Favorite Things Friday: Cuppow Lid

Continuing the theme of mason jars this week, I thought I'd share another recent find that I love. This lid is called a "Cuppow" and makes a mason jar into a drinking cup for hot liquids. It's like the top of a disposable coffee cup, only reusable!

Project: Mason Jar Straw Cups

Here's another eco-friendly project that I love! I recently came across this tutorial for mason jar cups that hold straws, and knew I had to make one for myself. It turned out wonderfully, and I thought I'd share mine here.

What you need: A mason jar (mine is a regular-mouth 16-oz jar), a rubber grommet (9/32"), and a drill with a bit slightly larger than the hole in your rubber grommet.

(a grommet like this) I found mine at Home Depot for 97 cents or something.

Drill a hole in the lid. I found that it works well to keep the lid on the jar, and hold the jar between my feet so I could use my hands to stabilize and put force behind the drill.

The hole will look like this. If it's too jagged, you can trim off the shavings with metal cutters. Work the rubber grommet into the hole (takes some smooshing).

Now just wash it well to get rid of all the little metal shavings, add a straw, and you're done!

Home Project: Reusable Cloth Napkins

In honor of Earth Day, I have a project for you that's just about the Earth-friendliest I could think of. Reusable cloth napkins!

I made a set of 30 this weekend, and over their lifetime they should save hundreds thousands of paper napkins around here! They shouldn't cause any extra laundry, either, because I'll just toss them in with the other loads I'm washing.

Here's how I made mine:

 1. Find an old bedsheet. I had some around the house already, but you can find them easily at thrift shops. Wash it, iron it, and fold it in quarters.

2. Make a "pattern" for the shape and size you would like your napkins to be. I chose a regular 8.5x11" sheet of paper for mine, but squares are also common. Cut around your "pattern," leaving at least a half-inch around to leave space for the seams. I made mine larger to make just a slightly bigger napkin than my handy sheet of paper. :)

3. Pin two together. Make sure the right sides (prettier sides) are facing inward if your fabric has a pattern on it.

4. Sew around the edges, leaving about 1/4" for your seam allowance.

5. Sew almost all the way around, leaving a 4-or-so-inch gap before you meet up with where you started.

(a gap like this)

6. Turn the piece right-side-out again, and iron it so the edges are sharp. The 4-inch gap will stick out funny, so just fold it in as if it had been sewn with the rest. You'll secure it in the next step.

7. Top-stitch, about 1/8" from the edge, all the way around. Done!

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day has become one of my favorite holidays. I love all things natural and eco-responsible, so having a day where the whole country is extra-conscious of that stuff makes me so happy!

This will be the 4th year of an Earth Day tradition that Erik and I have, watching a documentary. Usually we go see the DisneyNature film that comes out in theaters this time every year, but this year there's a gap and it turns out that next year is Bears, about Alaskan grizzly bears. I guess the production on this one is taking longer for some reason.

Previously, we've gone to see Oceans (2010), African Cats (2011), and Chimpanzee (2012). This year we're going to find one on Netflix to watch. Even though it means we'll be sitting inside staring at a screen (ironic, no?), our tradition of watching a documentary is a fun way to become more aware and educated about our Earth.

I also spent most of the weekend making Earth-friendly projects, which I will be sharing with you soon!

For now, though, there are starlings outside the window, fresh tulips on the table, and so much sunshine that there are no lights on in the house. Living on this Earth is wonderful.

Packaging

Today I thought I'd share my packaging routine with you. I've been changing and tweaking my packaging for years, and though I know it will be a longtime process, at this point I'm pretty happy with what I've come up with.

Packaging is a funny thing: It needs to be appealing and reflect well on one's brand, but should also be economical and time-efficient. While eco-friendly options like re-usable boxes and recycled plastic-free padded mailers aren't the cheapest, the wonderful folks who buy from my shop understand that it's worth the extra dollar or so to avoid contributing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Due to the nature of my shop, I've always focused on avoiding plastics and unnecessary shipping waste whenever possible. I'm always adapting the aesthetics, though: I've just ordered some new packing supplies, and my shipping station is getting cuter and cuter.

For things that get mailed:

For craft fairs:

I've sourced my packaging materials from many different places, including Staples, the grocery store, Amazon.com, craft supply shops, and of course Etsy! This is the seller who made my stamps, and this is where I found my washi tape.

Do any of you have genius packing solutions, or have you received something beautifully packaged in the mail?

We make Portland awesome: Board Games

"We make Portland awesome" is a weekly series. I’m interested building our community of artists by helping us all find out more about each other.

This week: Jason of Board Games

Who are you?
Jason Greene

What do you make?
I make toys from recycled skateboards.

Besides making things, what do you do?
I skate, paint, paddle, fish, and play drums in a few bands (Yoyodyne, Johnny&Jason).

What inspires you?
I'd have to say my 3 yr. old son inspires me a great deal. Childhood in general inspires me. I've worked with young kids a lot in the past several years.

Where can your work be found?
Redux, Crafty Wonderland, Tender Loving Empire, Trillium Artisans, Spielwerk Toys, and Cal Skate. Oh, and of course on Etsy.

What do you love about Portland?
I must say, the summertime in Portland is outstanding - the food, the markets, the festivities, the woods, the weather, and the fact that everybody seems to be in a good mood. Also, the skateboarding in Portland is legendary.

Bodhisattvas and saints

In my Etsy shop, I have little felted sitting people. They're about 6 inches tall, and I usually make such figures as calm seated women, St. Francis of Assisi, and Buddhist monks in red or saffron robes.

Last week I had the most inspirational custom order request by a man on the East Coast; he wanted to know if I could make three inspirational Buddhist figures:
Kwan Yin...

Thich Nhat Hanh...

and John Muir.

My new old suitcase

 

I found this old vinyl suitcase at a thriftshop for $4.

 It was in pretty good condition but I wanted it to be cuter.

 So, 3 hours and about $12 worth of supplies later, I have a beautiful new old suitcase!

 The outside is a printed vinyl (the kind some old chair seats used to be made with).

 The inside is regular quilting cotton. I sewed some useful pockets inside too.

Exactly what I wanted for weekending!

I'm making a doily rug!

 

It's made with recycled t-shirt yarn, and I'm just making up the pattern as I go.

What's new at my Etsy shop: Sheep in bottlecaps!

A teeny tiny felted wool sheep on a patch of green!

Plastic-Free!

My biodegradable cellophane bag order has arrived! I bought mine from a fellow Etsy seller, HuntersHideaway.

Biodegradable cellophane breaks down in 1-3 months in home compost piles- so it's a harm-free alternative to plastic bags.

I use plastic-free packaging for all my items, including reusable boxes, recycled tissue paper, upcycled cardstock, and newsprint-filled padded mailers! Compostable cellophane bags will make good packaging for my star moss bottlecap magnets.

 You can read more about biodegradable cellophane here and about bioplastics (fascinating!) here.