Turn an Old Shoe Organizer into a Vertical Garden

GreenUpgrader has found yet another crazy-brilliant way to grow lots of food, even with a yard the size of a postage stamp. Instructables member pippa5 realized that a shoe organizer would  not only give her more space to garden, but would keep cats and other animals out of her plants and eliminate the need to bend over.

All you need to get started is a shoe organizer, curtain rod, hooks, soil, plant seeds and a piece of wood to keep the base of the organizer off the wall. You can also put a trough-style planter underneath it to catch drips.

Simple, cheap, brilliant.

Link [Instructables] + [Green Upgrader]

DIY Green Home: Wine Bottle Modular Shelving

If you’ve got a drill, some planks of wood and a collection of empty wine bottles, you can create simple and free modular shelves that are actually quite stylish. Instructables has easy step-by-step directions for the ‘Ten Green Modular Shelving’.

From Instructables:

Ten Green is a modular shelving system, constructed simply from local recyclates.

This prototype was built with the Coach House Trust in Glasgow, using bottles from their recycling centre, and wood from the maintenance of their own sites. You can use any found timber, and adapt the dimensions to suit the wood you are working with.

And hey, if you don’t have any empty wine bottles, there’s never been a better excuse to throw a party or try out a bunch of new varieties. If you’re not a lush, local restaurants would undoubtedly be happy to unload some of their recyclables.

Link [Instructables]

Five Cheap n’ Easy DIY Tutorials to Green Up Your Home

Contrary to popular assumption, going green does not have to drain your bank account. In fact, someone who’s resourceful and patient can easily create solar generators, solar ovens, indoor vermicomposting systems and human-powered blenders out of recycled materials and stuff you already have laying around at home. Check out these five tutorials, and look for more eco projects at Instructables.com.

Recycled gutter garden

This idea is so brilliantly obvious, we don’t know why it’s not already common practice. Alaska resident Suzanne Forsling has a super-tiny yard, but plenty of sun hitting one side of her wooden house. She woke up one day with the idea to mount gutters onto the wall to take advantage of the prime gardening space, and what resulted is a super-simple vertical garden that keeps the crops up out of critters’ reach. While Suzanne used new gutters, you could easily make this a green project by finding some reclaimed gutters and using organic soil.

Solar generator for less than $300

Think solar power is just too expensive to implement in your home? Well, this tutorial will prove you wrong. Using parts easily acquired at your local hardware store or over the internet, you can make a solar power generator in no time flat for way less than you’d imagine. This setup will power your computer, modem, VCR, cameras, lights or DC appliances and is small enough to be taken anywhere you go, like on camping trips or on a boat. Plus, you don’t have to have any special skills or knowledge to do it. Win!

Recycled off-grid Tesla turbine blender

Why spend money on an expensive high-powered blender when you can use a few simple parts to create an amazing foot-operated air-powered power boost blender? Recycled CDs, a CD spindle case, supermagnets, a nozzle and glue are turned into a MacGuyver-like contraption that can power through tough blending chores. Margaritas, anyone?

Solar oven for free

When it’s 90 degrees and sunny, does it make any sense at all to use your gas or electric oven? Take advantage of all that free energy with a project that costs zero dollars. Just visit a junkyard or check Freecycle.org to procure an old non-operational satellite dish and a bunch of CDs. It’s powerful enough to reach over 400 degrees (or higher if you add more CDs, but you don’t want to set anything on fire!) and will cook pretty much anything you need.

Worm Bin Bag for Easy Vermicomposting

$40 will get you all the materials you need to create an indoor vermicomposting (that’s worm composting, folks) setup that will allow easy separation of worms from compost. Since the worm bag is made of fabric, it doesn’t smell like plastic vermicomposting bins can, making it ideal for use in living areas – even under your kitchen sink. Plus, it’s free entertainment for kids. They’ll be fascinated by the way the worms turn kitchen scraps into fertilizer for the garden.

DIY Solar Charger Takes Top Prize in Instructables’ EarthJustice Contest

30 million people bought an iPhone or iPod Touch last year alone, and that adds up to a whole lot of electricity use when recharging. Now, they can all build their own DIY solar charger thanks to Instructables’ EarthJustice contest winner Jerome Kelty.

From EarthJustice:

Kelty, 41, of Boulder County, Colo., calculated that charging those units every other day for a year would put more than 30 million pounds of carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming, into the atmosphere. So he bought a portable charger kit and with a few simple tools, in less than an hour, modified it to run on solar power. The homemade device charges his iPod Touch in a few hours without batteries or plugging it in, and also works with most devices with a USB port.

“Individuals can do a lot to fight global warming,” said Kelty, who will receive a new, “green” Macintosh laptop. “I can ride my bike instead of driving my car. I can use more efficient appliances and use solar and wind power whenever possible. An iPod recharger is a small thing, but it adds up.”

