Something I realized when Shannon and I were planning our notes for the Green Crafts panel at the Summit of Awesome is that there’s a lot of talk about how to be a greener crafter, but we don’t talk as much about why green crafting is important. I thought I’d share why it matters [...]]]>

Something I realized when Shannon and I were planning our notes for the Green Crafts panel at the Summit of Awesome is that there’s a lot of talk about how to be a greener crafter, but we don’t talk as much about why green crafting is important. I thought I’d share why it matters to me, and I hope you’ll tell me why you choose to be eco-friendly crafters, too!

What does green even mean?

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© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2011. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: craft supplies, craftivism, eco-friendly crafts, green craft supplies, green crafting, green crafts, why green crafting

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I mentioned before that I’m going to be talking green crafts at The Summit of Awesome, and since the Summit is coming up soon things are starting to fall into place. Shannon and I got a lot of planning done for our talk, and the fantastical folks at Hello Craft have offered a [...]]]>

Crafters at the Make Something Awesome table at last year's Summit

I mentioned before that I’m going to be talking green crafts at The Summit of Awesome, and since the Summit is coming up soon things are starting to fall into place. Shannon and I got a lot of planning done for our talk, and the fantastical folks at Hello Craft have offered a $25 discount on a 3-day pass for Glue and Glitter readers!

The Summit of Awesome is a three day crafty event featuring panels, discussions, and activities to help you enrich your crafty life. Every year, I come away feeling energized and way more informed than when I arrived, and I hope that some of you guys are coming to this year’s summit on October 20-22 in Baltimore!

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© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2011. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: craft summit, crafting, green crafting, green crafts, Hello Craft, make something awesome, Summit of Awesome

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I couldn’t be more honored to be participating in this event with so many crafty superstars.

Class Photo from the 2010 Summit of Awesome in Portland, OR

I couldn’t be more honored to be participating in this event with so many crafty superstars. Check out the full lineup of speakers over at the Hello Craft website, and prepare to gasp! This will be my third year on the green crafting panel at the Summit, so I have a good bit of information from previous years. But! I don’t want this thing to just be a rehashing of old information, so I thought I’d ask you guys:

What green crafty issues do you struggle with? What do you wish you knew more about?

I’m super-excited to be working with Shannon. She’s one of the organizers of the Indie Craft Experience, my very favorite local craft market, and she brings tons of eco-friendly knowledge to the table. We’re already scheming what we want to talk about, and we’re both looking forward to the panel!

Shannon’s partner in crime, Christy Petterson, is going to be on a panel or two (and I think she’s doing a demonstration, too!). Christy is the other half of the Indie Craft Experience, and another one of my very favorite local crafters!

Are any of you guys heading to the Summit of Awesome this year? I hope you can make it to the panel, and that you’ll come say hello!

Image via Hello Craft

Related Posts:

• Summit of Awesome, 2011!
• Hello Craft ‘s 2010 Summit of Awesome is Coming!
• Summit of Awesome

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2011. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: Baltimore, green crafting, green crafts, Hello Craft, Summit of Awesome

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So, before I headed out on vacation, I shared those awesome vegan feathers. Vegan crafting is something that’s been on my mind a lot lately. So much, in fact, that I wrote a whole series on vegan crafting for Crafting a Green World. While I firmly believe that a vegan lifestyle [...]]]>

So, before I headed out on vacation, I shared those awesome vegan feathers. Vegan crafting is something that’s been on my mind a lot lately. So much, in fact, that I wrote a whole series on vegan crafting for Crafting a Green World. While I firmly believe that a vegan lifestyle is better for the planet than one that relies on animal products, I think it’s also important to understand that vegan doesn’t automatically mean eco-friendly.

Sure, fresh fruits and veggies are lower impact than meat products, and they’re definitely lighter on the animal cruelty. The same goes for something like organic cotton when you compare the impact (and cruelty) to leather. Like with vegan food, though, things get a little bit dicey when you start talking about substitutions for animal products. Here are a couple of examples and some rules of thumb for making green choices when working around animal products in your crafting.

