Whether you make a gift yourself or purchase someone else’s handiwork, handcrafted items always make for more meaningful presents than something that rolled off an assembly line. From coasters cleverly crafted from Scrabble tiles to a super soft knit cowl, our Handcrafted Holiday Gift Guide offers some of the best artisanally-made items we could find. Whether you’re shopping for your eco-chic best friend or rockstar brother, we have a handmade gift for everyone on your list.

READ MORE >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: all natural candles, andrea carrier, artist jeff davis, assembly new york, assembly new york design, assembly new york terrarium, bifold wallet, birch bowls, bookends, canvas, canvas birch bowls, clocks made from bike parts, clocks made from motorcycle parts, cottage soy candle, crossword puzzle coasters, cruelty free clutch, cruelty- free bags, cuff links, cufflinks, eco friendly book ends, eco friendly coasters, eco friendly suede bag, eco friendly suede clutch, eco macbook case, eco-friendly clocks, elvis & kresse, elvis and kresse, elvis and kresse designs, erik hendrick, european birch wood, felt laptop case, fire hose cuff links, fire hose cufflinks, gifts for men, green clocks, green coasters, green coffee mugs, green handcrafted gifts, green Handcrafted Gifts 2011, green handmade gifts, green office, green wallets, hand carved birch bowls, hand carved bowls, hand thrown ceramic mugs, hand thrown mugs, hand thrown pottery, handcrafted gift guide, handmade laptop case, handmade macbook case, handmade terrarium, indoor planters, inhabitat gift guide, jeff davis, karolin felix, karolin felix jewelry, karolin felix necklace, laptop case, lavender candles, macbook case, made by marcy, milk and honey, milk and honey bags, nicole hendrick, pencil jewelry, pencil stub jewelry, recycle clocks, recycled fire hose accessories, recycled jewelry, recycled metal clocks, recycled pencil stub jewelry, recycled record bookends, recycled record home goods, recycled records, recycled scrabble tile coasters, recycled scrap metal clocks, recycled wool wallet, scrabble tile coasters, sewlutions, sewlutions by amo, soy candle, sustainable wood bowls, terrarium gifts, Terrariums, vegan clutch, vegan suede clutch, waterproof coasters, weird old snail, weird old snail designs, wool and leather wallet, wool laptop case

Make a statement with your jewelry next time you walk into a room with this one-of-a-kind necklace made of discarded bicycle inner tubes. EcoFirstArt is giving away this avant garde, handcrafted necklace by My Sister’s Art (worth $600) to one lucky winner and it could be you. Entering is easy so try your hand at winning this gorgeous piece.

ENTER THIS FABULOUS GIVEAWAY >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: eco-fashion, Ethical Fashion, green fashion, My Sister’s Art, recycled fashion, recycled jewelry, recycled tires, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, upcycled fashion, upcycled jewelry

‘Luxury labels’ and ‘ethical fashion’ are two phrases that don’t often find harmony in the same sentence , so when we caught wind of Hermès taking a stab at sustainability we had to applaud their efforts. The fashion powerhouse recently launched a new collection dubbed “Petit h”, a series of “unidentified poetic objects” formed from defective inventory and factory-floor leftovers. With inspired ideas and adept hands, the company’s artisans are creating everything from jewelry hangers from teapot spouts, dumbbells from crystal wear, and intricate necklaces from their leather scraps.

READ MORE >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: eco-fashion, Ethical Fashion, green fashion, Hermes, Petit h, recycled fashion, recycled jewelry, recycled leather, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, upcycled fashion, upcycled jewelry, upcycled leather

Do you have a boxful of Christmas lights that have met their last leg? If you don’t want to go through the painstaking un-eco task of tossing out these little lights, then why not upcycle them into sparkly new holiday accessories for you and your friends? Whether you’re an avid DIY-er, or simply looking for something to do this lazy Sunday, take a cue from our quick and easy tutorial on how to fashion your own holiday-themed accessories for next to nothing!

