Every year, my husband and I (ie. mostly me) pick a color scheme for our Christmas decor. This year, we chose turquoise and gold (with a tiny bit of lime green added for a little extra pizzazz). The problem? We owned exactly two ornaments in any of those colors. In years past, we have always incorporated silver into our Christmas color palette. Not a speck of gold. Ever. So what’s a girl to do? Buy a whole tree’s worth of ornaments? You know me better than that

First, I swapped ornaments with my mother, who had tons of gold decor, but is decorating in silver this year. That’s what I call a stroke of good luck. I came home with a whole box full of goodies. Next, my daughter and I got down to the business of making our own ornaments. I was inspired by some owl ornaments I found on Pinterest:

Owl ornament tutorial

I’d been saving toilet paper rolls for weeks in anticipation of trying this, and it couldn’t have gone better. Since the available tutorial is in Spanish, I’ll walk you through the steps. Kids can definitely help with this.

1. At the top of a toilet paper tube, push down on opposite sides so they fold and meet in the middle. Squeeze the peaks that will be created by these folds. If you squeeze hard enough, you shouldn’t need glue, tape or anything else to hold it in this position.

2. Paint the tubes however you want. We used turquoise and lime green. Let them dry for at least an hour.

3. Use a black permanent marker to draw owls on the painted tubes. If you’re afraid of messing up, first draw lightly in pencil, then follow with marker. Here’s a tip: start with two large circles for the eyes and work your way out from there. You can also Google “owl illustrations” for some inspiration.

4. Thread a needle and tie it off. Push the needle through one peak at the top of the toilet paper tube (the owl’s “ear”). Then push it through the other peak and meet with a little length in the middle. Cut off the excess. Tie the ends of the thread to create a loop. That’s it!

We had lots of fun coming up with different ways to draw the owls so that no two are alike. One of mine is shown at left, and my daughter’s owl is on the right

Flower ornament tutorial

Wanting some variety, I decided to try another toilet paper/paper towel tube ornament design. I’ve had the image below from Design Sponge saved in my inspiration folder literally for years, but I’d never gotten around to trying it. That photo was the inspiration for this ornament. And it is super easy to make.

1. Paint the toilet paper or paper towel roll in the color of your choice (or leave it unpainted if you’d like).

2. Once the paint is dry, flatten the tube vertically as shown in the photo below. Then turn it horizontally and cut it into strips about 1/2″ to 1″ wide. You’ll see that the strips will open up into petal-like shapes.

3. Stack 6 or 7 flattened strips together. About 1/8″ from the bottom of the stack, push a threaded needle through all of the strips. You’ll need to do this one at a time, but keep them close together. I showed just two so you can easily see how they will attach. Loop around the bottom of the stack and push the thread through all the strips again. Pull the thread taut and begin to fan the petals out to form a flower. Push the thread through one side of the very first petal, but not through the second side. Make sure that the thread is tight and your flower looks as you want it and tie off the end of the thread. Cut off the excess.

4. If this is secure enough for you, you can stop here. I chose to reinforce mine by winding thread around the center of the flower, through the middle of the petals. See the closeup below to see what I mean.

5. The upside of this design is that you don’t need a hook to hang it on the tree. Simply open a petal and hang it on a branch. Easy peasy! Although I’m thinking I may go back and paint the inside of the petals too, so it’s all blue. Or I may be lazy and leave them as is

Miscellaneous other ornaments

I had lots of leftover bits and pieces from my daughter’s peacock Halloween costume, and I needed more blue on the tree. I made a couple of additional, very simple ornaments from costume remnants.

1. Feather ornaments.

I had some leftover pieces of feather boa from the costume. I cut lengths of boa at about 4 inches long. At the 2 inch mark (in the center), I simply tied a piece of string, looped it twice, pulled it taut, and tied the excess in a loop at the top. You want to know the best thing about this one? After I made these, I saw identical pre-made feather ornaments (same color and all) at Hobby Lobby for $7 a pop! I made 5 of them for FREE

2. Fabric strip bows.

All I did was cut 2″ x 14″ strips of fabric and tied them at the ends of a few branches (this was after I ran out of actual ribbon…lol)

3. Ribbon star ornaments a la Martha Stewart

Mine didn’t look like hers at all — they were more like tiny wreaths. Still I like them. To make them more like Martha’s, stiffer ribbon would be a better idea. I used slippery satin ribbon, so it was difficult to get each knot to keep its shape. Still, each of these took about 5 minutes.

