Sustainability is at the heart of all that we do at Spoonflower—you could say it’s in our nature to go green! From organic and recycled fabrics to our print on-demand process designed to minimize fabric and ink waste, we seek to provide products made safely and sustainably. Are you looking for ways to think greener in your crafting adventures? We’ve rounded up 16 projects to help you reduce, reuse and recreate. Whether it’s in the kitchen or closet, every small step you take counts!
First, meet Dave Laboy, Spoonflower’s Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability, as he shares the importance of cultivating partnerships with other eco-conscious companies within our community.
16 Sustainable DIY Projects
Spoonflower is taking great strides to make a smaller impact on the environment, including offering a variety of eco-friendly fabric types— great to use alongside these tutorials! Which will you choose?
Projects for the Home
Spoonflower designer Robbi Lindeman’s food wraps are reusable, 100% natural, non-toxic, and biodegradable! A great alternative to single-use cling-wrap or zip-top bags, these bags can last up to 12 months with proper maintenance.
Lunch bags have certainly come a long way from boring (and wasteful) paper or plastic. You can also utilize Fill-A-Yard® to create multiple bags!
In the United States alone, 14,000,000,000 plastic shopping bags are used each year with only 1% returned back to recycle.* Reusable bags are definitely the way to go! Pro tip: Leave a few in your car so you’re ready for any last-minute trips to the grocery store.
*Statistic from wmnorthwest.com
These dish-scrubbing sponges are the perfect solution to give scraps or even a pair of old socks a second life. Not only are the steps fast and easy, but you can wash and reuse the sponge over and over again!
Spoonflower’s Graphic Designer Alexis made the transition by swapping out her rolls of paper towels with reusable towels made from Organic Cotton Knit. With just one yard of fabric, see how you can join Alexis on making every day Earth Day—no sewing required!
Swapping out your disposable paper napkins for reusable ones is an easy way to add a sustainable and customizable alternative to the table. Spend the afternoon sewing a collection of napkins while listening to your favorite sewing podcast for the perfect crafternoon.
Get rid of the headache that comes with finicky plastic wrap, and think reusable with these bowl covers! They are perfect for resting and rising bread dough, covering pasta or salad for a picnic, or even protecting your stand mixer bowl from dust. The best part is that they’re reversible!
Want to know a not-so-secret ssssssssecret? These draft snakes are equal parts adorable and eco-friendly! These are great for cooler months to keep warm air from escaping under the door.
Sewists all over the world can relate to the issue of not knowing what to do with fabric scraps and trimmed selvage. Designer crumpetsandcrabsticks is showing you how to repurpose your Spoonflower selvage to prevent tHose scraps from making their way into a landfill.
Recycled Canvas Outdoor Pillows
Recycled Canvas is a perfect solution towards eco-friendly decor! These outdoor pillows and seat covers made by Spoonflower Ambassador Antonia Pröls will add a pop of color and style to your balcony, porch, or patio. Fun fact about our Recycled Canvas: Each yard or meter is made from 10 recycled bottles!
Like the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s crafter’s treasure.” This refurbished dresser by Barb Blair, aka the Queen of Yard Sale Makeovers, is a community favorite and we can see why. Find out how to repurpose your next thrift-store score in her DIY tutorial.
Projects for the Closet
Traditional period products are expensive and produce a LOT of waste! Consider switching to a more reusable option for that time of the month with these pairs of period underwear created by Spoonflower Ambassador Rumana Lasker.
This adorable eco-friendly tote bag by Alicia Steele of Sew What Alicia is super easy to fold up and store in your purse or glove compartment. You will always have this one ready to go when you need a reusable bag! Plus… it has a pocket!
Raise your hand if you’ve been hanging on to a t-shirt from your past that you’re just not quite ready to part with (guilty)! Revamp your old tee into a refashioned raglan with your favorite design from the Marketplace and get ready to breathe new life into your go-to tee.
Along with the tawashi sponge, another no-sew project you can use knit scraps for is this necklace from Becka Rahn. Perfect for all ages, it’s the statement fiber necklace you didn’t know your wardrobe needed!
These buttons only need a couple inches of fabric, what a perfect project to use your tiniest of scraps! Customize your favorite garment or simply use them as decoration.
Aloha all y’all. . .
I absolutely love it…
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“The grand introduction of the 𝑩𝒊𝒈 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒔𝒆 of the 𝐒𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐈𝐒
is introduced to the public by a grand display of 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒔.
For those allergic, just viewing that display might very well make them all 𝒔𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒛𝒆…
With that big a display, even those who aren’t, might very well get a little weak in the 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒔!”
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“𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐞,
𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚;
𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐡𝐚 𝐲’𝐚𝐥𝐥…”
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Until that time. . .