READ MORE >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: diy jewelry, DIY Nation, DIY tutorials, eco friendly jewelry, eco-fashion, recycled christmas lights, recycled holiday lights, recycled jewelry, Sustainable Fashion, upcycled jewelry

Another design which caught our attention earlier this year at the London Design Festival was this incredible design by Florie Salnot at RCA’s Sustain show. Salnot spent time working in Saharawi refugee camps and developed an easy and low-tech method of creating intricate, luxe-looking jewelry from plastic waste.

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: florie salnot, Jewelry, London Design Festival, Plastic bottles, RCA sustain show, recycled jewelry, recycled plastic jewelry, recycling, recycling DIY

READ MORE >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: eco-fashion, green fashion, recycled fashion, recycled jewelry, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, upcycled fashion, upcycled jewelry

Pining for some new accessories this summer? Well, good news! One of our favorite eco-designers, Tara St. James, has just given us the lowdown on how to make her eye-catching and funky Zipper Bracelet! Got a broken zipper and some thread to match? Then click ahead for a quick and easy DIY tutorial on how you can upcycle an otherwise useless piece of metal, into a charming yet edgy bit wrist candy. Believe us, it’s as simple as XYZ!

READ MORE >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: DIY tutorials, eco-fashion, green fashion, recycled fashion, recycled jewelry, recycled zipper bracelet, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, tara st. james, upcycled fashion, upcycled jewelry

If you’re a cat parent, you probably know all about the mountainous pile of catfood that feline friends can go through in a week. Well instead of trashing your catfood cans, why not upcycle all that shiny metal into cool DIY rings? Check out our step-by-step guide at Ecouterre to see how!

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: cat ring, craft, DIY Eco-Fashion, do it yourself, eco jewelry, green jewelry, make it yourself, recycled, recycled cat food can, recycled jewelry, reusing, upcycled jewelry, upcycling

Self proclaimed pack-rat and the design mastermind behind the eco-fashion line Study Tara St. James knows how to make upcycling look good. So we weren’t surprised to see that her latest endeavor takes something as mundane as old zippers and transforms them into objects of desire fit for the pages of Vogue (Anna Wintour, if you’re reading this, give Tara a call). Check out all of Tara’s beautiful beribboned, and shockingly affordable, necklaces and accessories before they all get scooped up!

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE>

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: eco friendly accessories, eco friendly jewelry, eco-fashion, recycled jewelry, recycled zippers, Sustainable Fashion, Tara St. James recycled zipper jewelry, upcycled jewelry, zipper jewelry

Want to win this dazzling $170 recycled vintage chain necklace? We’re giving it away to one lucky reader on Ecouterre to celebrate the official launch of our dedicated eco-fashion website, Ecouterre! We wanted to do something extra special for our very first giveaway so we got the talented designer and founder of Dirty Librarian Chains, Susan, to whip us up a ONE OF A KIND eco-necklace out of recycled chains and charms. So what are you waiting for? Enter now for your chance to win!

ENTER TO WIN HERE >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: dirty librarian chains, Dirty Librarian Chains Necklace Giveaway, ecouterre necklace, fall jewelry, giveaway, reclaimed jewelry, recycled chain, recycled jewelry, susan domelsmith, the ecouterre

As summer heats up, we’re looking forward to bikini and pina colada time by the pool. If you’re looking for stylish items to help keep you cool that won’t break the bank or your eco-conscience, here are a few that we can recommend…

Read the rest of Sizzling Stuff for a Sustainable Summer

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: alternative to takeout containers, eco jewelry, eco to go, eco-friendly fourth of july, green bbq, green independence day, green party, green sandals, green style guide, kumvana gomani, meflex, melissa sandals, melissa summer loving, recycled jewelry, recycled plastic bottles, save plastic containers, save waste, summer shop picks, sustainable sandals, sustainable style, takeout container waste

When you want to beat the summer heat, there’s nothing more satisfying than the sensation of frosty ice against your skin. Since wearing ice cubes isn’t the most practical idea, you might want to try the next best thing – Sweden-based jewelry artist Kumvana Gomani‘s sparkly, refreshing jewelry made of filigreed shards of plastic she reclaimed from old water bottles and ice cream cartons! Just like snowflakes, no two are alike.