The Finished Tree

This is the finished look. We filled out some more blue with a couple of packs of store-bought ornaments. So we decorated the whole tree for about $15. Woo hoo!

What about you?

Are you making any ornaments this year? What colors are you using to decorate for the holidays? Is your tree up yet? Send in pics and get featured at Green Your Decor!

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

You may already be familiar with Ecoist, a green brand well known for its handbags, all made of upcycled candy wrappers, chip bags and other packaging. With their new Snowjob chair, they have taken the same concept to the next level!

The chair, designed by Emiliano Godoy, has a frame made of FSC-certified wood and features a vegetable based, biodegradable finish. A cover, woven of small pieces of post-industrial waste from the candy wrapping industry, then slips over the frame to create the Ecoist handbag look many people know so well (bags are shown below).

The company collects candy labels that are misprinted or feature incorrect or obsolete information, and cuts them into small sections. The labels are then folded into rectangular pieces and joined to create the cover. Of course, I couldn’t help but wonder how sturdy a chair made of candy wrappers could be. Thankfully, Ecoist adds internal reinforcement made from post-consumer recycled paper to add rigidity, so it should be safe for sitting.

The price isn’t quite as attractive as the chair itself, but if I had unlimited money at my disposal, I could easily see 6 of these around a tulip table in a minimalist, modern dining room.

Why It’s Green:

• Made of FSC-certified wood with a vegetable based, biodegradable finish
• Cover made of upcycled candy wrappers
• Made by hand with simple tools

Price: $1800

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Around this time of year, I really start longing for warm weather to return permanently — even moreso this year because my husband and I spend early mornings with our daughter waiting for the school bus in the cold. The problem with Georgia is that the weather will trick you. It’ll be 63 degrees at 6 a.m. and 75 at noon one day, and 2 days later, it’s back in the 40s. Many mornings, my daughter leaves the house wearing a coat, and when she gets off the bus in the afternoon, she’s stuffed it in her backpack because its so hot.

Etsy seller dandeedesigns has created  a brilliant product for people like me who just can’t wait for sunny skies to return: Spring in a Can.

It is exactly what it sounds like.  A little shot of greenery in a can that you can keep close by when you need a little outdoors. The can includes soil, seeds and care instructions, and you’ll have a lovely green patch of wheat grass in just 5 days.

I seriously need one of these for my desk.

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade
• Living plant

Price: $15

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

When I was younger, I loved keeping a journal. Not necessarily because I needed a place to jot my most intimate thoughts, but simply because I loved writing. I would fill my journals with poems, short stories, recaps of my daily activities, lists of friends names, and more. I was an introspective thinker, and I liked having a brain dump at the end of the day. If you know someone with a similar habit, or if you’re that person, you’ll love today’s giveaway.

Gadanke is a maker of recycled journals with great themes like travel and love. But instead of blank pages, each journal comes with prompts to help you get your brain working. This is the Doodle List journal, code name {Something Serious with Something Silly}. There are lists for what you can find under your bed and what passport stamps you’d like to get. Gadanke describes it better than I could:

Brace yourself for the most casual, exciting 30-word memoir you’ve ever written.

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade
• Printed on 100% recycled paper
• Cover is at least 30% recycled

Price: $9.50

How to Win:

One lucky reader will receive a Doodle List journal from Gadanke. There are several ways to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit the Gadanke website and leave a comment here telling me your favorite product or something you learned about the company. (NOTE: None of your other entries will count if you don’t do this first)

BONUS ENTRIES!

