.

In her efforts to reduce food waste she started the Bio-Trimmings project by converting them into fashion accessories that you will be proud to be seen wearing.


Leftover pasta works just as well as working material for her creations once she has them cooked, dried, crushed, blended and molded to shape.



And yes! She sells her creations and you can view them on her facebook page.


Sunday 30 March 2014

One less in the bin!

Here is a project that is worth starting on for earth month.

Try to throw one less waste in the bin by looking at your discards in a different light.  Here is a video to help you along the way.



So, before you start digging into your pocket, the next time your children ask for money to buy gifts for their freinds, direct them to the stock of "working material" you have managed to salvage from your bin.

Highlight that their friends will value gifts with a personal touch more and allow them to explore their creativity and see what they can come out with.  This may become a hobby that will allow them to gain a side income if their creations become popular amongst their freinds.

This is definitely a great video to share with teachers to encourage them to use plastic bottles in craft projects for their schools.  There are 300 ideas shared on how these can be re-used and help us reduce our yearning to spend on getting more stuff.

Let's get our creativity juices running and go for one less waste in the bin to save the environment.  

Saturday 29 March 2014

Wall for the garden? Spring mattress will do.

What can you do with old mattresses?

Before you discard your used mattresses, take out the inner spring cores and put them to work in your garden as trellis.





















They will be a lovely sight to look forward to once your climbing plants start to grow over them.

You can find more "DIY Garden Trellis Projects" at The Garden Glove.

Friday 28 March 2014

Earth friendly with less



If your batteries are all mingled up and you do not know which are still good to use, there are battery testers in the market to help salvage them from the lot.  This is what I have.














Here is another way for you to test your battery life without any gadgets.  See if it works for you too.



Can we find ways that will help us reduce our reliance on "gadgets" and be more earth friendly?  A great activity to start working on for earth month, don't you agree?

Thursday 27 March 2014

April is Earth Month

While we look forward to Earth Day on April 22 to connect with others worldwide to do something that will reduce our carbon footprint, residents in the City of Oceanside in California is doing a month long campaign.


Are you ready to join them on the road to zero waste?

Thursday 20 March 2014

Music? Discovered in weapons!

Watch how Artist, Pedro Reyes, turned instruments of hate into useful instruments that could help provide life and music, rather than take it away.

 

Reyes was inspired when government officials in Mexico turn seized weapons and melt them for the "Shovels for Guns" project. He decided to use weapons seized and destroyed by the Mexican army from drug cartels and use them as materials to create music.

You can view more photos of these musical instruments at the following link: http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/from-guns-to-drums-pedro-reyes