Etsy's Beans Things ~ Cute Upcycled Magnets!

As you know I'm an Etsy browser. I love checking out all the stores and the wonderful items they all make. When I find an item that is CUTE I have to stop and take a look. That is how I found Beans Things!

But before I tell you about Jeanna and her awesome shop, I want to share with you an online article about 5 Simple Ways to Upcycle at Home. (The whole article can be found HERE)

Bottles and Jars - One way to upcycle common items like used bottles and jars around the house is by reusing them as vases and planters. Spring is here and with Summer just around the corner many people are planting more both inside and out. You can take your old bottles and jars, wash them out, decorate them any way you like and use them for table top vases or planters. Old plastic bottles and jars are better for planting due since you can create water drainage holes easily, while your glass bottles and jars that could heat up with the sun and be too hot for use outdoors are better for table top style vases.

Old Clothes - Instead of just tossing or donating your old clothes, try getting crafty with them instead. There are many ways to recycle old clothes including making baby and toddler clothes from your older adult clothes. You can create patchwork quilts, curtains and table cloths. Some people are taking their old jeans and making reusable grocery shopping bags out of them and I've even come across a lady who makes halter tops and yoga pants out of old t-shirts.
(Remember Jenelle at TrashN2Tees.com and her T-shirt Scarf Tutorial HERE!)

Junk Mail - Even those of us who are on the no-mail lists are still apt to get some junk mail. Keeping in mind that a lot of junk mail won't be recycled by your local waste management because of colored dyes so try upcycling all that lose paper into something useful. You can create works of art, decoupage collages, wrapping paper, or weave wallets and coin purses out of brightly colored junk mail. Some people are also making refrigerators magnets and bags out of the materials.

Old plates - Instead of tossing your old plates, try breaking them to upcycle them. You can use broken plates and cups when you pot plants to help with the water drainage. You can also start making your own mosaic creations with the broken pieces. Decorate table tops, picture frames, sinks and even your old bottles, cans and jars for snazzy vases and containers.

Cardboard - Upcycling cardboard is a great way to get organized and crafty around the home. I've taken cereal boxes and turned them into silverware drawer dividers and organizers. You can also take cereal boxes and turn them into bookshelf dividers and magazine holders. Some people upcycle cardboard tubes by turning them into cable and cord caddies. Some people go even further with their upcycle cardboard projects and create furniture from the material.

Let me introduce Jeanna who is the creator of Beans Things. I first wondered how she got started...

"I have always been crafty...but decided to do this more full time in Dec 2008. I went to a craft show where the lady was selling marble magnets and I thought they were so cool and wanted to learn more...I researched and BeansThings was born....BeansThings came about because my name is Jeanna, which is pronounced as "Gina"...and my in laws call me Jeanna Beanna or just Bean.....so it was fitting to call my business BeansThings"

Do you want to see a few of the items she makes?

This image of bold geometric circle patterns has been upcycled from a piece of paper. The back has been finished with card stock upcycled from a greeting card and then sealed with liquid glass.

Upcycled bottle caps and the paper used for these magnets has been upcycled too!

"My little one is old enough for juice pouches now and I couldn't bare throwing them out...So I created these cool, hip and colorful carrying cases!"

Do you want to see what I got? I ordered three Halloween magnets and four Greenie magnets (shown here) and Jeanna sent me a cutey owl one too because she knew I liked it. So nice! This is what my fridge looks like! Sorry the picture is the not the greatest for seeing the actual magnets. But they make my fridge more fun and they make me smile as I walk by :)

How does Jeanna find our materials?

"I up-cycle the backs of greeting cards and use the cardstock for my magnets or to finish the backs of my pendants. I have a friend save me small mailing boxes and bubble wrap. I also use old calendars and create my own shipping envelopes. I use different containers to display my magnets, earrings or rings in...such as the mini playdough containers, altoid tins..I decorate such items with up-cycled paper. I also use the metal tops from jars and spray paint em and display magnets on them. I also have friends send me up-cycled bottle caps to use for my magnets."

And of course we must ask if she is a Crunchy Mama...