1. Like Gadanke AND Green Your Decor on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall. Then come back here and leave a comment with your Facebook name.
2. Follow @makingthishome (Gadanke creator Katie) AND @greenyourdecor on Twitter. Then come back here and leave a comment letting me know with your Twitter user name.
3. If you haven’t already, sign up for Green Your Decor’s email updates by 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 15, 2010. You must verify your email subscription to be eligible. Current subscribers must leave a comment saying that you are a subscriber to be entered.
4. If you’d prefer to receive your updates via RSS, sign up for the GYD feed. Then please leave a comment letting me know that you’ve done so, and be sure to include your email address. RSS-only subscribers are anonymous otherwise.

You have up to 5 chances to enter, and the giveaway entry period ends at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 15, 2010. A winner will be chosen via Random.org and contacted via email. Good luck everyone!

Other Current Green Gift Giveaways:

• Personal care prize package from Nostalgia Organics (soap, lotion & more!). Ends 12/10/10.
• Organic cotton EcoArt throw pillow from Wabisabi Green. Ends 12/13/10
• Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (book) and Disney’s Wall E on DVD. Ends 12/14/10
• Recycled paper Doodle List journal from Gadanke. Ends 12/15/10.

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I have seen my fair share of things made from recycled vinyl records. Bowls, clocks, mirrors, coasters — if it’s made from a record, I’ve probably seen it. The common thread between all of them is that they all still look like records. That’s great if you’re buying them for nostalgia’s sake, to help you remember what music sounded like on a record player or in memory of days past. But these clocks from etsy seller Kailey Hawthorn of Studio K are a far cry from their humble beginnings.

The records were used as a canvas, and the result is a collection of beautiful handpainted clocks that are unlike any I’ve ever seen. You all know that I have an affinity for bold, graphic patterns. Every single one of these is right on target. And even better? They are affordable at less than $50 apiece. Since I don’t have the skill to paint one of these myself, nor the desire to try, that sounds like a really good deal.

Kailey also offers a great selection of handpainted wooden letters. I’ve been looking for something to put on the shelf in our entryway, and I’m thinking a huge “P” (for Petersen) might do the trick.

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade
• Painted on recycled vinyl records

Price: $37-49

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I’ve been so out of it since my daughter started kindergarten that you’d think I was the one who had to go to school every day. Now that she’s in school, I’m trying to get back into the swing of things, and that has proven harder than expected. Part of the reason I haven’t been posting regularly is that I’ve had quite a bit of graphic design work, but it’s also been because of sheer exhaustion. While I screw my head back on straight, I do have some great handmade products to share with you:

Etsy is always a great resource when I’m looking for products made of reclaimed wood at a reasonable price. Seller Evotiv is a great example of this. ALL of their products are made from reclaimed wood and other recycled materials. And as much as we’ve all learned to love shiny new things (school shopping season, anyone?), there’s nothing like the patina of old wood that has stood the test of time. How awesome is that wall art and the wood peeking through the center of that bright white coffee table?

So check out Evotiv’s shop and bear with me. We will return to our regularly scheduled programming as soon as possible…

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade of reclaimed and recycled materials
• Made in the U.S. (Portland, OR)

Price: $8.95-324.95

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I will readily admit that I totally suck when it comes to creative upcycling. I can easily imagine a glass jar being used as a container for small items or a flower vase, but it is hard for me to see past its jar-shaped form to imagine it as anything else. That’s true for just about any other material I put in the recycling bin. I can imagine furniture with a new finish, but I can’t reimagine a cereal box as a magazine holder — at least not on my own. So when I find truly creative upcycling projects, I am happy to feature them. This wall art from etsy seller creationsbyingrid1 certainly qualifies.

The framed word collages are made from soda cans and sewn on to acid-free paperboard. First, it’s difficult for me to imagine cutting pristine letterforms out of soda cans. But second, it is even harder for me to imagine then sewing those letters onto paper without ruining them. It looks like it would take a lot of patience. The final look is a far cry from its humble beginnings. This will make me think twice before I recycle an aluminum can again.

Why It’s Green:

• Made of upcycled soda cans
• Handmade

Price: $29-45

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Remember last year when I wrote about a clock by etsy seller c2design that is made of recycled magazine pages? Well, ever since then, I have been pretty obsessed with the idea of having a recycled sunburst clock or mirror. I had been communicating with Chandra (the woman behind c2design) about making a piece larger than the original, which was just 16 inches in diameter. It took a while for her to perfect the technique, but she did it! The image above is the sunburst mirror that Chandra custom made for me. The diameter is 24″, an impressive 8″ larger than the previous clock. The images below show how it looks now, happily at home in my living room!

