Natural and Sustainable

This Valentine’s Day when you go to buy your sweetie that special gift that expresses the love you have for them, think of how you are going to wrap it up and go eco-friendly. Not sure where to start, well here are some ideas.

• Old Maps: Old maps are great for wrapping gifts up. Even if it’s just a birthday gift or a Valentine’s Day gift. The cool thing about the maps is you can make any of them look awesome around a gift box. You can take a red marker and follow a road from a mark you made that says “ME” and draw the road line to another mark you made that says, “YOU” and meet them in the middle with a heart.

• Reusable Shopping Bags: They are everywhere anymore. They can be stuffed with recycled tissue paper and your gift added and tied off with a piece of twine. The gift idea for wrapping, not only gives the receiver an eco-friendlier gift option, it also gives them a reusable shopping bag as well, to use over and over again.

• LED Light bulb: This idea is a great way to add some flare to the gift package and also gives the receiver a way to save money and energy in their own home. Make sure the bulb is new and is also Energy Star Approved as well.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: The best wrapping paper idea can be found right in your won cabinet. Use aluminum foil to wrap a gift with. Not only is it recyclable it can also add flair to a gift with a bit of shine that will make it stand out for sure.

With Valentine’s Day coming up more and more people are headed to the supermarket for Valentine’s Day card retailer to grab “mass-producted” valentines. At our home we make eco-crafts whenever we can. From dehydrating fruit rings and making our own homemade potporri to handmade crads made with all-natural materials. Here is one craft that I love to make and it doesn’t just have to be made for Valentine’s Day, it can be made for any occasion when you just want to tell the one you care for that you love them.

Materials Needed:
• Freezer paper
• One cup of water, in a bowl
• Paper towels
• Iron and ironing board
• Towels
• Cardstock and envelopes
• Craft glue
• Scissors
• Soy Silk Fusion Kit
• Embroidery floss and needle
• Small paper punch
• Glitter
• Sewing machine and thread (optional)
• Decorative all-natural paper

To make the soy silk for projects:
1. Place a sheet of freezer paper (about 18″) shiny side up, on a flat surface. As if your were pulling apart a cotton ball, seperate the Soy Silk fibers. Lay seperate pieces out on the paper, overlapping and crisscrossing each layer while taking care to leave at least a 1″ border between the fibers and the edge of the paper. Make the final product about 1″ thick. You can also add some glitter or yarn scraps to the top layer.

2. Once you’re happy with the look of the fiber laid out, lay mesh over the whole thing. Mix one part medium to three parts water and sprinkle lightly over the fibers. Starting in the center and working outward, gently massage this mixture into the fibers, adding more water when necessary. Watch the fusion take place.

3. Slowly remove the mesh and set it aside. Keep the fiber backed by the freezer paper. Let it dry for several hours. Then, cover the fusion fiber with a towel and press it with a medium-heat iron for 15-30 seconds. Now you’re ready to create anything you want with the silk creation you just made.

To make a card:

Cut out soy sil in the desired shapes for your card design. Print out messaged in font on yoru computer on plain paper. You can cut a card out of a paper sack and what you don’t use you can print your messages on the discarded paper bag scrap. Use your imagination. To make a cupid’s arrow: Cut our a heart from the soy silk and attach it top a card front with your sewing machine. Just follow the edges of the heart or sew an arrow shape through it in a contrasting color with the soy silk. Use a little glue around the edges if needed.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Replace your lightbulbs in your home and office with compact fluorescent ones.