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Post tags: "green wall", "living wall", craft a planter, DIY, diy hanging planter, felt crafts, felt projects, green interiors, green planter, greenery, hanging planter, how to make a hanging planter hanging felt planter, how-to, make your own green wall, Office, plant crafts, planter, plants, sewing, succulent

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Post tags: beverages, DIY, drinks, healthy drinks, herb water, hot weather, hydration, iced tea, lemonade, recipes, soda, summer, tea

To promote the value of turning garbage into something valuable, artist and designer Francis Sollano transformed discarded nursing uniforms into a spectacular chandelier he’s called ‘Farfalla’ (aka “bow-tie pasta”). The DIY project can be applied to any fabric, varying on the patterns and colors depending on the look one aims to achieve. Want to learn how to make your own? Follow the instructions after the jump!

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

Read the rest of DIY: Learn How to Make a Gorgeous Farfalla Chandelier with Recycled Fabric

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Post tags: butterfly chandelier, farfalla, farfalla chandelier, francis sollano, green lighting, recycled materials chandelier

Father’s Day is just around the corner (June 16), and if you’re still scrambling to find a good gift for Dad, fear not. Instead of going out to a department store and dropping $50 on a silk tie, we’ve come up with five awesome DIY gifts that you can make from a recycled necktie. From a rockin’ guitar strap to a silky glasses case, head over to Ecouterre for some Father’s Day inspiration.

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Post tags: DIY, diy father's day gifts, diy gifts, father's day, father's day gifts, Recycled Materials, recycled necktie, recycled ties, upcycled necktie, upcycling

Just over a month ago, we showcased a product with the potential to revolutionize the still-new 3D printing industry: the ProDesk3D by botObjects. Hailed as the world’s first full-color 3D printer, the ProDesk3D allows designers to pick a desired palette and quickly print the final product with a five-color, re-usable PLA cartridge system. Since the ProDesk3D is only in the pre-order phase (and we were eager to know more), Inhabitat reached out to botObjects founders Martin Warner and Mike Duma to dig deeper into the development process of this ground-breaking product. Read on to find out why the ProDesk3D pushes the boundaries of 3D printing technology, and how it was designed to make self-fabrication accessible to a larger audience.

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: Inhabitat Talks to botObjects Founders About ProDesk3D, The World’s First Full-Color 3D Printer

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Post tags: 3D printers, 3D printing, botObjects, DIY, interview, Martin Warner, Mike Duma, prodesk3d, Technology

Upcycle old bottle caps into magnetic photo memories! The newly launched site, called Made + Remade, features ways that you can make, fix and find materials. Recycled and salvaged materials are a focus of the site and there are tons of ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Get started with your own picture perfect project and transform a handful of simple bottle caps into fun photo magnets—they’ll make a great gift for Father’s Day!

Via Made + Remade

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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Post tags: bottle cap art, bottle cap magnets, craft ideas, craft ideas for bottle caps, diy magnets, DIY Network, how-to magnets, ideas for bottle caps, made + remade

Urban food gardens are popping up all over the world, and with good cause: as food prices continue to rise and the very real issues of GMO contamination become more apparent, many people are realizing how important it is to be self-sufficient as far as food production is concerned. As this is the time of year when people are ordering seeds and getting ready to sow them for this summer’s garden, it’s the perfect opportunity to set up a seed bank to share with your friends, family, and even your community.

Read the rest of DIY: How to Start Your Own Seed Bank

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Post tags: community, garden, heirloom seeds, herbs, organic seeds, permaculture, permaculture garden, seed bank, tomatoes

The Cardboard Collective just released a new pattern for making a set of stacking cardboard boxes that convert into a nightstand, an ottoman, a stool or a tiny table with chairs. They were developed by a mother from Tokyo as a way of managing all the little toys that kids love to play with like Legos, wooden blocks, toy cars and alphabet magnets. You can make the “Totem Boxes” yourself using reclaimed cardboard. An instructional PDF with templates and video tutorial guides are available at the Cardboard Collective’s Etsy store for $12.