"Not 100% so. I strive to make a lesser impact on our earth and strive to give back to the land and animals. I recycle and up-cycle. I remember growing up in Chicago and my mom setting the example of recycling. There was no curb side recycling or recycling centers at ever corner...we stored our recyclables in our garage and drove an hour each way to bring our recyclables to the center.  I do support breast feeding. So much, that when my son was born two months early, I pumped and bought a stand up freezer just to store my milk. When he was brought home, he wouldn't nurse. I went to specialists to try to figure out how to get him to. But two months of being bottle fed at the hospital did us no good. So I pumped for 11 months and gave him my breast milk with the bottle" ~ That is a fabulous story - us Mamas know what it's like to pump...not fun! Kudos to you Jeanna!!

Would you like to WIN a set of magnets for your fridge? How about these?

MANDATORY Entry ~ Like Beans Things on Facebook and be sure to tell her @Crunchy Beach Mama sent ya!

AND

Be a BeachBum GFC Follower!

EXTRA Entries

Visit Beans Things on Etsy and tell me something you find that you LOVE

Make a purchase from Beans Things within the course of this giveaway ~ 5 entries

Like CBM on Facebook ~ use easy sidebar widget

Follow CBM on Twitter & Tweet "#Win Etsy @beansthings Upcycled BottleCap Magnets @crunchybchmama  http://tiny.cc/iz6aplst1h #green #giveaway"

Subscribe to my emails ~ right sidebar

Enter another Upcycled Giveaway

5 EXTRA Entries to any giveaway this week (or spread them out) by participating in TNT's upcycled scarf tutorial (takes 20 minutes and all you need is an old t-shirt & scissors ~ and it's soooo fun!) Click HERE

 I was not compensated in any way for this post. This giveaway will end on Nov. 9, 2010 at 10:00pm ET. Winner will be drawn via random.org. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and they will have 48 hours to reply before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to anyone in the US and you must be 18 years of age or older.

Eco-Friendly DwellSmart & TerraCycle Giveaway

Have you heard of TerraCycle before? Do you know what they do?

From their website ~ Every year BILLIONS of drink pouches end up in dumpsters and landfills across America. TerraCycle, Capri Sun and Honest Kids are working together to put an end to this awful loss of resources. As an eco-friendly innovator, TerraCycle converts the drink pouch material into unique fashion bags, tote bags, pencil cases, and other items for kids and adults! TerraCycle is proud to team up with the largest producer of drink pouches in the country, Capri Sun, and a young organic entry into the market, Honest Kids, to help address this problem! Together with your help we CAN make a difference!

Once you have signed up for the Drink Pouch Brigade, you can start collecting drink pouches! When you are ready to ship them, log into your account and chose whether you would like to download prepaid shipping labels (the eco-friendly option) or have TerraCycle mail you 2 prepaid return labels.

The TerraCycle Drink Pouch Brigade™ program allows almost any school, non–profit organization or individual to save drink pouches from taking up space in landfills. TerraCycle will pay $0.02 per drink pouch to the charity, school or non-profit organization of your choice.

Visit their website http://www.terracycle.net/

I contacted them to help out during Upcycle Week and they informed me of a great company with both a storefront and an online shop that carries their products. What I found is an AWESOME store that carries TONS of fantastic stuff!! And it's ALL eco-friendly!

Introducing...DwellsSmart!

The company started because they wanted to find earth-friendly building materials...they sell bamboo & cork flooring, recycled glass counter tops, VOC free paints and so much more!

But it doesn't stop there. You can find anything from cleaning products (did you know there is such thing as a make your own kit?), to pet items (dog beds made from soda bottles), to baby clothes & cloth diapers (check out BabeeGreens.com ~ coming soon to this blog) and school supplies (recycled markers?). If I didn't have three kids with me I probably could have spent all morning there looking around!

AND SO MUCH MORE!!

What I love is that their actual store carries many items that are made from local artists. Jewelry, candles, coffee mugs, wine glasses ~ all made from recycled and upcycled materials. I wish you could see it all!

How would you like to WIN a TerraCyle product that is given to you by Dwellsmart?
How about I put up TWO items to giveaway?

Circuit Board Coasters ~ "These will not compute, but they will protect your furniture and help keep waste out of landfills" Ha!

