How many times during the day do you take a break simply to rub your eyes? Whether to help relieve stress or induce relaxation, our eyes are vital parts to our well-being but, like our feet, are often ignore. A consistent yoga practice can easily bring your entire body into a pleasurable state.

During the final element of each practice, while in Corpse Pose, the opportunity to pamper our eyes presents itself. By using an eye pillow during Savasana, you block out nearly all light along with adding a gentle pressure to the area around the eyes, which helps to relieving tension and calm active muscles. Eye pillows are also often used to help people with chronic headaches.

So, eye pillows are great … but why buy one? In my second appearance within the pages of Yoga Journal Magazine (my first was in the September 2007 issue), I present readers with simple step-by-step instructions on how to make your own eye pillow (June 2008 issue; page 28), including how to customize the filling to your scent preferences. Not a superior sewer? No need to be! This is a beginner pattern that anyone can make.

Random note: the three eye pillows at the bottom of page 28 were made by yours truly out of HarmonyArt organic cotton fabric (specifically the Pink Moon, Let it Grow, and Graceland prints)! I also made an eye pillow for myself, from the Whispering Grass print, that I use during my daily yoga practice.

March 24th — Eggstacular! by Kelly Rand: “Half eaten boxes of marshmallow Peeps; straw from Easter baskets strewn about; slowly coming out of a sugar high; plastic egg halves littering the floor. Does this sound like you and the aftermath of Easter? Feeling a little unsure of what to do with those plastic eggs now that the hunt is over and …”

March 24th — Recycled Plastic: Artist Call for Submissions. by Juliet Ames: “Lark Books is a fantastic publishing company that brought us all kinds of art and craft books including the addictive “500 Series.” Every year they publish 60-70 new titles and invite artists to submit work to be included in future books. They now have a wonderful …”

March 24th — Plastic Egg: It’s Not What’s for Dinner by Autumn Wiggins: “In keeping with this week’s theme of what to do with those pesky plastic eggs, I set out to find a worthy project. My enthusiasm was curbed when I came across reports of lead being found in these things. At the risk of being the antagonist, telling you what not to do with …”

March 25th — Wanna Be On TV? Casting For a New Teen Craft Show by Victoria Everman: “Crafter extraordinaire and co-host of DIY Network’s Creative Juice TV show - Cathie Filian - also has her own production company. With her fellow executive producers Greg Byers and Steve Piacenza, Cathie is on the hunt for teen/young adult crafters to …”

March 25th — Pizza Box + Plastic Easter Eggs = ? by Skye Kilaen (more…)

March 17th - Tools to Use: Knitting Needles by Kelly Rand: “Learning to knit can seem a bit overwhelming, especially if you are familiar with long-time knitters and all of their tools and many needles. At the basic level, all you need to get started is a pair of needles and some yarn. Beyond that there are some very helpful tools to consider and …”

March 17th - Recycled Jewelry: Where Has Your Jewelry Been? by Juliet Ames: “At the heart of the green crafting movement are artists using bizarre materials to make their crafts. I absolutely love making and wearing jewelry made out of unexpected materials. When has a gold heart necklace from the mall ever sparked a conversation in the way …”

March 18th - Top 5 Must-Have DIY Crochet Tomes by Victoria Everman: “Often the second banana to the world of knitting, crochet is steadily gaining more followers thanks to just how easy it is to pick up the hobby. Instead of using two needles, all you need is a ball of yarn and a crochet hook to create everything from toys and toaster covers to …”

March 18th - Artifacts: Caution! You are Entering a Go Spin Zone. by Autumn Wiggins: “It’s a warm sunny day in a quaint suburban park. Children are in line for a turn on the slide, but a bakers dozen have gathered around a picnic blanket under a nearby tree. Puzzled parents suspect a stranger is handing out candy, or has a Spongebob episode …”

March 18th - Fabulous Fabrics: Oliveira Textiles by Skye Kilaen (more…)

March 9th — Put All Your Eggs in One Basket by Autumn Wiggins: “A traditional Easter requires quite a bit of wasteful accoutrement. If you are trying to go green, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Maybe you’re already making preparations to color eggs with natural dyes, or even sprouting your own wheat berry grass for baskets instead …”