Read the rest of Icy Cool Recycled Eco Jewelry by Kumvana Gomani

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: eco jewelry, green jewelry, kumvana gomani, recycled ice cream containers, recycled jewelry, recycled plastic bottles

As we transition from winter to spring here in NYC, there is no doubt that we all are looking for signs of sparkly renewal and regeneration. Our Spring Greening Contest is certainly one way that we are sprucing up our abodes and the clutter in our lives by making things fresh and new again. One of the most impressive submissions we received for our DIY design contest was this eco sparkly recycled plastic jewelry by Kumvana Gomani. This innovative Swedish designer has found a a great way to turn recycled soda and water bottles into snowflakes and crystallized leaves that radiate green chic bling.

Read the rest of Kumvana Gomani Jewelry Made From Recycled Bottles

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: craft activism, craftism, eco accessories, eco craft, recycled jewelry, Recycled Materials, recycled plastics, recycled soda pop jewelry, recycled water bottle, sustainable style

We first discovered the stunning recycled jewelry of MANA back in January. Brazilian eco designer Mana Bernardes works with a collective of young women in Rio De Janeiro to refashion bits of urban detritus – plastic bottles, circuit boards, hairpins, phone cards – into gorgeously thought-provoking jewelry. Now the fabulously eco-chic Mana Collection is coming to NYC with the launch of the TOUCH | NY exhibit this weekend, and we can’t wait to check it out at the opening reception tonight.

TOUCH | NY: May 18th -20th
12 noon – 7pm
148 11th Avenue, NY, NY

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Brazil street fashion, design re-use, eco design, green design, Mana Bernardes, reclaimed design, reclaiming design, recycled accessories, recycled jewelry, sustainable style, TOUCH Mana Collection

Australian designer Craig Arnold has captured the beauty of contemporary design and sustainability with his latest bracelet collection, re:vision. Made from discarded camera parts, these bracelets are a must have accessory for photographers and eco-accessory fans alike. We are of course big proponents of recycling obsolete gadgets into new fashion statements, but Arnold’s fresh take on this eco-fashion principle is a great new idea, one from which we can all draw inspiration.


Read the rest of Recycled Camera Cuffs from Re:vision

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Australian design, camera cuff bracelet, camera cuff jewelry, camera recycling, Craig Arnold re:vision, eco fashion accessories, recycled camera bracelet, recycled cameras, recycled jewelry, repurposed gadgets, sustainable jewelry design

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: eco jewelry, green jewelry, reclaimed fashion, reclaimed jewelry, recycled fashion, recycled jewelry, Sid Vintage Reclaimed Jewelry, sustainable jewelry, vintage jewelry

The Mana Collection by TOUCH features one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that cleverly string together social design and environmental responsibility, not to mention recycled treasures from the streets of Brazil. This LA based art/design collective recently introduced a stunning line of artisan made products including furniture, home décor items, ceramics, tableware, jewelry, and limited edition items. They wisely brought on board Mana Bernardes, a young jewelry designer, poet, and visual artist from Rio de Janeiro, to oversee their hip jewelry creations. Detritus and discarded plastics never looked so good, as the Mana Collection is proof that one (wo)man’s trash is another (wo)man’s treasure. These are, for sure, the eco-sparkly jewels of creative re-use.


Read the rest of MANA COLLECTION: Stunning Recycled Jewelry by TOUCH

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: accessories, Brazil, Mana Bernardes, re-use, recycled jewelry, street fashion, sustainable style, TOUCH Mana Collection

On my recent trip to Buenos Aires for the Feria Puro Diseño design show, I came across a jewelry designer named Silvina Romero, who makes gorgeous, colorful, and tactile wearable works of art from recycled pieces of fabric and textiles. Silvina started working with discarded textiles about four years ago during the height of the Argentinian economic crisis, gathering scrap fabric, thread, nylon, and more in a neighborhood called Once, where many of fabric dealers and manufacturers set up shop. “Green by necessity,” Silvina turned trash into treasure and has since been recognized for her thoughtfully crafted, truly unique pieces. I bought about seven of her necklaces at a store called Condimentos in Buenos Aires, or you can contact Silvina directly through her website.

Read the rest of RECYCLED TEXTILE JEWELRY By Silvina Romero

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: buenos aires designer, eco jewelry, fabric jewelry, recycled jewelry, Recycled Textile jewelry, Silvina Romero