Want one? Chandra has one 18″ mirror available, and she’s willing to make more custom pieces! And can you believe her great price of just $30-50? I can’t believe I actually considered buying this one for $250!
Seriously though, I absolutely love this mirror, and I love that I supported an artisan who lovingly made it for me by hand. Give Chandra a round of applause for taking on this challenge and succeeding with flying colors!

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade
• Made of recycled magazine pages

Price: $30-50

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

There are a lot of small, random non-recyclable materials that I tend to collect, hoping that one day I’ll have a spark of creativity and figure out what to do with them. For a while, it was toilet paper rolls, and now it’s bottle caps. I can’t tell you how many of these I have accumulated, because the local recycling center will take the bottles, but not the caps. Thank goodness there are a lot of people out there with more ingenuity than I have!

Etsy seller cpstudios made this gorgeously simple abstract sculpture from an array of multi-colored bottle caps. I’m amazed by how great it looks! The average person walking in a room would have no idea. The bottle caps are slightly more obvious when looking at them from an angle, but on the wall, the view would be head-on. I really need to grab an old picture frame and make one of these for myself. But if you’d rather not collect bottle caps, you can own this one for just $29.

And if you’re impressed by this, be sure to check out the other recycled and upcycled creations in the cpstudios shop. Impressive. Seriously. Hot pink and gray candelabra anyone?

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade of a recycled frame and bottle caps

Price: $29

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Have you ever spent 6 months looking for the perfect pillows? I’m almost ashamed to admit that I have, and I’m really hoping someone else answers yes so I don’t feel like a complete nutjob. Ever since we moved into our apartment in September, I had been looking for two orange accent pillows to go in our living room. It seems sort of ironic that I would find them now, almost a month to the day before we are moving. Again. But still, these pillows from Gianna are everything I wanted and more.

These days, it’s not tough to find housewares that are either organic or Fair Trade. Finding options that are both, however, is a little bit harder. These pillows, in addition to being absolutely gorgeous, are handcrafted by women in India who are fairly compensated for their work. But Gianna goes further than simply telling customers that the pillows are Fair Trade.

The company actually highlights individual artisans so you can read about them and their lives, and even see photos of them at work. The woman shown above, Surekha, is one of those artisans, and according to the Gianna site:

Surekha works outside the doorway leading to her home and finds the rhythmic in-and-out motion of her embroidery needle meditative.

Stories like this are the reason I think it’s so important to be a conscious consumer. It’s not often that we get to see the faces behind the products we buy, and opportunities like this should be embraced. This philosophy is behind all Gianna products, so it is a retailer you can feel god patronizing.

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade of organic cotton
• Fair Trade (from India)
• Colored with natural dyes made from berries and other local plants

Price: $52-68

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Disposable plates are not welcome in my home. I kick myself every time I eat out and forget to use my own container, but behind my front door? The only disposable plates you’ll find are the Dora the Explorer paper plates left over from my daughter’s 2nd birthday party more than 2 years ago. They still haven’t been used, and it’s unlikely they ever will be. I prefer to use actual plates, most of which are ceramic. So when I find beautiful, handmade plates that will stand out on my dinner table, I take notice. Make them blue and sell them for 50% off, and it’s all I can do to stop myself from whipping out the debit card.

Eden Home is offering two separate dinnerware collections from Terrafirma at 50% for a majority of the pieces. Want to know how much that could save you? Well, the dinner plates are down to $21.50 from $43, and the mugs are now $20 instead of $40. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but consider the fact that you’ll be able to use them forever (or at least until you break them), and the prices don’t seem so high any more. Some of the larger serving pieces aren’t on sale, but unless you entertain regularly (we don’t), you likely will not need them.

As much as I love the Chestnut collection with it’s rich browns and Earthy patterns, I have to say the light blue Celadon collection, while a little frilly, is more my speed. Matter of fact, I’d love to mix and match pieces from both collections. Which is the whole point of being able to buy each piece separately.