March 10th — Mapping It Out by Emma Henderson: “Maybe its because I’m longing for a good holiday or perhaps its just that I love the colours and endless possibilities of maps but I’ve been seeing them all over the place recently. This image forms part of a collection of maps belonging to designer Benita Larson via Poppytalk. I love …”

March 10th — Journals to Check Out by Kelly Rand: “I have about a gazillion journals. They can be found stashed all about my house, so as to be within easy reach when an idea strikes (at least that’s what I tell myself). In truth, my journal collection stems from my inability of locating the journal that I had last put pen to paper. I can never …”

March 10th — Recycled Newspaper Crafts by Juliet Ames: “Here at Crafting in a Green World, we clearly like crafting with recycling paper! Emma’s post on maps and Autumn’s posts on recycling folded paper and Playing Card Bags made me want to risk the paper cuts to craft. I am discovering, through writing these blog posts, that I am …”

March 10th — Green Crafter Highlight: Meet Sweet Pepita! by Juliet Ames: “Even our littlest crafters deserve hip eco-friendly clothing, and that is exactly what you will find at Sweet Pepita. This green crafter extraordinaire dropped her metal smithing tools for a sewing machine after the birth of her daughter Pepita, in an effort to make …”

March 11th — Green Pop Shop at Poppytalk Handmade by Victoria Everman (more…)

Are you getting sick of my little intros? If so, leave a comment and let me know. If enough folks say “yes”, then I’ll simply provide you good readers with the Crafting a Green World weekly collection of posts.

March 2nd — Artifacts: Tune In, Turn On, Tie Knots. This is Macrame. by Autumn Wiggins: “Yes, I know what you’re thinking…plant hangers and googly eyed owls…haha. Make fun all you want, but you’ll be overlooking one of the most sustainable, inexpensive, and meditative craft techniques out there. I’ve tried …”

March 3rd — Recycled Glass Art by Juliet Ames: “I am having such a great time discovering artists using recycled materials in their crafts. I was so excited about this recycled glass artist, I could barely wait until Monday to share it with the CAGW readers! John Bassett has been making these amazing glass panels and …”

March 3rd — Tools to Use: Scissors by Kelly Rand: “Another thing to consider when crafting with an environmental conscious are your tools and what they are made from. Tools made from recycled or sustainable materials are out there and available for use. One of the first items on any crafter’s list is a good pair of scissors …”

March 4th — Join BurdaStyle’s First Mini Sewalong Challenge by Victoria Everman: “Looking to add some spice to your Spring wardrobe? Need a new creative project to work on? We introduced you to Burda Style during the early days of our blog. Now its time to share the details for their first mini-challenge for all the …”

March 4th — Fabulous Fabrics: Organic Cotton from Mod Green Pod by Skye Kilaen (more…)

It all started out with just little old me, trying to post at least once a day to get Crafting a Green World on its feet. That was just four months ago. Now, CAGW has seven other writers with more on the way. To see how much the blog has grown in such a short time still makes me take a pause.

Thanks to all of the kick ass writers on our team, CAGW is up to at least 10 posts a week! We’ve got some exciting series in the works, so make sure and stay tuned for all the upcoming developments.

February 24th — Artifacts: The Eco-Hippies by Autumn Wiggins: “Welcome to the first installment in a series of posts about crafty relics with an ecological twist. Mostly, I will be highlighting a history of methods and finished objects created with what would be considered sustainable materials by today’s standards. I think back to …”

February 25th — Recycle Sweaters Into Yarn by Skye Kilaen: “Normally we buy yarn in order to make sweaters. Did you know you can also do it the other way around? Ashley Martineau started knitting and quickly found that it can become an expensive hobby. To feed her addiction, she started unraveling sweaters from …”

February 25th — Trending Green by Kelly Rand: “New online knitting mag MetaPostModernKnitting arrived on the internet last week with the fashion forward in mind. Complete with great patterns, blog and articles, MPMK is a welcome edition to the online world. In their first issue, The Knitting Bully contemplates …”

February 25th — Recycled Photo Collage by Juliet Ames: “I forgot how much fun it is to make a collage but after seeing this collage by Justyn Hegreberg, I can’t wait to dive in! Justyn’s work is so interesting and original because he uses recycled photographs (mostly doubles and blurry snapshots collected from Craigslist) and …”

February 26th — ReadyMade Readers Renew Broken Umbrellas by Victoria Everman: “When was the last time you cleaned out your attic? How about your basement? Are there still boxes sitting around from when you first moved in years ago? Under all that dust and clutter, I bet there are some pretty random things …”

February 27th — No Limit Hold’em: Make a Playing Card Bag by Autumn Wiggins (more…)

Where did our usual Friday post go!? Caught up in the midst of other projects, I wasn’t able to get the weekly CAGW post to all you good readers until today. Even though it is late, I do have some good news! Guess what CAGW has? Even more new writers!

