Eco-friendly Fun Finds!

I wanted to share some 'Eco Fun' ideas that I've happened upon in my daily doings and musings. Some of them involve spending dollars, while others involve spending your time re-purposing and re-fashioning some of your stuff. Happy shopping and crafting!

Elephant Poo Paper. Yes, I'm serious. This is the real deal, and it's beautiful, earth-friendly, purposeful. It is 100% recyclable, and thankfully odorless! This company uses dried elephant dung (Mike Rowe 'Dirty Jobs' style!) from conservation parks (this is a double for eco-friendly!). After a thorough wash, what's left is just the fibrous stuff that the elephants didn't digest - grasses, bamboo, fruits and the like. Ater it's boiled and combined with more fibrous stuff from fruits, the resulting paste is spread thinly over a mesh-bottomed tray and dried in the sun. Don't try this at home folks! Instead, visit www.poopoopaper.com.

Re-usable Bags. This is amazingly cool. Old juice containers are re-cycled and tranformed by a women's cooperative in the Phillippines into something stylish, colorful, and useful. Check out www.bazurashop.com for other eco-friendly toting options. These make great gifts, so start shopping.

Re-cycled Bike Chain. This puts a new spin on old chain...repurposed bike chain picture frame. Artist Graham Bergh puts his spin on all of his old chain. Check out his re-bicycled wares directly at www.resourcerevival.com.

Knit-Twist Jewelry. OK, rummage through your grandmother's attic or get out to the next flea market for this next idea. Those old knitting needles, with some good-ole fashioned hand twisting and bending, can make stunning costume jewelry. Check out www.lianakabel.com if you'd rather purchase than produce!

I hope that you've enjoyed this first installment of Eco-Friendly Fun Finds...aka Eco Fun. Check back later for some more shopping tips and craft ideas, and thanks for helping to keep this stuff out of our landfills!