+ Cardboard Collective

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Using seven discarded shipping pallets, avid recycler and designer James Higginson—who previously shared his pallet table project with us—now ups his game with a gorgeous DIY beach bar built on a tiny budget. Check out James’ tutorial on how you can make your own beautiful construction this summer. His step-by-step instructions can found here, and though this project requires some building know-how, it’s also a DIY masterpiece that’s sure to WOW your friends and family!

Via Survive France Network 

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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Post tags: bar design, beach bar design, build your own bar, design your own bar, diy bar, diy beach bar, james higginson, Pallet beach bar, pallet construction, recycled pallet designs, Survive France

3D printing technology just added a little spring to its step with a new maker material called “Elasto Plastic,” an off-white flexible polymer made by Shapeways. The substance sports a grainy texture that retains its strength when used for large structures over 5mm. As an experimental material, it will not be available in Shapeways shops, but it will be available for purchase during a six-week trial that ends on July 9.

Read the rest of Shapeways Debuts a New Flexible 3D Printing Material

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Post tags: 3D printing, compression, elasto plastic, flexible, maker material, plastic, polymer, Shapeways

If you’ve always dreamed of having a little herb garden in your kitchen, here’s a video DIY from our friend Summer Rayne Oakes that can bring that fantasy to fruition today. Follow along as Summer and her dad use just a few components to create a mason jar herb garden that not only provides fresh seasonings for cooking but also looks fantastic.

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Post tags: DIY, diy design, diy herb garden, diy mason jar herb garden, diy vertical garden, eco design, eco model, green design, green nyc, Green Walls, how to make a container garden, how to make a diy garden, how to make a mason jar garden, model Summer Rayne Oakes, planted walls, Summer Rayne Oakes, sustainable design

With summer quickly approaching, it’s time to dust off the patio furniture, fire up the grill, and start spending a lot more time outdoors. Over at Inhabitots, we’ve shared some detailed instructions for creating a beautiful set of DIY lanterns that are made from recycled tin cans. In just a few simple steps, you can create a gorgeous outdoor lantern to set the mood in your patio or balcony. Head over to Inhabitots to see how it’s done.

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Post tags: DIY lanterns, diy projects, DIY tin can lanterns, green lighting, lantern, outdoor lanter, tin can lantern

Talk about upcycling — this tiny barbeque grill is made from a single Altoids Sours tin, two salvaged computer fan guards and a handful of nuts and screws, and it’s big enough to handle a wiener or a hamburger patty! Instructables user vmspionage claims that he (or she) got the inspiration from the eBq, which employs the larger Altoids mints tin, but in the name of progress vmspionage has made that original grill look like a 1980s computer by comparison.


Read the rest of The ‘Altoids Sours’ BBQ Grill Is Curiously Awesome!

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Post tags: Altoids Sours, bbq, cleantech, Design, DIY, eco design, green design, grill, Labor day, sustainable design

Approximately 27.4 billion disposable diapers end up in US landfills each year, and once there, they take about 500 years to decompose! If you want to stop contributing the the problem with your baby’s diapers, (and maybe even potty train early) cloth diapers are a great option, but getting started with cloth diapers can be a bit intimidating for newbies. Inhabitots editor Julie Seguss recently got a tutorial in cloth-diapering by Carolyn Sutton of Charlie Banana to learn about the basics, and we made this handy video so that you can follow along step by step, and learn how to get started with cloth-diapering. Click here to check it out!

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Post tags: buying green diapers, carolyn sutton, charlie banana, charlie banana diapers, cloth diapering, cloth diapering how to, cloth diapers, diapers, eco baby, Eco diapers, eco friendly diapers, eco-friendly design, green baby, green design, green diaper how to, green diapers, guide to cloth diapers, how to cloth diaper, How to Get Started With Cloth Diapers, how to green diaper, how to use green diapers, julie seguss, Luca, Luca Seguss, Reusable diapers

Read the rest of Eighteen-Year-Old Builds One-Man DIY Submarine Out of a Drainpipe

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Post tags: Justin Beckerman, lake hopatcong, new jersey teen submarine, nj teen creates submarine, teen creates submarine