This past week, Emma Henderson began posting on CAGW and it is a delight to have her as part of the team. Her bio from CAGW’s “About” page gives more details on her crafty past and present: Emma Henderson launched Showpony in 2006 with an aim to produce fun and engaging printed products for the home and accessories market. Trompe l’oeil meaning to ‘trick the eye’ is a theme which runs through much of Emma’s designs, from hiding bugs within the folds of her cushions or using vintage images on modern shapes. Inspired by honesty in nature and poking fun at real life she creates products that are functional and beautiful. She is passionate about creating new products but remains committed to sustainable design all of Showpony’s products are made using organic cotton which is hand spun and woven by a fair-trade cooperative.

Soon, even more new writers will be joining us and I can’t wait to introduce them to you! Until then, enjoy last week’s posts below. Remember, comments and feedback are always welcomed.

February 18th — Upcycle! by Juliet Ames: “My new favorite word is “upcycle. “A German chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough coined the term in their 2002 book, ‘Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.’ To upcycle simply means to use waste products to make useful …”

February 19th — Green Crafty Q&A: Weaving Plastic Bags by Victoria Everman: “The Crafting A Green World Q&A series returns for its second installment - this time fueled by one of our long-time readers, Tamara. Q: Help! I am looking for a place that will show me how to basket weave plastic bags that does not require …”

February 20th — Accessorize with Lawn Furniture by Autumn Wiggins (more…)

What a week! Love-centered holiday aside, two new writers joined the Crafting a Green World family. Mentioned in a previous Weekly Green Crafts post, Tara Hogan has begun posting on the blog. Her first post, about some very nifty recycled coasters (which I’m badly in need of) was featured on Apartment Therapy’s Re-Nest blog - CAGW’s first mention there!

Creator and coordinator of the Strange Folk Festival and EtsyLou Street Team, Autumn Wiggins has joined the CAGW team. Also founder of the crafty brand String Theory, Autumn added the cutest footnote to her first post: “My name is Autumn, and I’m a vigilante eco-craft ninja, here to DIY your socks off while saving the planet.” These two ladies are going to take CAGW’s content to the next level!

February 11th — Green Craft Supply Alert! by Juliet Ames: “I have just discovered Smencils and had to share them with the world! Smencils are gourmet scented pencils made from 100% recycled newspaper. You can even see the layers of newspapers when they are sharpened! The Smencil World website not only offers original Smencils, but also a colored …”

February 12th — Making Crafting Safe for You and the Planet by Victoria Everman: “Do you ever wonder where that smell in your paint set comes from? If there was an ingredients list on your crafting supplies, similar to those on food and beverages, you might not like what you see. It’s ironic that such a relaxing, restoring and expressive activity—making ….”

February 12th — STOP! DOT Your Tabletop with Coasters by Tara Hogan: “It is amazing to think of all the traffics signs that have been crashed into or worn out. At least we can have peace of mind that they can now be on our table serving as snazzy eco coasters. These coasters are made by Boris Bally, a metalsmith whose work is in the permanent collections of …”

February 13th — Happiness is Recycling Folded Paper by Autumn Wiggins: “Let me guess, you have a ream of 100% recycled, Rainforest Alliance Certified paper conveniently stacked next to the printer. You earn additional eco-brownie points for printing on both sides of each sheet. Good for you! Now, don’t take off running for the …”

February 14th — Yearn-Worthy Yarns: Lanaknits Hemp Yarns by Victoria Everman: “Before you have visions of joint-smoking hippies in itchy clothing fill your mind, let us clear the air about hemp first. It is a common misconception that hemp and marijuana are the same thing - they are not. Though they come from the same species of plant, Cannabis sativa L., they are …”

February 15th — Green Tea Party by Autumn Wiggins: “I’m an Earl Grey fan myself, and the best kinds, bar-none, are in loose form. Having tried just about every reusable gadget out there for steeping, I have yet to find anything superior to the paper bag filter. Mesh balls are cute, but I like my peanut butter chunky, not …”

What was your favorite post of the week?

