Welcome back to the Planet Forward blog, today we are getting ready for Valentine’s Day with a fun eco-friendly craft for kids and adults. We’ll be making a Valentine’s Day heart garland, which is inspired by the paper chain garlands that we made for Christmas. This craft is the perfect way to decorate your home, a classroom or even a Valentine’s Day party. The Valentine’s Day heart garland is an inexpensive way to celebrate the holiday. Our craft today comes courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Television. Let’s get crafting.
Tools and Materials:
• Heart garland template
• Card stock or construction paper
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Glue stick
Directions:
1. Create a heart-shaped template, or print out the heart garland template, and place it on a stack of 4 sheets of card stock. Staple the center of the hearts and cut out the shapes.
2. Make a 1-inch vertical cut at the pointed end of a heart; cut heart to about 1 inch wide all the way around the inside. Make two 1/2-inch horizontal cuts from the center of the point of the heart. Repeat with other hearts.
3. Link two hearts through the cuts at the points; glue and trim the cut ends to create a point. Continue the process until all the hearts linked.
When making this eco-friendly craft for kids you could have children cut out hearts inspired by the pattern for a more homemade look. For a classroom it would be cute if every child made one heart for the garland and decorated it, this would add color and personality to this sustainable craft. If you have a certain area where you want to place the garland, like on a long wall or in a doorway, measure the space first so you have an idea of how long the garland needs to be.
This is the perfect eco-friendly craft for kids to make well before Valentine’s Day when the weather is inclement. Another reason this heart garland craft is eco-friendly, aside from the fact that you are repurposing items in your home, is that you can store it and reuse it the next year. If you fold the garland carefully and place it in a bag you can then stow it away with your other holiday decorations. Remember that children should never be left unsupervised when crafting. For younger children you may want to pre-cut the hearts and just have them decorate them, as scissors may not be safe for them to use. This is a fun, and sustainable way to decorate for Valentine’s Day. Have fun and happy crafting.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Planet Forward is an online retailer of ethically-made, earth-friendly products designed for everyday use with a distinctly urban feel. Products include reusable stainless steel bottles, stainless steel thermal travel mugs, waste-free lunch bags, reusable shopping bags, Make-it-Yourself toxin-free Green Cleaning kits, organic fashions and other accessories. SALE 50% OFF ALL PRODUCTS – SHOP NOW !
Welcome back to the Planet Forward blog for another edition of our weekly green news highlights. This week: Super Bowl XLVI is a lot greener than you think despite the huge consumption at the event; Leonardo DiCaprio: Lyon blend sustainable coffee benefitting the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and various environmental charities; and wind power still growing in California. Just click on the links to learn more.
Image Credit: realclearsports.com
The Super Bowl XLVI: A Super Renewable Opportunity. Did you know that the NFL purchases renewable energy credits in Super Bowl host cities to offset energy consumption? That’s right, they offset the massive energy use and support renewable energy. In fact, the NFL has been going green for a while now but they neglect to brag about their green initiatives when they should be loud and proud. The NFL’s top two teams are league leaders in renewable energy and energy efficiency. ”The Patriots and Giants are leading the way to victory on the gridiron and off the grid. In late 2011, both teams joined the ranks of the Eagles, Redskins, and Cardinals, among others, in pursuing clean ways to power their stadiums. The Giants share their home field, MetLife Stadium (host of the future 2014 Super Bowl), with the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The stadium’s location was built with access to public transportation in mind and the stadium itself was constructed with an eye toward preserving the surrounding meadowlands. Even the seats are made from recycled materials!” And the New England Patriots “launched their own renewable energy campaign, promising to install one megawatt of solar power between Gillette Stadium and the surrounding entertainment center, Patriot Place. The installation, which is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 800 metric tons, will make the Patriots the league leader in renewable energy offsets.” I’d say that’s a green touchdown.
Leonardo DiCaprio Launches Charity Coffee Brand. That’s right, DiCaprio has aligned with coffee roaster La Colombe Torrefaction for a high-end sustainable coffee line called Lyon. 100% of the net profits from Lyon will benefit environmental charities through the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. “Raising awareness on the most pressing environmental issues of our time is more important than ever,” said Leonardo DiCaprio. “I am thrilled to be a part of this new project with La Colombe that will help aid the shift to a truly sustainable future for the planet and its inhabitants.” LYON will be sold in Williams Sonoma, select Whole Foods locations and La Colombe cafes.
Wind power blowing up in California. The LA Times reported that according to the California Wind Energy Association “wind energy now supplies about 5% of California’s total electricity needs, or enough to power more than 400,000 households.” A lot of that was installed in the Tehachapi area of Kern County, with additional large projects in Solano, Contra Costa and Riverside counties as well. “The total amount of wind energy installations in 2011 created a banner year for wind generation in California and is helping to drive California closer to reaching its goal of 33% renewable energy,” said Nancy Rader, executive director of the California Wind Energy Association.
And that’s it for this edition; stay tuned for more green news.
February 2, 2012
_____________________________________________________________________________
Planet Forward is an online retailer of ethically-made, earth-friendly products designed for everyday use with a distinctly urban feel. Products include reusable stainless steel bottles, stainless steel thermal travel mugs, waste-free lunch bags, reusable shopping bags, Make-it-Yourself toxin-free Green Cleaning kits, organic fashions and other accessories. SALE 50% OFF ALL PRODUCTS – SHOP NOW !
Green fashion alert: famed shoe designer Manolo Blahnik is coming out with an eco-friendly line for Spring 2012. Blahnik became a household name thanks to Sex and the City fashionista Carrie Bradshaw and her portrayer Sarah Jessica Parker. The rewound shoe designer is teaming up with Marcia Patmos, the former designer for Lutz & Patmos who now runs her own earth-friendly line, M. Patmos. The two will collaborate on a capsule collection of sustainable shoes according to Women’s Wear Daily.
eco-friendly shoes from the Marcia Patmos for Manolo Blahnik collection (Image Credit: Courtesy Photo)
The collection will be available for sale this spring. What makes the line eco-friendly is that is will be made entirely from discarded tilapia skins, raffia and cork.
This collection is Blahnik’s first foray into environmentally friendly luxury apparel. He and Patmos have created two styles for their mini collection one is a “double strap, open-toe flat and [the other is a] strappy, high-heeled sandal in color combinations of electric blue, black, nude and yellow.” Both styles will be available at Blahnik’s retail stores for $895.
Patmos said to Women’s Wear Daily “I am always researching sustainable materials and developments. I love the idea of tilapia skin because it is a by-product of the food industry that would otherwise be discarded, but it’s actually a beautiful material perfect for small leather goods.”
Creating an eco-friendly and sustainable product line, even if it is only a capsule collection, demonstrates the direction that luxury brands are heading in. Consumers are becoming more concerned with sustainability and are using the power of their pocketbooks to get the products they desire. That is why this line is so important, it is indicative of the larger trends happening in retail today.
Blahnik’s shoes are most definitely a luxury item; however, you can feel better about the shoe splurge if the product is made from sustainable materials. Recently, Blahnik’s line has been eclipsed by the famous red soled Christian Louboutin shoes, perhaps this forward thinking line will be what puts him back on top. So, now you can be an eco-chic fashionista come spring 2012.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Planet Forward is an online retailer of ethically-made, earth-friendly products designed for everyday use with a distinctly urban feel. Products include reusable stainless steel bottles, stainless steel thermal travel mugs, waste-free lunch bags, reusable shopping bags, Make-it-Yourself toxin-free Green Cleaning kits, organic fashions and other accessories. SALE 50% OFF ALL PRODUCTS – SHOP NOW !
