This summery straw tote from the Wanderlust collection at Madewell is as eco-conscious as it is stylish. Woven from sustainable Cambodian water hyacinth, each handmade bag directly supports the local artisans who create them.
One of my post-holiday traditions is to scoop up as many good deals as I can–for next year’s gifts, of course. This offer, both in terms of value and quality, is huge: for $10, you choose which Azuri scarf, wrap, or shawl you’d like, and the stylists at Nimli select the color. Their selections range from cashmere to pashmina to bamboo to linen, so all kinds of climates are covered. If the idea of mystery wardrobe adventure isn’t all that appealing, all Azuri’s goods are on sale, so you can pick exactly what you’d like, relatively guilt-free.
In my search for unique holiday handmade and eco-friendly gifts I found this adorable DIY rag rug kit. Made in Glastonbury, Somerset in the UK. The small bag of burlap contains all of the items needed to make your own mini rag rug. I love the bright modern colors of the fabric and the handmade drawstring sack. The wooden prodder is handmade by a woodturner in the UK using native wood. This is a beautiful object in its own right.
With rag rugging you can make fun fluffy rag rugs from old t-shirts. I love this heart design shown in the photo. Also included in this kit is a bag filled with French lavender grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals. It can be used to make a shaggy rag rug sachet. Complete handwritten and hand drawn instructions and diagrams are included. This kit is made with love and is sure to bring many smiles to the lucky recipient. Price is $30 at Rainbow Fairy Dust’s shop on Etsy.
Save at Etsy at TheFind.com’s coupon site.
The limited edition “LOVE” journal from Dogeared Jewels & Gifts is a gem of a notebook bound in re-purposed leather. Inside you’ll find 36 recycled paper pages to inscribe with love notes, shopping lists, or perhaps your latest and greatest brainstorm. The LOVE debossed logo is hand crafted in California. Each journal is different, depending on the leather color and comes wrapped in brown kraft paper. And how can you resist the silver leather? It is perfect for a holiday gift and very stylish as well. The LOVE journal also comes in natural, gold, plum, and moss. Be careful not to get the leather cover wet, it will age the leather prematurely. Otherwise, this beautiful little book should last for many years to come.
Read more over at TheFind!
Such a great idea!
We recently refinished an armoire for my daughter’s room. One concern I had was the off gassing and VOC in many paint finishes. I was thrilled to find “Original Milk Paint” in a neighborhood store selling bookshelves. Milk paint is obviously made from milk, it comes in a powder form and all you do is add water and mix. It is environmentally safe and does not give off any odors. The finish is transparent and gives furniture or walls a slightly aged appearance with a bit of transparency. The ingredients in the paint include: milk protein, lime, clay, and earth pigments such as ochre, umber, iron oxide, lampblack. The lime is alkaline (toxic) in powder form but becomes totally inert when mixed with the slightly acid milk. There is no lead, chemical preservatives, or fungicides. Milk paint contains no hydrocarbons or any other petroleum derivatives. We are thrilled with the results and my husband spent one entire weekend painting the armoire, as it needed two coats. I also plan to apply a paste wax finish to protect the paint and give it a pretty and subtle sheen. I choose Clapham’s Beeswax Polish. It is made in Canada with an old family recipe; museums and fine furniture refinishers use it. Best of all it has a slight lavender scent, but also comes in unscented if you are adverse to lavender.