Clif Bar Messenger Bag ~ made from upcycled Clif Bar Wrappers

MANDATORY ENTRY

Look around DwellSmart and tell me what catches your eye and Why!

AND

Tell me which of the items you would want to win or if you like bot say Either

AND

Be a BeachBum GFC Follower!

EXTRA Entries

Like DwellSmart on Facebook ~ Thank them for these 2 awesome products from @Crunchy Beach Mama!

Like CBM on Facebook ~ use easy sidebar widget

Follow CBM on Twitter &  Tweet "#Win TerraCycle Clif Bar Messenger Bar or Circuit Board Coasters TWO WINNERS! @crunchybchmama http://tiny.cc/okdgw #green #giveaway"

Subscribe to my emails ~ right sidebar

Enter another Upcycled Giveaway

5 EXTRA Entries to any giveaway this week (or spread them out) by participating in TNT's upcycled scarf tutorial (takes 20 minutes and all you need is an old t-shirt & scissors ~ and it's soooo fun!) Click HERE

DwellSmart gave me two TerraCycle product for this giveaway but I was not compensated in any way for the post. This giveaway will end on Nov. 9, 2010 at 10:00pm ET. Winner will be drawn via random.org. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and they will have 48 hours to reply before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to anyone in the US and you must be 18 years of age or older.

Becca with Cloth Diaper Mommy Giveaway

Upcycled Cloth Diapers. Could it get any better than that?

First I want to share with you a couple of facts about our everyday clothing ~

If each person in the bought one recycled garment each year, it would save an average of 371 million gallons of water and 480 tons of chemical dyestuffs! Wow!

Americans throw away 68 pounds of clothes on average each year and we only buy 10 pounds of recycled clothes annually.

I actually found Becca when she was being featured on another blog. It was right at the time I was putting together this Upcycled Week and my mouth fell open. I was so excited! I stalked her (yes I did you can ask her) because I knew all of you would love this idea as much as me!

Becca makes diapers out of t-shirts! Even the inside soakers are made from t-shirts, velour pants, towels, or even jeans!

This is how she got started making them, "I started making cloth diapers myself because I was tired of paying so much for them. It's not that buying a bumGenius or a Goodmama wasn't worth the $20-30 or so that they cost, but simply that our budget was too tight for me to continue to fill my stash with that amount of money per diaper. When I discovered Etsy, I was ecstatic because I've been crafting my whole life for myself and others so the idea of being able to make money from something I love to do was very enticing. I chose to make my diapers out of upcycled materials because I can get those for either free or next to nothing which means I can offer my diapers for less than the normal price of diapers. I just charge for my time and the minimal price of snaps/velcro and elastic rather than also adding in the cost of fabric."

Are you dying to see one? Here are a couple...

Where does she get her materials?
"I generally get T shirts from friends and family.  They all know they can give me their unwanteds. I'll buy them at yardsales too if I can get them for $.25 or cheaper.  Also,  I have a tendency to hold on to items of clothing for sentimental value, so knowing I can turn a T shirt, skirt, or pair of sweatpants that I no longer wear into something for my daughter is also incentive to get rid of stuff! Now we have sentimental diapers that we actually USE from day to day rather than old T shirts that take  up space in my closet because they have special meaning! And I just made my daughter a little dress from one of her Daddy's old dress shirts too.  It's just great to upcycle things you already have rather than spending money to buy new stuff!"

Here is one made of sweatpants!



But how does she make them?
Here is a step by step tutorial found on her blog. Be sure to leave her comment love if you use it!
http://beccasclothdiaperblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/make-your-own-t-shirt-fitted-diaper.html

Or if you can't sew like me you can send in your t-shirt and Becca will make a customized one just for you!

Next time around I will be sending Becca my own T but this time I chose one out of her Etsy store Cloth Diaper Mommy. It is so cute! P'Diddy and I were very excited to get our fluffy mail that day to try on our new dipe. The first thought I had as I touched it was how soft it was, exactly like an old T. I knew it would be very comfy against baby's skin.

