Green Crafts
Green crafts encompass a range of creative activities that prioritize environmental sustainability by using eco-friendly materials and processes. Rooted in the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling, these crafts reflect a growing awareness of the ecological impact of consumerism and the mass production of goods. Historically, what we now call green crafts were simply resourceful practices, especially evident during periods of scarcity, such as the Great Depression, when individuals made do with available materials.
In contemporary times, green crafting involves repurposing items such as old clothing, barn wood, and natural materials, turning them into new creations like purses or picture frames. This movement has gained traction alongside minimalist and zero-waste lifestyles, as society seeks to combat plastic pollution and the adverse effects of traditional crafting materials, which often contain toxins. Eco-conscious crafters prefer to use non-toxic alternatives and seek out materials that are recycled or upcycled, fostering creativity and innovation in their projects.
The green craft community thrives on collaboration and inspiration, often sharing ideas through social media and dedicated websites. As interest in these sustainable practices continues to grow, the market for green crafts expands, with potential for both personal enjoyment and business opportunities that align with social responsibility.
Subject Terms
Green Crafts
A craft is considered "green" when its materials and processes are environmentally sustainable and do not incur a large ecological footprint. Green crafts adhere to the general earth-friendly motto Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. They also follow general guidelines that demonstrate respect for endangered resources, plants, and animals.
Today, green crafts represent choices that are usually driven by one or more moral imperatives, but for our ancestors and even the older generation who lived during the Great Depression, "green crafts" simply meant being thrifty or resourceful. Crafters were limited to materials found in nature, grown on the farm, or brought in by the wagonload to the local dry-goods store. Prior to the twentieth-century invention of synthetics, all craft materials were natural. There were no acrylic yarns, polyester flowers, faux gemstones, or die-cut foam embellishments. A popular maxim was "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without," and so a well-worn dress might be repurposed for potholders or a bent wagon wheel melted down to make a horseshoe. Long ago, all tools were hand tools—or foot tools, as with pedal sewing machines—and did not require fossil fuels or environmentally unsound batteries to power them.
The modern green craft movement is a response to contemporary throwaway society and its cheap, mass-produced materials that are predominantly produced overseas. It is a statement against the use of fossil fuels that power manufacturing plants. It recognizes the additional impact on the environment from packaging, shipping, and retail sales. Growing interest in minimalist and zero-waste lifestyles, partly in response to rising plastics pollution, has boosted green crafting. Water conservation, organic agricultural production, and energy reduction are other drivers.
Rather than using new, disposable materials, eco-conscious crafters recycle, repurpose, or "upcycle" items. A wool sweater can be felted and turned into a purse, a knitted scarf unraveled and re-knit into a doggy sweater, old barn wood made into picture frames, telephone wire woven into baskets or twisted for jewelry, tin cans used for lanterns, and candle scraps melted down to make new ones, to give just a few examples. Green crafts enthusiasts can find used materials online through various peer-to-peer e-commerce and trading websites, such as Craigslist or Freecycle.
The green craft movement is also a response to the widespread use of toxic paints, adhesives, finishing supplies, and other materials common to modern crafts. Instead, earth-friendly crafts use nontoxic materials, such as milk-based paint, soy-based crayons or ink, beeswax modeling clay, or other homemade materials, such as flour-based paste and handmade paper. As a result, green crafts often appeal to those who have or work with children. Third-party eco-labels or certifications such as the Green Good Housekeeping Seal can provide reassurance that the materials green crafters are not greenwashing but actually using meet specific standards for composition, toxicity, safety, environmental impacts, and corporate social responsibility.
Green crafts also include items collected from nature, such as pine cones, seashells, or driftwood. Many green crafters grow their own gourds for birdhouses or flowers for drying. They grow vegetables for dyeing fabric, or they raise sheep for their own fleece or even collect cat fur for various crafts. Musical instruments can be made from bamboo or wood, while baskets can be made from sweetgrass or reeds. Green crafts challenge the imagination, as there are few rules that guide technique. Green crafts make wonderful gifts, home décor, or personal statements. Social media sites, blogs, and websites dedicated to crafts or do-it-yourself (DIY) projects may also provide inspiration to green crafters.
Green Crafts for Fun vs. Profit
The market for green crafts continues to grow, especially online. One should study various craft markets to determine which ones are the most appropriate. While noting the materials or techniques that make a craft green is not necessary, many buyers appreciate knowing the artist is being environmentally responsible and some funding organizations like the Green Crafts Initiative have begun to require member artisans to disclose their carbon emissions and related sustainability metrics. One major consideration is that the more crafts one makes, the greater the need for power tools that may rely on fossil fuel energy. Another consideration is the availability of natural, recycled, or upcycled supplies to maintain increased production. Green crafters looking to go into business should also consider whether they want to register as a B corporation, a for-profit company dedicated to social good as well as revenue.
Learning More
Organizations
Crafting a Green World <https://www.craftingagreenworld.com>
Green Crafts <http://www.green-crafts.com>
Green Crafts Initiative <https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/project/the-green-crafts-initiative>
Books
Anderson, Emily. Eco-Chic Home: Remake, Reuse & Recycle Your Way to Sustainable Style. Seattle: Skipstone, 2010. Print.
Diehn, Gwen, et al. Nature Smart. New York: Main Street, 2003. Print.
Haab, Sherri, and Michelle Haab. Jewelry Upcycled! Techniques and Projects for Reusing Metal, Glass, Plastic, Fiber, and Found Objects. New York: Potter Craft, 2010. Print.
Johnson, Garth. 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse: Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew. Beverly: Quarry, 2009. Print.
Michel, Karen. Green Guide for Artists: Nontoxic Recipes, Green Art Ideas, & Resources for the Eco-Conscious Artist. Beverly: Quarry, 2009. Print.
Seo, Danny. Upcycling: Create Beautiful Things with the Stuff You Already Have. Philadelphia: Running, 2011. Print.
Wasinger, Susan. Eco Craft: Recycle Recraft Restyle. Asheville: Lark, 2011. Print.