Foster
1
Aurora Foster
Professor Dilbeck
English 1100
20 October 2013
Analysis of GreenCraft
Do you often find yourself saving an item because you know it has
another use for you, but you can’t figure out exactly what that use is yet?
Well, I for one, do. I recently purchased the autumn 2013 issue of GreenCraft magazine, because it
contained many ideas for the reuse of denim. I have been holding on to a pair
of cherished jeans since 2005 (when I grew out of them). In 2004 I found out
that I would be moving and switching to a new school, so to commemorate my last
day at my favorite school, I had all my friends sign or draw something unique
on my favorite pair of pants. When I moved my things into my new room the first
thing I did was display those pants on my wall. They served as a reminder of
the good times I had with my old friends in those pants. Thanks to GreenCraft I found a way to get those
pants out of their box and back on display. GreenCraft
has very easy to follow instructions, and the crafts are very unique. Their
craft ideas demonstrate a great combination of personality, functionality and
earth friendliness while also remaining budget friendly.
Many of the crafts featured In this
issue of GreenCraft are designed for
function while some are purely for looks or personality. For example, “the snuggly sweater vase”
featured on page 101 is purely to add a personal flair to an already
functional piece. This craft re-purposes the arm from an old sweater and some
felt to make a cover for a plain flower vase. Now you can craft virtually any
color vase for any occasion. In contrast the “transforming the obsolete” craft
under the “up-cycled aprons” section on pages 52 and 53 is geared more towards
function than it is towards fashion. This particular craft uses an over-sized
t-shirt to create an apron. While over-sized t-shirts aren’t exactly today’s
major fashion, this project does create a very unique and functional apron.
Most of the crafts featured in this
issue of GreenCraft are used for both
fashion and functionality. My personal favorite is the “denim throw rug” on
page 99. The “denim throw rug” is made from at least six pairs of recycled
jeans. The durability of denim makes this craft very functional while the vast
assortments of colors, textures and washes that can be found in today’s denim,
also make this craft very fashionable.
GreenCraft magazine is also very
focused on the earth friendliness of their crafts. The green in GreenCraft conveys a desire to help the
earth by crafting with “green” materials. The writers emphasize their desire to
be earth friendly in many of the articles throughout this magazine. Natalie Hood
and Shelly Piper, two of the writers whose articles are feature in this issue
of GreenCraft, show their desire to
be “green” by finding a new purpose for old industrial-grade-tie-down strap. Hood
and Piper say that “miles of this strap end up in landfills every year” (page
29). They used some donated strap and outdated upholstery samples to create
drink coasters. By creating this craft and publishing it so that others could
create their own, they can save some of the strap from the landfill.
Lis Dunn the writer of the article titled “Fashionably green” also expresses her desire to be
“green”. Dunn says “I have no desire to pay full price for anything or wear
something that everyone else is wearing (19). Dunn’s article describes how she
took the sleeves from an old “$1 sweater” and made them into a pair of
fashionable arm warmers for herself. Dunn writes “I love the idea of scouting
out a beautiful piece that has a history behind it. Even more, I love the idea
of restyling something that still has plenty of life left in it” (19) How many
sweaters go into landfills because of a hole in the torso or something similar?
Dunn has created a way to use the parts of the sweater that are still good. In
this craft she has invented away to save many a sweater from the trash bins.
The occasional craft in this magazine
covers all the bases of usefulness, attractiveness, earth friendliness, and
budget. Jennifer Jones is another savvy writer in this issue of GreenCraft. Her article is about how to
take a normal household item and turn it into an organizational item that works
for you, specifically taking old cereal boxes and turning them into drawer
dividers. Jones says that “by shopping your own home for organizational items,
even if it means building or crafting your own, you are saving money and saving
the earth.” (16) In this article jones covers her cereal boxes with left over
wrapping paper to add her own touch of style. She has created a craft that shows
her personality, helps her stay organized, saves space in landfills and saves
her money.
What type of person thinks of coasters
when he/she sees nylon-tie-down strap? Who looks at a goodwill sweater and sees
arm warmers? Who looks at an old ruined pair of jeans and thinks of denim
jewelry and denim rugs instead of the trash bin? The writers of GreenCraft do. They have written an
incredibly creative and unique magazine. They have even expressed that same
creativity in their writing styles, by creating and utilizing new words to
express what the purpose of the craft is. For instance writers use the word “up
cycling” ; recycling something into a functional purpose. Or use the word re-purpose, to describe making something not as functional or outdated into
something new and functional. Each of their crafts has a personal touch of
style while still remaining true to the original goal, whether that goal was to
save something from the landfill or to save a few pennies. So if you are
looking for a way to reuse that item that you just can’t bear to throw away,
definitely take a moment to check out GreenCraft
Magazine for some fun earth friendly and cost effective ideas.
Billadeaux, Bobbi. “Denim throw rug”. “GreenCraft Magazine”. Aut. 2013.99.print.
Dunn, Lis. “fashionably green”. “GreenCraft Magazine”. Aut. 2013.18.print.
Jones, Jennifer. “Cereal box drawer dividers”.
“GreenCraft Magazine”. Aut.
2013.116. Print.
Mohler, Danielle. “upcycled aprons”. “GreenCraft Magazine”. Aut. 2013.52.
Print.
Piper, Shelly and Hood, Natalie. “Upholstery
sample tablescapes” “GreenCraft
Magazine”. Aut. 2013.28 .Print.
Wohlenhaus, Cindy. “snuggly sweater
vase”. “GreenCraft Magazine”. Aut. 2013.101.
Print.
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