I asked Becca if she was a Crunchy Mama...
I'm a crunchy mama when it is economical for me to do so but I don't think I'd be defined specifically as such. Our town doesn't offer recycling, so I don't recycle cans and newspapers. However, I try to keep down on our trash by switching out our napkins and papertowels for cloth and I obviously cloth diaper. I save money by making my own baby foods but I'm not vegetarian or anything as meat and protein are essential to my daughter's diet and my husband is a huge meat eater. We baby wear and occasionally co sleep, but not all the time. And we believe in kind but firm discipline. It is important for us that our daughter recognizes authority and learns to respect it so that she'll be honoring to God in her life and so that she can function as a well-rounded member of society. Our biggest and most important goal in regards to raising our daughter is that she grow up to know and love Jesus Christ as her Savior and her friend. Everything else is secondary to her eternal salvation and that essential relationship.

Would you like to WIN a set of 8 wipes made from T-shirts? Perfect for washcloths & napkins too!
You can choose girl, boy, or neutral. How fun is that?

MANDAOTRY Entry ~ Visit Etsy store Cloth Diaper Mommy and tell me what you LOVE!

(give yourself an extra entry for hearting her shop!)

AND

Become a BeachBum Follower!

 
EXTRA Entries

~Like Cloth Diaper Mommy on Facebook - tell her Crunchy Beach Mama sent ya!
~ Follow Becca's BLOG - you can see all her sewing fun!
~ Comment on Etsy Treasury of upcycled items!
~ Purchase from Cloth Diaper Mommy in course of this giveaway - 5 entries!

~Follow me on Facebook - use sidebar widget

~Follow me on Twitter & Tweet "Win Upcycled T-Shirt Cloth Wipes from Etsy's Cloth Diaper Mommy @crunchybchmama http://tiny.cc/1b8ga #clothdiapers #green #giveaway"

~Enter another giveaway from Upcycled Week

5 EXTRA Entries to any giveaway this week (or spread them out) by participating in TNT's upcycled scarf tutorial (takes 20 minutes and all you need is an old t-shirt & scissors ~ and it's soooo fun!) Click HERE

Cloth Diaper Mommy sent me wipes to review for this giveaway but I was not compensated in any way for the post. This giveaway will end on Nov. 9, 2010 at 10:00pm ET. Winner will be drawn via random.org. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and they will have 48 hours to reply before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to anyone in the US and Canada and you must be 18 years of age or older.

Etsy's Brandy Fisher Upcycled Items Giveaway

Wait until you hear about all the fun & unique items Brandy creates in her Etsy store!

Jewelry, Paper Goods, Ornaments, & Hair Clips & More! All made from vintage jewels and repurposed materials.

Brandy Fisher is exactly what upcycling is all about - preventing the waste of useful materials by making new ones. Reducing the use of raw materials results in the reduction of energy usage, air & water pollution, and even greenhouse emissions.

Let's start off with these earrings because they have a story behind them and we like a good story right?

 

"These upcycled brass stars are actually what was left from brass sheet metal after industrial metal punches cut out kick plates for the doors in a hospital in the 1980s. My dad was working at the metal fabrication shop at the time and saved them for my mom who in turn made Christmas ornaments from them. After nearly 25 years of saving them she gave them to me!"

Want to see more jewelry? Check out this fabulous necklace...

 The gold colored connectors and turquoise and orange acrylic beads are from a vintage necklace from the early 1970s. The papier mache rings were handmade from recycled cardboard tubes and tissue paper. How unique is this?

Do you like to dress up your packages? Check out her gift tags...

Made using repurposed taupe paper from an old scrapbook, upcycled BINGO card paper and natural cotton cord. FUN!

I asked her how she finds her materials...

"Many of the supplies I use are things we use in our family (yogurt containers, greeting cards, paper, cardboard tubes). Some of the vintage beads are from old jewelry my grandmother gave me most of which was broken or needed a new clasp. I buy some vintage supplies on etsy.com as well."

Do you want to hear another cool story?

"Handmade necklace created with upcycled brick red ceramic radio washers from the 1940s and recycled ball chain. The chain is not ordinary jewelry chain. It is actually a part from a factory machine that molds rubber. My parents saved a bag full from the dumpster and gave them to me to recycle and reuse."

Wouldn't you like to see Brandy's workroom? :)

Do you want to see what she sent me?

Plastic cobalt blue vintage Bingo markers were upcycled into bobby pins! I love them!!