Have a green crafty idea? Send it to me directly via the CAGW contact page!

A big “THANK YOU” goes out to everyone who left their warm feedback on Crafting a Green World’s new layout and design - you guys rock my socks (which I will one day be able to knit myself). With last week’s stylish updates, this week brought us the one-year anniversary of the launch of CAGW’s home blog, Green Options.

Nearly every blog editor in the Green Options collection of blogs posted their own unique, introspective post about their time with G.O. and all of the great things that are still to come on each of their blogs. Having just launched in November 2007, Crafting a Green World is still just getting going. Two new writers have expressed interested in writing for the blog and I hope they both come on board; you ladies know who you are (wink wink).

February 4th — Have a Green Valentine’s Day! by Juliet Ames: “Valentine’s Day has become more of a headache then heartfelt for most. Poor men are inundated with commercials claiming that if they don’t go to a mall jewelry store, their lover’s family and friends will be completely disappointed in them. That little jewelry box must also be …”

February 5th — Green Options Turns One: The Past, Present, and Future of Green Crafts by Victoria Everman: “I can’t believe it has only been one year. My first post for Green Options went live on February 15th, 2007 - just days after the blog launched. It feels like much more than a year that I have been working with these great, eco-minded folks - how the time flies. Just a year ago, my main focus was …”

February 7th — Yearn-Worthy Yarns: Mango Moon by Victoria Everman: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Michigan based Mango Moon Yarns takes the last two steps of that now infamous eco-mantra to another level. Working with the Nepali Women’s Empowerment Group, Mango Moon creates unspeakably vivid yarns made from recycled … ”

What was your favorite post of the week?

Have a green crafty idea? Send it to me directly via the CAGW contact page!

After a long and exciting wait, Crafting a Green World finally has its own custom logo and blog design! Our new logo is show at left and you can take a gander at the new layout on the CAGW website - we hope you like it.

Of all our posts from this week, I want to make sure to bring special attention to the entry from January 30th. No - not because I wrote it but because it is about a special one-day benefit sale that is happening TODAY. Donating money to help continue Sierra Club’s efforts to raise the public’s awareness about drilling in Alaska, you can head to the shop directly here.

January 28th — New Life For Leftover Paint Chips by Juliet Ames: “We have all had that indecisive moment at the home improvement store. Standing there, staring at the wall of paint samples for what seems like hours, every color starts to blend into the next in the same way that too many perfume samples start to smell alike. There is …”

January 30th — Feb 1st: Bleeding Hearts One-Day Benefit Sale by Victoria Everman: “Drilling for oil in Alaska has been a hot environmental topic for the past few years, but it hasn’t been mentioned in the Green Options network for over 6 months. United States primary election coverage has taken center stage is most news outlets, and though …”

January 31st — Yearn-Worthy Yarns: Manos Del Uruguay by Victoria Everman: “Now one the premier producer of yarn and garments in South America, Manos Del Uruguay (”hands of Uruguay” in Spanish) began in 1968 when a small group of local women were looking for a way to ‘promote social and economic development of women in …”

What was your favorite post of the week?

Have a green crafty idea? Send it to me directly via the CAGW contact page!

With so many rainy days here in San Francisco lately, I’m starting to feel like I’m already living in Portland (yeah, if only!). Since I already had a funky cough, I didn’t think going out to walk in the rain would be the best idea. So, once I’m done with my daily writing work, I’m stuck with not much to do. Thankfully, Juliet’s series of Junk Mail Love posts have kept me inspired with crafty ideas and the mailman has been delivering nothing but junk mail the past two days.

I’m amped that we have added yet another series of posts to Crafting a Green World as well - an open Q&A between CAGW writers and our readers. Check out our first installment below and start submitting your own questions!

