Tag: eco friendly decorating

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Eco Tips Furnishings Home Decor Recycling

Turning Recyclable Items Into Fashionable Backyard Décor

plastic-straw-chime-colorful-outdoor

bird-feeders-diy-recycled-craftsSave those bottles! Save those boxes! Save anything recyclable because it can totally be reused again but in a cute way. Decorate your backyard with new items from things that you would normally recycle. It can be so much fun. Plus who does not love decorating? You can involve the whole family and make it a cohesive fun project. First, you want to put everything in separate piles so that way you know what you are working with. Next, you want to go to the craft room and get all the supplies. Remember to get all the scraps from your craft room because they will be greatly used. Finally, get to making new décor pieces for you backyard.

Here are some great ideas for you to try.

Bird Feeders – These will be great to use outside. Give your back yard a nice touch with homemade bird-feeders. All you have to do is cut a circle (big enough for a bird) about 4 inches from the bottom of the bottle. Now paint the bottle with non-toxic paint in any color. Decorate it with any art that you want. Maybe a welcome sign? Now glue a wooden rod by the hole. Let it dry. Fill it with bird seeds, hang it up and let the birds enjoy the feeder. Beware their cousins, the squirrels, might try to eat the seeds too.

Straw Chimes – These do not make noise but are beautiful to look at. All you need is some imagination. Save straws of many colors and sizes. Use clear thread and creative with the design and length of your chime. You can hang them off tree branches. Use white straws for a more elegant charm. Use colorful straws for a more festive vibe. Use a mixture of sizes for an eclectic look. You can even run a thread through the middle of the chime and add a bell if you want some noise.

10 Mistakes: You Are Building That Green Home WrongMini-Luminaires – Light up the deck with these unique lights. Cut the bottles in half and paint the bottom half white, red, orange, yellow, or light green. Fill them up with sand (from your backyard) and put tea lights in them.

Cardboard Deco Box – Use cardboard boxes as deco pieces on your backyard deck. Paint them and add some flare buy making a collage one with extra scraps of magazine clippings. Paint one box black and the other one white. Stack them on top of each other to get a modern art vibe.

Decoupage Lanterns – Have any leftover balloons? Use them to make decoupage lanterns. Blow up the balloon and tie it. Tape it to a flat surface. Mix glue and water to get a watery sticky glue mixture. Cut strands of colorful paper, magazine clippings, newspaper, etc. Dip them into the mixture and place them on the balloon in random spots until the balloon is covered. Once dried, pop the balloon and pull it out. You have beautiful lanterns to hangs. Add lights to them if you want.

Yes these might seem like little décor items, but trust me, they will elevate your backyard to a whole new level.

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Articles Eco Tips Home Improvement Uncategorized

Tips for Adding Beauty and Value to Your Home the Eco-Friendly Way

When people go about remodeling or adding onto their homes, they often think the involved processes will be overly expensive. Don’t be fooled by this false belief. There are many affordable ways that you can give your home a makeover, and best of all, you can be eco-friendly at the same time. Here are some great tips for adding both beauty and value to your home, while at the same time being mother nature’s best friend.

Replacing Your Roof

Yes, replacing your roof can be a bit costly at first, but if you cover it in shingles or metal that are light in color, this can greatly reduce the temperature in your attic. As a result, you’ll likely reap the benefit of cooler temperatures in your home, which means you can save a considerable amount of money on your cooling expenses.

Decorating with Pallet Racks

Pallet racks are often given away for free from both large and small businesses. By gathering several of them, you can easily recycle them by constructing shelves, indoor and outdoor furniture and lots more. You can paint or stain these racks any color of your choosing, which is an excellent way to add lots of character to your home.

Swap Out Your Showerheads

Being friendly to mother nature involves reducing your water usage. A great way to do this is by switching out the showerheads in your bathrooms to ones that support the low flow of water.

Install Extra Ceiling Fans

Fans can go a long way in adding flair to any room, and better yet, they make it easier to cool your home during the warmer months of the year. Mother nature will truly appreciate it when you turn off the AC and crank up the fans.

Insulate Your Water Heater

There’s a good chance that your hot water heater is already insulated, but if you add extra insulation, this will make it easier to heat your water, and it could save you up to 15 percent or more on the expense of heating your water.

Tint Your Windows

Just the same as you can tint the windows on your car, your home’s windows can be tinted too. In doing this, you’ll be reflecting the sun’s glare, which will make it easier to cool your home.

The Takeaway

Giving your home an eco-friendly makeover doesn’t mean you have to empty your bank account. And even though you’ll be spending money to carry out the projects, you can rest assured that you’ll be saving money at the same time on several of your utility bills.

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Articles Featured Furnishings

What You Should Know About Green Carpeting

At first glance, eco-friendly carpet may seem too good to be true, saving the Earth and having an eco-friendly home, but it isn’t! Eco-friendly carpeting is a great way to help green your home.

