DIY Gilded Baby Print Ornament

We are so excited about August’s first Christmas! How will he regard the feast, the presents, the stockings, the caroling?!

This important milestone is one that we’ll probably remember more than him, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t pull out all the stops for our little merry jelly belly. For this first baby-centric-Christmas we’ll be continuing some long-standing family traditions, while throwing in some new ones just for August. The first – an annual handmade Christmas ornament.

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To help inspire this sentimental tree trimming  I sifted through pin after pin on Pinterest but quickly found the tutorials lacking. Many of the handmade ornaments were too crafty looking (I know – there is such a thing I swear!). I wanted August’s first ornament to capture this important milestone while still retaining a modern classy feel. I really liked the idea of capturing a hand or foot print but instead of the traditional pressing method I opted for a different technique: embossing. This way I could capture his tiny digits without creating something too cliche. Continue reading

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DIY: Eco-Friendly Handmade Gifts

DIY upcycled sweater stockings

Are your fingers feeling itchy to craft? Then get those digits to work!

To get your creative juices flowing, I’ve assembled my all-time most popular DIY tutorials for you to peruse through. Click on any of the photos below to read the full set of instructions on how to make these practical and design-savvy eco-friendly gifts for the holidays.

After all, nothing’s more festive and heartfelt than something that’s handmade with love!

dit printed eco gift wrap

diy orange spice face scrub face scrub

diy upcylced sweater leg warmers

homemade cheek and lip stain

embellished heart elbow patch sweater

diy sweater bracelets

DIY: Homemade Cheek & Lip Stain II

coral cheek and lip stain 2

One of my all-time most popular DIY tutorials is my homemade cheek and lip stain that I put together years ago after discovering the Cosmetics Safety Database. Looking up product after product within my cupboard I had discovered that many were laced with ingredients that were toxic to my health.

This led me to do a total purge of all my make-up, including my most prized product, Benetint. After searching store after store for a natural alternative, I decided to make one up myself using basic kitchen ingredients. And the result? Perfection! My DIY stain was toxin free, easy to make and created a picture perfect come-hither glow.

Fast forward and I’ve found myself once again drawn to Benefit products – this time a pretty coral stain. But rather than compromise three years of skin detox, I decided to give my original recipe a twist and create a pretty tinted concoction that I could use all summer long. The main ingredients? Beets and carrots.

step 10 done!

Saturated in pigment and easily pliable, both of these root veggies make a perfect base for a cheek and lip stain that will give you a rosy blush to go with your summer tan. Don’t believe me? Follow my directions below and you too can opt for a  homemade lip and cheek hue that will make you glow from the inside out.

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A DIY Wedding

Katie & Philip's DIY Wedding 2013

When it was announced that my baby brother was getting hitched – I could barely contain my excitement! Not only was I a mega-fan of the bride to-be, I also knew that this wedding would be different. Between the creativity imparted on Phil by our family, and the uber-crafty cunning of Katie, I had no doubt that this would be a DIY wedding to remember!

The Plan:

First things first, the bride made her own handy-dandy wedding planner in which she would list all the elements that would need to come together for this rustic, meets shabby chic, affair. Delegating out tasks across the familial pool, we each had an important part to play. The Krupinski side of the family was in charge of flowers, bridal party accessories, favors, and a portion of the food and centerpieces.

By inviting family and friends to take the lead in the preparations for their special day, Katie and Philip ensured that their wedding would hold sentiment for them, and all the guests who attended. 

diy wedding

Wedding Favors: With a little elbow grease and some heavy duty diamond tip blades, my father made over eighty drinking glasses for the guests using old soda bottles. Talk about being green! Each one was then scripted with the event date and initials of the bride and groom making them an elegant and functional wedding favor.

Centerpiece Stands: My brother and dad also gathered used wooden candlesticks and wood from a recently fallen tree trunk, and assembled the most ingenious centerpiece bases (which I plan to steal for use in my own home – shhhhh). White washing each candlestick and gluing the top to a cross-cut of the tree trunk, these homemade cake stands were used for elevating the light and whimsical baby’s breath table bouquets.

Katie & Philip's Wedding 2013

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Events: 14 Days of Crafting

14 Days of Crafting from Eco Etsy photo by Lydia Krupinski

The Eco Etsy Street Team is holding our first-ever 14 days of crafting! We’re rounding up the best of the best green tutorials and sharing them with experienced upcyclers and newbie DIYers alike.

Several posts that I’ve written for the team blog from over the years, like the one above, will be featured, along with many other fun ways in which you can get your “craft on” sustainably.

Tune in each day of the challenge to be inspired and take your creativity to a whole new level!

DIY Autumnal Wedding

The last week of October I embarked to South Carolina to spend eight wonderful days in the presence of my dearest friends. All of us flew in for a week long celebration of love, family and friendship. The occasion? A wedding of course! Traveling from Seattle, Chicago, Portland, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Madison, New York and even Poland, the wedding guests came in from around the globe to witness the union of a beloved couple: Natalie & Reid.

The bridal party arrived in Beaufort several days early to prepare for a grand task: Plan the ultimate eco-friendly, vegan and local wedding soiree. So in true DIY spirit, we spent hours crafting, consorting and conniving all in the name of throwing a handmade shindig for our two dearest friends.

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DIY: Slashed Sleeve Tee

All of my DIY posts up to this point have been projects that I have concocted myself. But after stumbling across this super-easy and ultra chic top tutorial from Recycled Lovelies – I knew I had to share a style tip from someone else!

This easy how-to will show you how to take a simple tee to new heights. Great for transforming a top you’ve grown tired of or for making as a gift for someone else! The possibilities are endless!