Congratulations to Kelty, who won a Mac Book Pro for this awesome DIY tutorial. Check out the full written instructions at Instructables, along with the hundreds of other interesting entries from a portable wind generator to an electric motorcycle.

Link [EarthJustice] + [Instructables]

Build a Free DIY Recycled Solar Powered Stove

Long, warm, sunny days are on the way – and that means plenty of free solar energy to cook many of your summer meals. But, what if you don’t have the money to spend on a solar oven? EcoFriend pointed us to a great tutorial on Instructables.com that shows you how to create one from recycled materials without spending a penny.

From Ecofriend:

We mentioned a combination of recycling and alternative energy in our previous post. The Solar Insider bench is a concept yet, but this fantastic solar-powered stove is a practical example of the same blend. The maker used a discarded 62-inch satellite dish, used CDs and other junk he found around. It stands on a base made up of 3” ABS plastic pipe filled with concrete and re-rod. After making sure that it’ll stand stable, the maker attached most of the CDs with the help of 1/8″ X 3/4″ fender washers and 4 by 3/8″ machine screws. For the outer two layers he found a tube of leftover silicon adhesive.

After completing the installation, a temperature of 400 degrees was easily achievable without any external expenses. You can find a detailed description in six steps at Instructables.

The instructions are easy to follow, and the results are actually kind of cool looking – like a big, weird garden sculpture from another planet.  Solar cooking is a great option during the summer since you don’t have to turn on your oven and unnecessarily heat up your kitchen. Oh yeah, and did we mention enough times that the entire project is FREE? Free energy, free solar oven, and you don’t have to sweat your balls off in the kitchen when it’s 90 degrees outside. How can you resist?

Link [Ecofriend]

DIY Cardboard Laptop Stand Tutorial

Get your laptop up off the table and give your back a break. All it takes is a few pieces of cardboard out of your recycling bin and about 15 minutes of easy work. GreenUpgrader has provided a simple-to-follow set of instructions to make your own cardboard laptop stand completely for free.

Instructions, via GreenUpgrader:

Step 1: Download the pattern & print it out.  Use an old sheet of paper that you were going to recycle so you don’t waste a new sheet.

Step 2: Cut it out, and trace it on the box.  Stencil “1″ is the base and it is only half of it so you’ll have to trace it onto the box, then flip it so it mirrors the outline you just made.  You’ll have to trace stencil “2″ twice as we need two of these. (click on the images to enlarge)

Step 3: Cut out the patterns.  If you have a box cutter or an exacto knife, it’ll be a lot easier, but if not, it can be done with scissors.

Step 4:  Put it all together.  the flat side of part 1 goes against the table and you slide the slots of part 2 into part 1’s slots.

The best part is, you can take it apart and it’s flat and light so it can go wherever your lappy goes.

I love fun eco DIY projects – especially when they’re totally free. You get to upcycle some cardboard and turn your laptop into an ergonomic workstation – it’s a win-win!

Check out additional photos plus more awesome green DIY tutorials at GreenUpgrader.com.

Link [GreenUpgrader]

Make a Messenger Bag Out of Trash Bags!

This video from Make Magazine shows you how to fuse plastic together and then make a bag out of it! All you need is an iron, plastic bags, sewing machine, and some straps and buckles.

Start Seedlings Indoors with Recycled DIY Grow Boxes

March is the month that many people start seedlings indoors to transplant into their outdoor gardens once it’s warm enough. Seed starting can be intimidating, especially when you consider the expense of purchasing special grow lights – but hey, guess what? You don’t need that pricey stuff! The Cheap Vegetable Gardener came up with 2 awesome ways to start seedlings indoors with stuff you might already have laying around.

If you’ve got a rubbermaid storage container and some leftover LED string lights from the holidays, you’re in business for this first project. You simply drill holes into the lid of the bin, insert the LED bulbs and hot glue as necessary. The Cheap Vegetable Gardener mixed red and white LEDs (Check out this post to learn how color spectrum affects plant growth).

When the plants get larger, you could follow The Cheap Vegetable Gardener’s example by turning an old PC case into a grow box. This is certainly an innovative way to recycle those old cases! All it takes is an extension cord, lamp timer and socket plug adapters.

Check out the full instructions over at The Cheap Vegetable Gardener.

Link [The Cheap Vegetable Gardener] via [The Huffington Post]

Eco DIY Project: Make Your Own Rain Barrel

Why pay money to water your garden when you could simply harvest the free rainwater that runs down your gutters? Rain barrels are a great way to capture and store water, and while there are many (pricey) pre-made versions out there, it’s really easy to make one yourself. This DIY eco project is super easy, and 55-gallon food-grade barrels can often be acquired for free from restaurants. So, your total cost can be as low as $20!