January 21st — Junk Mail Love - Part II by Juliet Ames: “So, the kidlets are home from school today, bugging you for something to do, and you are hiding on the computer, catching up on blogs? Why not turn the computer off (after reading this, of course) and work on a junk mail craft together? …”

January 22nd — Green Crafty Q&A: Beginner Knitting Tools by Victoria Everman: “As Crafting a Green World continues to grow, new ideas and opportunities for us to share our eco-creative experiences are ever flourishing. Today we are premiering our first-ever Q&A segment, which we hope will be the beginning of …”

January 24th — Yearn-Worthy Yarns: Southwest Trading Company by Victoria Everman: “For as long as I can remember, Southwest Trading Company has been a major player in the yarn world. Run by mother-daughter team Jonette Beck and Jonelle Raffino, SWTC claims to have started the …”

What was your favorite post of the week?

Have a green crafty idea? Send it to me directly via the CAGW contact page!

As one of the top independent shopping blogs online, Indie Fixx is one of the key players on my Google feed reader every morning. If you are a fan of indie shopping, then the Indie Fixx Shop is the place for you to be as well.

Run by Delaware-based Jen Wallace, the Indie Fixx blog has an ongoing Thursday post series called “Indie Reader Fixx Pixx” where Fixx fans can send in a list of any mix of their 5 to 10 favorite indie finds.

From the blog: Your list can be a shopping list wish list, the latest indie shops you’ve purchased from, a list of your favorite magazines or blogs, your favorite indie crafting tutorials, your favorite flickr groups or anything really as long as it’s in the spirit of indie. You can even come up with a theme for your list–like fashion, kitties, cute, guy stuff or whatever you can dream up.

I’m amped to say that this week’s Reader Fixx Pixx is brought to you by yours truly! The pictures to the left are a menagerie of the different sellers and creators that I picked for my list. Head on over to my Indie Reader Fixx Pixx post to check them all out and why I chose them.

Want to be a part of the weekly Indie Reader Fixx Pixx series? Check out the contributing info and join the club!

Another week, another great round of posts over at Crafting a Green World. Since myself and Juliet are currently the only two writers, things are a bit slow (a.k.a. only a few posts a week). I’m currently waiting to hear from another writer in D.C. who was interested in being a part of the blog.

In the mean time, Tara Hogan of Ink+Wit will be posting on Wednesdays starting in mid-February and we are very excited to have her as part of the team. Of course, I’m always looking for new folks to join the CAGW team, so if you are interested in writing at least one post a week for the blog (and getting paid for it), let me know!

January 14th — Junk Mail Love - Part I by Juliet Ames: ” The book “50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth” listed stopping unwanted junk mail as its #2 recommendation. Some interesting junk mail statistics from the book include: Each year, 100 million trees are used to produce junk mail; 250,000 homes could be heated …”

January 15th — Top 5 Must-Have DIY Knitting Tomes by Victoria Everman: “Who’s ready for some purling!? Knitting may not seem as exciting as football, but for some of us it is our lifeblood. Making something out of (what seems like) nothing is what all of us crafty folks crave, and for millions of men and women …”

January 17th –Yearn-Worthy Yarns: O-Wool from Vermont Organic Fiber Co by Victoria Everman: “Cuddly sweaters, warm throw blankets, chic slippers - these all can be knitted or crocheted from one fantastic fiber: sheep’s wool. Founded in January 2000, Vermont Organic Fiber Company is the world’s leading …”

What was your favorite post of the week?

Have a green craft idea? Send it to me directly via the CAGW contact page!

Remember that eco-crafts website I told you about a few months ago - Crafting a Green World? We’ve been up and running for nearly two months and the response has been nothing short of phenomenal. As part of the new year, I’ll be doing a weekly round-up of CAGW’s posts here on Victoria-E.com, giving you a chance to catch up on anything that might have slipped through your sustainable fingers.

Contributing writer Melissa Stadja of The Stanley Family Lodge has scaled back her posts to spend more time with her newborn daughter. Around the same time as she announced her plans to do so, Juliet Ames of The Broken Plate Pendant Company (whom I first wrote about right here on Victoria-E.com) joined the CAGW crew and has been contributing some great posts.

January 7th — So Much Plastic, So Little Time! by Juliet Ames: “According to The Environmental Literacy Council, plastics make up 25% of all waste in landfills when buried. It is a good thing that crafters are finding ways to appropriate this versatile and plentiful material into their creations …”

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