Earth Day Preview : Eco-friendly Products and Upcycling Tutorial

Tomorrow, April 22nd is Earth Day. Although this is a one day celebration, you can easily buy eco-friendly throughout the year. On Etsy, you can search for Canadian and eco-friendly goods at the same time. All our members use the "teamcanada" tag, so you can use this in your searches along with these useful keywords:

• eco-friendly
• upcycled
• recycled
• repurposed

The above keywords helped to find these members' handmade and eco-friendly products.


1. Tank top by tangente, made with vintage souvenir scarves, Ottawa, Ontario
2. Suede Mini Journal by MyHandboundBooks, made with leather scraps and recycled paper, Halifax, Nova Scotia
3. Sea Glass Necklace by seaglassdesigns, made with glass found at the beach, Darthmouth, Nova Scotia
4. Quilted Patchwork Journal by rikrak, made with re-porpused vintage fabric, Ottawa, Ontario
5. Lime Lychee Shea Butter Bar by bovinebubbles, hancrafted in small batches thus ensuring quality and freshness, Prince Albert, Sasketchwan
6. Felt Friends by tanisalexis, made with recycled wool sweater fabric and stuffed with upcycled polyfill, Vancouver, BC

Anyone wondering why I have included the Shea Butter Bar? Bovinebubbles works in small amounts which means they are not overproducing as is typical with large companies. Working small, to what the market needs, is also an eco-friendly way of running a business.

There are many reasons why some products are eco-friendly. The handmade products above are just a few examples. Check in tomorrow to see OffTheHooks' selections and her eco-friendly tips. Later today, we will announce member's shops offering discounts on Earth Day.

Upcycling Tutorial: Make Your Own Mailer from Cereal Boxes
(Upcycling is a component of sustainability in which waste materials are used to provide new products -- wikipedia)

Store your cereal boxes, granola boxes, cracker boxes in a clean place to re-use later.

Here I'm cutting up a granola box and using the sides folded over to make a sturdy mailer.


The neutral tone of this mailer is great for rubber stamping. The final product is a clean looking mailer 6 1/4 inches by 5 1/2 inches high, weighing 1.5 oz / 42 grams. Some boxes are lighter then others. Cutting away the bottom and side flaps will give you a slightly lighter box. Check your local stores for rubber stamps as well as checking Etsy.

Do you have any recycling/upcycling tips for packaging?

Brought to you by Laura Bucci *handame. Maker of eco cup cozies and linen wallets & pouches from Vancouver, Canada.