They are wonderful conversation pieces!

How do you come up with ideas?

"I look at what I have and try to come up with ideas. Sometimes an idea comes instantly and other times it takes months. I have some vintage beads that I love but still have not come up with the perfect project for them. Sometimes I will browse etsy.com to see what others are doing and try to fill a niche that no one else has.

And she is a Crunchy Mama to an almost two year old ~ "I breastfed and used cloth diapers with my daughter.  We were never able to co-sleep with her, she sleeps better in her own room and bed.  We started growing some of our own food and try to buy produce that is in season.  We have been avid recyclers for years."

Would you like to WIN this Holiday Ornament? Isn't it great?

 "Lots of sellers make ornaments out of recycled aluminum cans but I am the first to fill glass ornaments with them."

MANDATORY ENTRY ~ Check out Etsy store brandy fisher HERE & tell me what you LOVE

AND

Be a BeachBum GFC Follower!

EXTRA Entries

Like brandy fisher on Facebook

Follow brandy fisher Blog

Make a purchase in the course of this giveaway ~ 5 entries!

Follow Crunchy Beach Mama on Facebook ~ use easy sidebar widget

Follow CBM on Twitter & Tweet "Win Upcycled Dr. Pepper Christmas Ornament from Etsy @brandyfishetsy & @crunchybchmama http://tiny.cc/2j55c #green #giveaway"

Enter another Upcycle Week giveaway

5 EXTRA Entries to any giveaway this week (or spread them out) by participating in TNT's upcycled scarf tutorial (takes 20 minutes and all you need is an old t-shirt & scissors ~ and it's soooo fun!) Click HERE

brandy fisher sent me bingo hair clips to review for this giveaway but I was not compensated in any way for the post. This giveaway will end on Nov. 9, 2010 at 10:00pm ET. Winner will be drawn via random.org. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and they will have 48 hours to reply before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to anyone in the US and you must be 18 years of age or older.

Kangadu Upcycled Wool Giveaway

I've been a cloth diaper mama for eight months. But I have never tried wool until now! I'm happy to say I received my first pair of wool longies from Amber at Kangadu. This is very exciting for me because Kangadu has a fantastic reputation and I had been following her on Facebook for months drooling over her goodies.

Why use wool you ask?

1) It's environmentally friendly because it is a natural, renewable resource that is biodegradable.

2) Extremely flexible & resilient. Wool fibers can bend 20,000 times or more before breaking so it should last a life time. Compare to cotton which is a few thousand.

3) Wool is NOT hot. It keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Don't believe me? On a hot day wrap up one hand with a synthetic diaper cover and one with wool. Which one is more comfortable?

4) Can absorb up to 30% of it's weight before it starts to feel damp.

I just said wool decomposes so that is a good thing right? Yes it is! But it also produces methane as it does so, which contributes to global warming. That means upcycling wool is an awesome thing to do!

How does Kangadu upcycle?

"Short of the thread, everything I sell in my store is made from old unwanted materials that are re-purposed into something new and useful. I use every little tiny scrap (think appliques and dryer balls) so nothing goes to waste."

Want to see a wool cover? Here is a soaker and a longie:

Don't they look comfy? I think they are pretty nice as is but you know me and how I love CUTE. Amber will make a custom applique to sew into the cover - whatever you want!

Guess what she made me? A babywearing sea turtle! Tell me you LOVE it!

I have to say. P'diddy has been been wearing them quite a lot. They are soft and comfortable and work as a cloth diaper cover so less bulkiness. We are really really liking them!!

How did Kangadu begin?

"Before my youngest was born I decided that I wanted to try wool. There were only two problems, my husband’s hours had just been cut at work and wool is expensive. So, what did I do? I started making my own wool soakers and longies using recycled material. After completing my wool stash I found that I was not only addicted to using wool as a diaper cover I was also addicted to making wool longies and soakers.

So, I decided to open up shop selling my creations. I am hoping that this endeavor makes it possible for me to continue to be a stay at home mom to my two little bugs all while helping all the wool addicts in the world to get their fix."

Do you think Amber is a Crunchy Mama? Of course she is! And she wants to tell you why...