Firstly it is very important to understand the differences between green carpets that are currently on the market. Some carpets are made from post-consumer recycled materials, such as plastic water bottles and soda bottles. This is a good choice because it helps keep those materials out of landfills and it allows the carpeting to be recycled at a much later date. It uses less Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs, leading to a healthier, happier home.

Another option is natural carpets that are made from natural materials. These materials range from wool, seagrass or bamboo. These materials come from resources around the world. On average they have less toxins, are durable, however their prices can be high.

The Pros of Green Carpeting

  • Recycled carpeting helps the environment by keeping waste out of landfills
  • Later on if you choose to replace your recycled carpeting, it can be further recycled unlike traditional carpeting
  • There are fewer VOCs with recycled carpeting, leading to improved air quality in your home and less risk for respiratory problems
  • Natural carpets have lowered in price and due to popularity there are more options to work with
  • Natural carpets are durable and highly stain resistant

The Cons of Green Carpeting

  • Not all recycled carpeting is made with 100% recyclable materials
  • Depending on your location it may be harder to find recyclable carpeting
  • On average natural and recycled carpeting costs more than traditional carpeting since natural carpeting is dependent on its sources and recycled carpeting is a little harder to produce

There are many pros and cons to choosing green carpeting, although most people agree that eco-friendly carpet for the home is the better choice. You will still have to consider your budget and personal preferences when deciding.

Sources: Greenfloors.com (http://www.greenfloors.com/), hgtvremodels.com, (http://www.hgtvremodels.com/interiors/the-benefits-of-recycled-carpet-tiles/index.html)

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Featured Gadgets & Gear Recycling

Solecan™ is Your Single Can Trash & Recycling Solution!

Watch out world there’s a new product on the market that has the ability to change recycling as we know it. The product is called Solecan™ and it was designed and invented by Liz and Jeff Helfrich.

What exactly is the Solecan™? Liz and Jeff have “reinvented” the traditional trash can. The Solecan™ is a dual-sided trash can; the two halves snap together in the middle, with one side designated for trash and the other for recycling.  By unsnapping the two halves, you can easily empty trash into the larger trash can and the recycling into the family’s main recycling bin. You can still use traditional trash bags in the Solecan or you can go without. The Solecan™ is made in the USA and it is made with recycled plastic, so its eco-footprint will be as small as possible. The Solecan™ honestly looks the same as a traditional trashcan but has a lot more functionality. It is a perfect way to get the whole family to recycle and can be used in virtually every room in your home.

Right now they are seeking funding on a website called Kickstarter. Kickstarter is a site that allows creative projects to raise funds from “backers” in exchange for rewards. You can be a part of bringing this product to market by pledging as little as $1. If they reach their target investment (which is preselling about 3,300 Solecans by April 22, 2013, Earth Day) then you will be charged your pledge. For $17 and up you will receive one of the trash cans.

Want some more information or want to get your hands on the perfect Earth Day gift? Check out www.solecan.com for more information or to pre-order your own Solecan™ directly go here!. You can also find them on Twitter or on Facebook.

 

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Articles Featured Furnishings Home Design

Ways to Get Green When Refurnishing

As our world continues to become more heavily populated, we need to be concerned with the amount of resources that are being consumed and wasted. Homeowners who remodel or refurnish frequently tend to add to the problem; however, the good news is that many are now seeking out environmentally conscious refurnishing and remodeling methods. We found five in particular that are easy to implement.

CFL Light Bulbs. Use lighting that requires the least amount of energy. Incandescent light bulbs have set the standard for household lighting. However, these bulbs pollute the earth and give off excess heat. A much more efficient alternative is the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, in combination with natural light. These newer bulbs use less energy and last up to ten times longer that incandescent light bulbs. And by using natural light during the day you will use even less energy.

Furniture Made From Recycled Materials. Purchase furniture that’s been made of recycled and environmentally friendly materials. Recycled materials have many uses in the home, so it’s really no surprise that furniture manufacturers are now recycling used materials. When furnishing your home, search for furniture made from recycled woods, cork, or bamboo. These materials are readily available and can easily withstand everyday wear and tear. They are also available in neutral colors that will match any home decor.

Earthy Wall Decor. Plain white walls can definitely bring down the energy in a room. Fortunately, there are options available to liven up those walls without hurting the environment. Wall accents made from glass, paper, shells, and even bamboo will add a sense of quirkiness to any room. Not only are these materials fairly easy to get your hands on, they are also able to be used for multiple purposes when you want to change the decor in the home afterwards.

Live Plants. Plants are a good way to accentuate tables and counter spaces. They add a splash of color to your home environment while also cleaning the air. Another way to add a bright splash of color to your home is by purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables to use as a centerpiece on a table.

Reuse Household Items. Many people throw out candles and other items once they are no longer usable. Instead of being wasteful, recycle the candles by melting down the leftover wax into an empty container.