The video below, by Penn State Cooperative Extension, illustrates the process – and you can get more detailed step-by-step insructions at DIY Life, Instructables or GreenTerraFirma.

Link [DIY Life] + [Instructables] + [GreenTerraFirma]
Photo credit: CasaSugar + Apartment Therapy

DIY: Make An Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Day Card

This Valentine’s Day,  give your special someone a gift that’s personal and eco-friendly. In this video, New-York based artist/designer Shiho Masuda shows you how to transform a mailing envelope and magazine pages into a 3-D Valentine’s Day card.

6 DIY Holiday Decorating Ideas

Still getting the house ready for the holidays? Don’t panic if you don’t have much of a budget for décor. It’s better to use what you have anyway, and the results can be surprisingly elegant. Apartment Therapy featured six DIY décor ideas from UK magazine Living Etc. that use natural materials along with what you’ve already got laying around your house to create festive accents.

No fireplace? No problem. Find a branch, spray paint it white (or leave it natural), and hang it in near the tree. This woodsy “mantel” can not only hang stockings, but it can also be decorated further by twining holiday lights around it. [top photo]

If you can’t get enough of tree branches, here’s a decorating idea that would make a statement in the dining room: hang a branch above the dining table and decorate it with ornaments.

Need a centerpiece? Clementines are in season right now, and their vibrant orange skin is a perfect and affordable way to brighten up a table.

Get the other 3, including reusable alternatives to Christmas trees and wreaths, over at Apartment Therapy.

Link [Apartment Therapy]

Green DIY Holiday Crafts: Pop-Up Junk Mail Cards

Making your own holiday cards – let alone pop-up holiday cards – may seem like something best left to the Martha Stewart wannabe craftmasters, but it’s actually much easier than it sounds and it’s a great way to use up scrap paper like all those junk mail catalogs desperate retailers are sending out right now. The blog Junk Mail Gems created this awesome pop-up reindeer card from 100% recycled junk mail using Robert Sabuda’s easy pop-up card tutorials.

From Junk Mail Gems:

I added the red nose by simply using a hole punch on a piece of red junk mail and gluing the resulting dot on one side of the folded nose, and then painted on the eyes. The piece on the left side that I wrote on is the inside of a security envelope. I used a menswear catalog for the main card and the reindeer…the front and back covers, since they are a thicker stock.

Check out the selection of tutorials over at RobertSabuda.com and make a few craft masterpieces of your own! Though not holiday-related, my favorites are the Star Wars ones. Hey, just make them green and red and add a few little paper ornaments and they’ll work!

Link [Junk Mail Gems] + [Robert Sabuda]

Green DIY Holiday Décor: Wine Bottle Candle Holders

If you’re looking for some cheap, green ideas for holiday décor that don’t look like a fourth grader’s art project, Design Sponge has instructions for wine bottle candle holders that look chic and cost far less than store-bought décor. And no, this doesn’t entail simply sticking a taper candle into the mouth of a wine bottle. Using a glass cutter, you cut the bottles at varying heights to create a custom-made tablescape.

From Design Sponge:

Here’s what you’ll need:

-Glass cutting kit (we like this one or this one)
-Empty wine or beer bottles
-Sandpaper for polishing cut edges
-Candle
-Ice cube

Making a vase or candle holders out of a glass bottle isn’t rocket science, but it does take some practice. Don’t be upset or frustrated if you end up sacrificing a few bottles to the recycling bin before you master the fine art of scoring. To get started, adjust the cutter so that your bottle lies flat on the rollers with the scoring blade at your desired height. Using both hands, carefully roll the bottle towards you, keeping steady pressure as you create as straight a score line as possible around the entire bottle. Remember that to get a nice clean break in your glass it’s more important that the line be straight, not necessarily deep.

Now it’s time for the fire and ice. Light your candle, and holding the score line directly above the flame, slowly rotate the bottle for 20-30 seconds. Then do a few quick rotations so that the score line is evenly heated all around. Next, grab an ice cube and slide it along the score. This is where it gets interesting. If you hear any clicks or tiny cracking noises, this is a good sign. Most bottles won’t separate during the first round, so you may have to repeat the fire and ice routine a few times before the bottle magically (and cleanly!) snaps in two.

Soften the cut edges of the glass with sandpaper and you’ve got yourself a perfect little vase (or candle holder, or drinking glass)… Experiment with different sizes and heights and you’ll see that the possibilities are endless!

This could be really beautiful with jewel-toned bottles in different shapes. It’s a great way to reuse the many wine bottles your family imbibed on Thanksgiving, and it totally cuts out the need to run out and consume more crap you don’t need. Check back with EarthFirst over the coming weeks for more cool DIY holiday projects.

Link [Design Sponge]