Wool Felt vs. Synthetic Felt

If you’re staying away from animal products, wool felt is on the no-fly list, but what’s a vegan crafter to do instead? The easiest answer is to use synthetic felt, but synthetic felt is a petroleum product. That means it’s basically plastic. There are a couple of options for a vegan crafter that wants to keep it green without supporting the wool industry:

1. Recycled felt. Kunin makes eco-fi felt that’s created by recycling plastic soda bottles. I have had a hard time finding this stuff in stores, but Felt-o-Rama and Create for Less both stock a nice range of colors. I’ve bought from both companies, and they both ship quickly and have great customer service.
2. Reused felt. This one might not be an option, depending on why veganism is important to you, but! If it’s about the wool industry for you, you might be OK with felting wool sweaters from the thrift store. Technically, your goodies are not going to be vegan, but some vegans are OK with second hand leather and wool. I tend to avoid all animal products when I’m crafting, but I wanted to throw this out there as an option, for folks who are comfortable with it.

Leather vs. Vinyl

Leather is a no-no if you’re a vegan crafter, and the trouble with vinyl is the same as the problem with synthetic felt: it’s essentially a sheet of plastic. That’s no good, if you’re trying to keep things eco-friendly! Honestly, my solution to the leather problem has been to just focus on crafts that don’t call for leather. If you’re determined, reclaimed leather is one option. Like with reclaimed wool, though, this isn’t really vegan crafting, and it depends on your comfort level and why you chose veganism.

Some googling turned up a few vinyl producers claiming that their product is green, but I haven’t found any that I’m crazy about. If anyone has suggestions for eco-friendly vinyl alternatives, I’d love to hear them!

Vegan Crafting

In my experience, the best workaround when it comes to animal products in crafting has been to just focus on crafts that don’t call for them. If you’re looking for a substitution for animal products, I think it’s important to ask yourself a few questions:

1. How was this produced? Was the process toxic?
2. What is this product made of?
3. What will happen to this material when it’s outlived its usefulness?

Really, I think those are the three questions that any green crafter lives by, and it’s no different for vegan crafters.

I’d love to hear from the vegan crafters out there! What do you guys do to keep it green? Have you found any eco-friendly substitutions for animal products in crafting? Share away!

Related Posts:

• Anatomy of a Vegan
• Why Green Crafting?
• The Teal Cat Project

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2011. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: going green, green crafting, green crafts, vegan, vegan crafting, veganism

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Hey there, green crafters! You know who you are, but just in case….

Do you make your products out of salvaged materials?
Do you hesitate before tossing things in the bin?
Do you look at the recycle bin as a box of potential supplies, rather than trash?
Do you scour thrift [...]]]>

Hey there, green crafters! You know who you are, but just in case….

Do you make your products out of salvaged materials?
Do you hesitate before tossing things in the bin?
Do you look at the recycle bin as a box of potential supplies, rather than trash?
Do you scour thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales, and the internet for second hand materials?
Do you use organic or renewable materials?

It’s important that all of your products be at least 50% recycled or eco-friendly in some way. If you think your shop fits the bill, hit me up! I’d love to feature you.

Related Posts:

• Why Green Crafting?
• Summit of Awesome, 2011!
• Talking Green Crafts at the Summit of Awesome!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments
Post tags: 5 Questions, green crafting, green crafts, interview

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You guys, the Summit of Awesome is coming up fast…are you getting excited? I can’t believe it’s been a year since Christy and I hit the road to attend last year’s conference in DC.

Here [...]]]>

You guys, the Summit of Awesome is coming up fast…are you getting excited? I can’t believe it’s been a year since Christy and I hit the road to attend last year’s conference in DC.

The 2010 Summit of Awesome is in Portland, Oregon, and I’m speaking on the green crafting panel again!

Here are some deets:
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Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments
Post tags: craft conference, crafting, green crafting, Hello Craft, Portland, Summit of Awesome

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