The Green Guide: Tip No.11 – planet conscious crafts & hobbies

Tips and tricks for making environmentally friendly swaps today!

A new year has begun, and a possible resolution you may have made is to learn something new/ spend less time on screens/ make more. If this is you (and even if it isn’t, it can’t hurt reading on…), here are some tips for becoming a greener maker in any crafting or hobbies you may have.

• Use what you have – It can be easy to assume when picking up a new craft or hobby that you need to go out and buy lots of new material and tools, but often we have lots in our own homes which we can already use, such as old clothes for material or art supplies like pencils that have been hidden away. Friends and family may also be able to lend supplies, which can be useful when you are trialling different styles and want to try a bit of everything without spending lots of money on each new material. In some cases it may be possible to borrow any equipment, especially if you join a group when starting out your new hobby. Of course, if you do need to buy, try to make sure it’s something you know you will use and will last you a long time.
• Crafting is an excellent mindful activity and can be a great sustainable pastime. But to up the eco credentials, look out for supplies and businesses who champion sustainability. Some examples include recycled yarn if you knit (https://www.weareknitters.co.uk/skeins-and-needles/skeins/recycled-yarn) or buying deadstock fabric over new when sewing (https://www.fabricsgalore.co.uk/collections/deadstock-fabric).

• Kits – Trying a new hobby can be a lot more accessible with a starting point, such as using a craft kit. The best place to look first in on sites such as Etsy to see if any small businesses create what you are looking for local to you. Small businesses often use less packaging and can be more recyclable too (https://www.etsy.com/uk/search?q=craft%20kits).
• Make more sustainable items – You may also be able to use your hobbies for even more good, by crafting items to help you on your sustainability journey. Look up patterns on the internet and create your own make up remover pads, cleaning cloths, shopping bags and clothes, plus many more!
• A simpler life – What may start as a new hobby may lead to a shift in your lifestyle. We all lead very busy lives, but crafting can help to slow down parts of your day. Turn off your phone and TV and spend the evening embroidering with a podcast, or meditating outside, or making gifts for friends and family to share your hobby further and prevent the last minute birthday shopping stress with a stash of homemade gifts, often a much more personal present.
• Starting out – Some of my favourite crafting ideas: embroidering pieces of clothing, using sentimental or waste paper in paper flowers and origami, patchworking old fabrics and upcycling pieces of homeware, to name just a few.

Whatever new hobby you choose, be it weaving, fitness or meditation, let it be an opportunity to take time for yourself and show both you and the planet love. Doing something new need not be wasteful, but a time to be resourceful and creative. Could this be the start of something new? 🧵