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade in the U.S. of stoneware and porcelain

Price: $14-124 per piece

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

There are very few things made of vinyl that would ever knowingly make it into my home. I would, however, make an exception for some classic records, if I could ever get my hands on a record player. I can still remember growing up listening to Whitney Houston and the Jackson 5 on vinyl, and there’s something about that sound that can’t be duplicated digitally. I’m sure my music-loving hubby would agree. But since I don’t think we’ll be hunting for a record player any time soon (although we’d probably find one right next to an 8-track player in some thrift store), this mirror is a great way to pay homage to the sound of vinyl — and keep it out of the landfill.

I love how the simple circles are combined to create a colorful flower-like frame. I’m not sure I’d hang this in the living room, though it would be pretty awesome paired with some vintage movie posters in black frames. But if my husband ever gets that in-home studio he’s been dreaming about for years, I definitely know what will be welcoming visitors in the entryway. If you’ve got a music lover on your holiday gift list, they’ll be able to appreciate this like noone else can.

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade in Philadelphia
• Made of reclaimed vinyl records

Price: $150 (aff)

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

I puzzle myself sometimes. Now that I finally have free reign to decorate our home as I please, I’m waffling on every detail, changing my mind (along with fabric choices and colors) at the last minute. It’s driving my husband crazy, but he’s being a sweetheart about it. There is at least one decision on which I haven’t faltered: I want a sunburst clock or mirror to hang above the TV in the living room. Ideally, I want something eco-friendly, so this find from Etsy seller c2design has really got my attention.

Initially, I intended to find a vintage mirror instead of buying a cheap, mass-produced duplication. When that started to get pricey, I started looking into some handmade options. That’s when I stumbled upon this unique creation. I never thought rolled up magazine pages and old CDs could look this good!

What impresses me even more is the price. Just $25! I’m ready to snatch this up right now, but the size does give me a little pause. It’s just 16 inches in diameter at it’s widest spot, and I want something with a little more size and presence. I don’t know though…

The story behind this clock just may make up for what it lacks in size…

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade in the U.S. (Florida)
• Made of a recycled CD and magazine pages

Price: $25

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Every time I throw a glass bottle into the recycling bin, I have the nagging thought that with just a little creativity, I could turn those bottles into something I’d really like to put on display. Unfortunately, that nagging feeling never turned into action — at least not for me. Clearly Etsy seller Tara Ackerman of GreenCycleDesigns has more initiative than I do on most days.

Tara turns used glass bottles and secondhand vases into works of art with nothing but some paint, recycled paper and a bit of imagination. She covers the vases and bottles, often with simple repeating patterns like circles or fleur de lis. The shapes may be simple, but the results are stunning.

Makes me want to head to Hobby Lobby right now for a jar of Mod Podge.

Why It’s Green:

• Bottles and vases are upcycled and reclaimed
• Finished with non-toxic paints and adhesives and recycled paper
• Handmade

Price: $10-25

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.

Lately, I’ve been really drawn to furniture made from scrapwood. I thought that I really loved dark wood, and while I still do, I’m really warming up to the idea of seeing it paired with wood in other tones. The Oops Crib from Structured Green is a great example, but I’ve been looking for more affordable options. The designs by Etsy seller ecotables don’t quite have the light/dark contrast I’m looking for, but for $150-250, I really can’t complain.

The tables are made of recycled and reclaimed wood from beer tanks, water tank wood, and salvaged barn wood. Some of the wood also comes from the remnants of larger tables the designer has made, and he works with redwood, cypress, claro walnut and poplar. They all have a reddish tint to them. Although I’m not sure whether that’s the natural color or comes from stain, the red hue makes them feel warm and inviting. What I love most is that in each slice of wood, you can see the varying ages and levels of patina. They really have character and a modern aesthetic that contradicts their rustic origins.

I want one.

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade of recycled and reclaimed redwood from beer tanks, water tank wood and salvaged barn wood
• Some wood comes from remnants of larger tables the designer has built
• Finished with non-toxic natural oil and natural, homemade wax

Price: $150-250

© 2008-2011 Green Your Decor. Do not republish any items from this feed without permission.