Green Patchwork

I just found a good link about the safety concerns surrounding PVC or #3 plastic. If you go to pvcfree.com you can watch a short cartoon about PVC, where it can be found in the home, and why it is harmful.

If you have been wondering what to do with a broken umbrella or your jeans that are beyond patching then look no further, ReadyMade Magazine is packed with ideas for what to do with stuff that is broken or you just don’t know what to do with it.

Every by-monthly issue has a challenge for people to find new uses for broken or out of date stuff. Last issue’s challenge was to find a new use for broken umbrellas. Two women from Madison,Wi had the idea of creating a magazine rack out the umbrella frame and fabric. Next issue’s challenge is to find a new use for a broken suitcase.

I love finding out about businesses that use reclaimed materials to create new products or repurpose materials and save them from the landfills. If you are remodeling your home or just want to make some small changes but don’t want to spend a lot of money or buy brand new stuff then a great place to visit in Madison is Habitat ReStore. I volunteered for them some years ago to find out what they did and had a lot of fun while I was doing it. Read the rest of this entry »

Its not always easy to find environmentally friendly home remodeling supplies without having to do a big search online and then hope you will be able to find what you found online in the city that you live in. Home Depot and Menards do not have much as far as VOC free paints or products in general without PVC or other vinyls.  Most people don’t know the dangers of these chemicals and use them haphazardly. PVC is one of the most dangerous building materials, but its used very often. Well, I found another useful website, Re-Work, to help answer a lot of green home questions. It was created by the people who created the blog Apartment Therapy which is another useful website for home organizing.

We all like to get new stuff, but I don’t think buying brand new stuff is always the best way to go about it. I love to get new stuff, but I also love thrift shopping and the challenge of finding what I want somewhere other than the big box stores. Read the rest of this entry »