I’m loving these DIY centrepieces using fruit and veg. They are definitely recyclable as they can be eaten on boxing day!
from Craftzine
We’re big fans of the ‘make do and mend’ ethos here at Green Renters, but I’m not sure I’d wear these creations out of the house! Good to see such an important issue covered in a mainstream fashion magazine however!
(The photos are by Tim Walker for Vogue Nov 2009)
As a renter I don’t really see the point of store bought Christmas trees. They’re synthetic and kinda ugly and we have no where to store them inbetween Christmases (like most rental properties, storage cupboards are lacking). I don’t see in the point of a cut tree, and the potted variety seem to die off in the summer heat anyway.
I also should mention that we don’t really have the space for a big Christmas tree, our living room is quite small!
So I was excited to see these photos of DIY christmas trees using household objects…
The first three are from here. The ladder looks great and I like it as it doesn’t take up too much space. The second photograph is of an old drying rack, I think something similar could definitely be made with an old clothes horse!
Over the next few weeks, here at Green Renters we will be taking a look at:
Handmade and homemade gift giving
Shopping locally and Ethically
Eco friendly Christmas decorations
Christmas wrapping the green way
Dealing with non ‘green’ relatives
Preserving your plants whilst you are away…
Also we will be having a very special giveaway next week!
Stay tuned for more details!
Kate from Design Sponge has come up with this fantastic tutorial for a bird feeder, incorporating an old wooden bowl, plastic drink bottle and other bits and pieces. Placed in a suitable position, this would be a great drawcard for native birds!
Failing that, it would be a keen gift for any pet rabbit!
I’ve seen those little bottles of hand sanitizer on every desk or front counter of most offices where I work.
I’m a bit reluctant to use them as I always was lead to believe a few germs help boost your immunity and that normal soap and water hand washing
pic from here
as needed would suffice. Further I haven’t seen any that state the were not tested on animals.
Planet Green has a couple of recipes for making your own sanitizer which I thought I’d share:
I’ve been reading alot about toilets lately. It’s exciting to see that the enthusiasm many people have for cloth nappies and reusable sanitary cloths has extended to other bathroom activities.
There’s Crunchy Chicken’s annual cloth wipe challenge which involves using fabric cloth instead of toilet paper for either number one or number two depending on your enthusiasm. Even those the cloths need to be washed, it reduces the use of water in manufacturing toilet paper, oil, energy and of course tree production. It also saves money.
pic from Treehugger
I was interested by her comment
I know when I first started out, I felt like I was doing something illicit. Like wiping my ass on the bath towels and not telling anyone. Or picking my nose and wiping it on the carpet. Well, you get the idea. Once you get over that strange feeling of wrongness and embrace the softness of cloth wipes, one can become rather giddy with excitement. Or something like that.
There’s also a murmur of interest in DIY bidets, either clip or or more organic means such as a garden hose trigger gun (hehe). Find out more here
