17 Eco-Friendly Craft Projects Using Stuff You’d Otherwise Toss

Glass Bottle Pendant Light

If you're a regular wine drinker, don't toss your finished bottles in the recycling just yet—upcycle them into a beautifully unique light fixture instead. You can choose any color wine bottles that fit your home's aesthetic, though more translucent bottles will allow more light to filter through.

Frame Display

Here's an idea for repurposing old glassless frames: turn them into an artistic display. With a few coats of paint, you can instantly transform a mixed assortment of frame sizes and styles into one cohesive set.

Mittens

Have leftover yarn? Use your yarn scraps to make cute, colorful mismatched mittens. There's no need to get the design perfect as you'll be working with whatever colors you have lying around.

Button Cards

As for those orphan buttons in your sewing collection, why not stitch them on a card for a charming three-dimensional embellishment? Get inspired with one of our templates, or get creative with your own ideas.

Cork Coasters

A fun way to repurpose wine corks is to turn them into stylish table coasters. This is an easy DIY that will add unique flair to your home—and immortalize special corks from favorite occasions or bottles of wine.

Patchwork Throw

Now here's a sewing project we can get behind: transform fabric cast-offs and sewing project remnants into a cozy patchwork blanket. We opted for assorted menswear fabrics in wool, flannel, and corduroy, but feel free to use whatever similarly-weighted fabrics you have on hand.

Homemade Marble Crayons

Did you know that you can melt down broken crayons into a brand new set? With this easy project, they bake in the oven and become a marvelous marbleized collection of colors! Grown-ups can handle the cutting, while kids assist with sorting the colors and filling the molds.

Teacup Lights

Try this creative trick for using up the leftover wax in your nearly-finished candles: melt them down into a new set of charming teacup lights. Plus, it's the perfect way to put your antique cup collection to use.

Wallpaper Cards

Have a surplus amount of wallpaper left post-renovating? Craft the swatches into cute stationery and one-of-a-kind notecards that anyone would be delighted to receive.

Cork Stamps

Perfect for decorating wrapping paper and cards, or for keeping kids busy, these cork stamps are a great way to repurpose the little bottle stoppers. Different corks will have different textures, and you can even carve shapes or patterns into them. Just add some inkpads and start stamping!

Pom-Poms

Give leftover yarn a second life as a pair (or dozens) of peppy pom-poms. This project can be done in a pinch and can use any kind of yarn. Plus, the pom-poms made adorable adornments for a pair of sneakers or as soft little critters. For every size and shape of pom-pom, there are endless ideas to use them.

Fabric Flowers

With the help of our template and a few basic sewing supplies, you can turn fabric scraps into pretty pansies for brooches, pins, gift-toppers, or just because.

Naturally-Dyed Eggs

Those kitchen scraps? Before you cast them to the composting bin, boil them in a dye bath to achieve richly colored, beautiful eggs. In fact, you can use natural dyes to color all kinds of items: fabric, wooden beads, and other odds and ends.

Dip-Dyed Candles

Brighten a set of ordinary pillar candles with this secret coloring ingredient: crayon shavings! A slow-cooker or double broiler helps to melt beeswax beads so that you can dip and dye to your heart's content.

Bangle Bracelets

Here's a great (kid-friendly) way to repurpose leftover or discarded fabric, from old printed sheets to a favorite shirt that shrunk in the wash: wrap fabric strips around a wooden bangle for some eco-friendly fashion accessories.

Tassels

With just three materials and four simple steps, you can transform a spool of thread into a sweet tassel. Craft a handful to accent everything from pillows and curtains to a purse handbag or zipper pull.

Sewing Kit in a Jar

There are so many ways to repurpose old jars, including this handy portable sewing kit. Say goodbye to lost pins, spools, and thimbles.

To begin, separate the lid's sealer and screw cap. Trace around sealer on cardboard. Using a compass, draw another circle on linen or cotton, 1 inch larger in diameter than the first. Cut out both circles; make cushion by placing batting between fabric and cardboard. Turn screw cap upside down, and apply hot glue to inside edge of rim; quickly press cushion into lid until cloth protrudes smoothly above screw cap's opening and cardboard is flush against rim. Apply hot glue around edge of cardboard, fold over excess fabric, and press down. Glue top of sealer to cardboard. Fill jar, and you're set!