You can recycle magazines – even glossy mags, just toss them in your bins after checking with your local recycling center. However, since it takes energy and trees to make magazines and because it also uses energy to recycle them, you may as well get some good mileage out of them first. Following are some goods ways to reuse the magazines you’ve got…

Donate – many schools, community centers, homeless shelters, and other organizations would be happy to take your magazines. Don’t forget about your pals and family members too.
Make a nice full color cookbook on the cheap.
Help your kiddos to …read more

{via CraftBits}
We’ve been snowed in officially for about a week now, and it’s getting pretty restless around here. You can’t even go for a walk because we have layers of frozen rain and snow, so walking around is iffy. Sigh. If you’re in this fix, or if maybe the kids are home on Christmas break, here are some cool eco-minded last minute Christmas crafts to try…
Above is the really neat paper star wreath. You can use recycled paper and gift wrap to make it. There’s also a really nice paper star napkin holder to make.
Grab a recycled glass jar and …read more

All Free Crafts has cool craft ideas all the time, but I didn’t know about their Halloween Crafts. Many are recycled, super cute and spooky, and look like loads of fun.
For example:
Egg Carton Bat…

Plus other Halloween crafts like:

Recycled Lightbulb Witch
Recycled Frankenstein Can
Recycled Pumpkin CD
Egg Carton Pumpkins

Visit to see all the fun recycled crafts. Also, don’t forget, even if a Halloween craft is not noted as being recycled or earth friendly, you can always take an idea, run with it, and see how you can make it more green.
Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes and everything else …read more

With all the holidays coming up, it’s the perfect time to make luminaries. You could buy some; they’re not always expensive. For example, this three piece Chelsea Luminaries set (below) from Improvements is almost half off right now; (and they’re pretty).

Still, even if you can get them on the cheap, why not make them yourself? This is a great way to recycle cans, and a fun project for kids to help with.
Make your own luminaries:

With rainy and or cooler weather setting in, now is a good time to stay inside and make some eco crafts. I’ve collected a few that fit the season.
Recycled Blooms: Ok, this may seem like a spring-based craft, but consider making some autumn toned blooms for the Thanksgiving table this year – cheaper than real organic flowers for sure, and your kids will be proud to have their blooms displayed.

[Craft image via Parents Magazine]
Eco-Friendly Halloween Crafts: Instructions are included for Egg Carton Bats, Egg Carton Spider, Milk Jug Pumpkin, Pumpkin Masks, Ghost Windsock, and a Toilet Tissue Roll Bat.

[Craft …read more

Instructables and Discover magazine have joined forces and right now are running the Green Science Fair For a Better Planet contest and event. I actually meant to post on this sooner (bad me). The contest is complied of every sort of green project you can think of, but each project needs to be instructions, a how to go green, make a green something, or use green ideas for something off the charts odd.
Voting ends tomorrow. So right now you can go vote or even still submit, if you’re quick. There are all kinds of things to see at the event …read more

Recycle Works has an excellent page of creative reuse project links – perfect for kids and adults. Some of what you’ll find includes:
Colorful envelopes made out of old magazine or calender pages.
Bird feeder from a milk carton
One of their links will take you to the KinderArt Art From Recycled Materials page, which is great. You’ll find stuff like…

Egg cup flowers
Keychain
Art Savers
A Bug Village
And lots more

Another of their links will shoot you over to the Goddess of Garbage a dumpster diving, creative sort, who makes things like candle holders from found objects.
Plenty of reuse projects for the whole summer. Plus at …read more