- I cloth diaper using 100% natural fibers (i.e. wool, cotton, bamboo, and hemp).
- I love finding ways to use items that would otherwise have ended up in the trash.
- I currently breastfeed my 11 month old daughter and will do so until she is ready to quit.
- Both my kids were born in a hospital. But, I really want to try a homebirth next go-around.
- My daughter never liked co-sleeping. My 4 year old on the other hand enjoys it & needs the closeness. He feels safe.
- It is my philosophy that each child is different and what may work for one does not necessarily work for another.
- I wear my baby's when they need that extra closeness.
- I am definitely NOT a vegetarian. I love meat! We are currently working on cutting out all processed foods.
- I question all forms of authority not just medical and also am teaching my kids to do the same. I totally realize that this makes my job 1000x harder. But, I choose to raise human beings, not little drones that do everything I say without question just because, "I said so".

Kangadu is getting ready to launch wool wash! And she makes really neat looking dryer balls!

And those of you with girls are LUCKY!

Would you like to WIN a semi-custom soaker? Amber chooses the fabric but you get to pick a custom applique!

MANDATORY Entry ~ Like Kangadu Children on Facebook ~ tell her Crunchy Beach Mama sent you!

AND

Be a BeachBum GFC Follower!

EXTRA Entries

~ Purchase from Kangadu in the course of this giveaway - 5 entries!

~ Like me on Facebook - use easy sidebar widget

~ Follow on Twitter & Tweet 'Win an Upcycled Wool Diaper Soaker from Kangadu @crunchybchmama http://tiny.cc/hna54 #green #giveaway"

~Email Subscription (on right sidebar)

~Enter another giveaway from Upcycle Week

5 EXTRA Entries to any giveaway this week (or spread them out) by participating in TNT's upcycled scarf tutorial (takes 20 minutes and all you need is an old t-shirt & scissors ~ and it's soooo fun!) Click HERE

Kangadu sent me a wool soaker to review for this giveaway but I was not compensated in any way for the post. This giveaway will end on Nov. 9, 2010 at 10:00pm ET. Winner will be drawn via random.org. Once a winner is drawn I will contact them and they will have 48 hours to reply before I draw a new winner. Giveaway is open to anyone in the US and Canada and you must be 18 years of age or older.

Are You Ready To Have FUN Upcycling?

I can't wait for this week to begin! Each day I'm going to teach you a little bit about upcycling and then we'll do a fantastic feature and giveaway!

But today we have something better than a giveaway - we have a CRAFT!! Jenelle from TNT: TrashN2Tees is going to do a tutorial with you to make a scarf! YOU can upcycle too!! And earn 5 EXTRA giveaway entries!

Jenelle was featured a few weeks ago on Crunchy Beach Mama so please read more about her HERE and see the awesome stuff she makes. She upcycles t-shirts and makes new things out of them!

Again here is Urban Dictionary definition of Upcycling

The process of converting an industrial nutrient (material) into something of similar or greater value in its second life

Every year we produce countless tons of garbage with a good portion of it being old clothing. While many of us are very good about taking our unwanted clothing to our local Goodwill, others simply discard them with the rest of the household trash. Enter the latest craze known as upcycling.

The great thing with upcycling clothing is that you are giving your old garments a whole new purpose in life. After they have covered you body for many months or years, it doesn’t mean their usefulness is done. Of course it is always nice to donate some clothing, but many times clothing can get torn, stained, or is just un-wearable and these garments are the perfect candidates for upcycling.

The limits to upcycling clothing are endless and really only stop with your imagination. Upcycling is not only good for the environment, but it can be FUN as well. Everything deserves a second chance; even old cloths.

Are you ready to have some fun? Go get the kids and let them join in too - I did! Also grab an old t-shirt and a pair of good scissors. When you have set about 20 minutes aside click the link and get cutting and creating!

www.clothunderground.com/tnt/diy-tutorials

When you are finished we want to see them! Post your pictures on TNT's Facebook Wall HERE

When you do you get 5 EXTRA Entries towards the Upcycle giveaways ~ you can add them anyway you want until the giveaways end on November 9 at 10:00pm

Do you want to see what the boys and I did? They had soooooo much fun cutting up their shirts and turning them into new play wear! There are endless ideas for what you can do with your imagination!