This summer’s been one of the hottest yet, but if you’re already sweating from the intense heat, you can rest easy — I’ve got a sweet, refreshing treat that is sure too cool you down! Popsicles are a delightful and refreshing staple for the summer season, and I know personally that it’s hard to let a day pass without biting down on a delicious bar (or maybe 5…). But buyer beware — if you’ve been heading to your local supermarket for a box, you should know that not all popsicles are made equal. High fructose corn syrup pops laden with #5 red and #8 blue dye dominate grocery store shelves, and those yucky popsicles pose more of a health risk than an innocent indulgence. If you’re looking for a healthier — not to mention cheaper — alternative, your best bet is to make your own delicious and nutritious popsicles at home! Jump ahead for my easy DIY popsicle tutorial featuring one of my favorite recipes: Summer Strawberry Popsicles. Not only will you be able to cool down with a batch of mouth-watering, refreshing and healthy popsicles, but you’ll have saved yourself money and time by making your own at home. All you need is a freezer, popsicle molds and something sweet to put in ‘em!

Read the rest of HOW TO: Make Homemade, Healthy, Organic Popsicles To Beat the Heat!

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Post tags: bing, bing search, blender popsicles, diy popsicles, eco popsicles, green popsicles, handmade popsciles, healthy popsicles, home made popsicles, Homemade Popsicles, how to make popsicles, How to Make Your Own Healthy Popsicles At Home, make your own popsicles, natural popsicles, organic popsicles, popsicle activities, popsicle molds, popsicle recipes, strawberry popsicles, vegan popsicles, vegetarian popsicles

Many people bemoan the fact that they can’t grow their own food (or even flowers) because they lack any kind of garden space, but guess what? You can actually grow more than you realize in really small areas as long as they get a bit of direct sun. Hell, you can even grow things indoors under a lamp, but there’s something special about plucking your own food from a stalk that’s been sitting in summer sunshine all day. In any case, whether you have a little concrete slab behind your house, a fire escape outside your window, or even a tiny balcony, your urban garden can be a veritable Eden of fresh, healthy, home-grown vegetables, and herbs.

Read the rest of DIY: How to Plant a Personal Garden In a Small Urban Space

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Post tags: balcony garden, companion planting, food, herbs, Organic vegetables, patio garden, patio gardening, self sufficiency, tomatoes, urban food gardening, urban food solution, urban garden, urban gardening, vegetables

Forget vinyl – engineer Amanda Ghassaei has developed a technique for cutting records into wood! Using a Epilog 120 Watt Legend EXT laser cutter, she was able to create digital waveform files from MP3s, which she then converted into PDFs. She then used a laser cutter to follow the vector paths and etch about three minutes worth of music on each side of a wooden record. Her first album features tracks from Radiohead and Joy Division – hit the jump to hear them!

Read the rest of Beautiful Wood Records Created Using a Laser Cutter

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Post tags: 3d printer, amanda ghassaei, cnc cutter, files, instructables, joy division, laser cutter, mp3, music, pdf, radiohead, record, San Francisco, the velvet underground, vector, vinyl, Wood

There are those who will only let their firearms be taken away from their cold, dead 3D printers. Defense Distributed, a group of IT professionals, students, and engineers located in the US and Germany, have reported to Forbes that the downloads for its Liberator gun have reached 100,000. Earlier this week, they had demonstrated their product being discharged successfully in Texas. Since then, California Senator Leland Yee has been taking steps to ban the weapon, attempting to outlaw the manufacture of 3D-printed guns.

Read the rest of Blueprints for 3D-Printed Liberator Gun Have Been Downloaded 100,000 Times in Just Two Days

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Post tags: 3d printer, 3D-printed gun, BluePrint, Brazil, California, Chuck Schumer, Cody Wilson, defcad, Defense Distributed, download, ebay, germany, liberator pistol, New York., plastic, senator leland yee, Spain, steve isreal, texas, UK, US, us bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms, us undetectable firearms act

Dutch designer Jolan Van Der Wiel created a public workshop where visitors could make their own colorful trays using natural forces. The designer, famous for creating strange, spiky objects with the help of gravity and magnetic fields, is now harnessing the power of centrifugal forces and a recycled tool he developed himself.

Read the rest of Jolan Van Der Wiel’s Psychedelic Tray Tables Are Created Using Centrifugal Forces

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", Art, centrifugal force, DIY, dutch design, Dutch Design Week, gravity, green products, Jólan van der Wiel, psychedelic, recycled bike, tray