Crafting With a Conscience: Sustainable Paper Crafting Tips

With Earth Day 2023 passing us by, it's time to start thinking about how we can perpetuate the celebration and positively impact the environment - not just for a day. As crafters, we have a unique opportunity to contribute to more sustainable practices through our love for DIY and paper crafting, and there’s no better way to do that than by making eco-friendly crafts!

Monstera 3D Die Set

Despite popular beliefs, we can reduce our environmental footprint by choosing sustainable materials and techniques while still creating beautiful projects. Making eco-friendly crafts is not only good for the Earth, but it's also a way to showcase our creativity and make a positive difference in the world.

In this blog post, we'll dive into some tips and ideas for creating eco-friendly projects that are kind to the Earth. From choosing zero-waste products to incorporating eco-friendly embellishments, we'll show you how to make your crafting practices more sustainable for Earth Day 2023 and beyond!

Why You Should Try Eco-Friendly Crafting 

Let's face it: paper crafting can get really messy, and we often end up with a lot of scraps, bits of paper here and there, and some projects that end up unfinished or thrown in the bin. However, even though our hobby is naturally like that, we can still be more eco-friendly with how we handle the extra materials that we end up with after completing our projects.

Wide Washi Tapes for Crafting

Now that pressing environmental issues grow each day, the demand to be more Earth-friendly arises. This Earth Day 2023, we can do our part by becoming more aware - aware of the environmental concerns our planet is facing and how we can do our part as crafters. 

We can do this by choosing eco-friendly crafting materials, learning how to stretch the use of our crafty supplies, and recycling old project ideas. With these small things, you are already making a huge difference in the world. Every small step towards sustainability counts, and who knows? Your crafting projects may even inspire others to make similar changes in their own lives!

Tips and Tricks on How to Be a More Eco-Conscious Crafter

Even though Earth Day 2023 is on April 22, you don't have to wait until then to start crafting more sustainably! You can begin as early as now after reading this blog post. If you need ideas on how to start, then let these ideas inspire you: 

Make Unique Projects With Zero-Waste Products 

Did you know that there are paper crafting products specifically designed to give you less waste when crafting? Take the Zero-Waste 3D Floral Cover Die and Zero-Waste Leaf Pattern Die, for example. These dies allow you to completely use every single piece of your die-cut pieces, even the cardstock from which the leaves and florals were cut! These kinds of dies help you lessen your scraps and let you use up every part of your cardstock, enabling you to make eco-friendly crafts!  

XOXO & More Die Set

Not only do these products help save materials and the environment, but they also give you endless inspiration to make multiple unique projects from the die-cuts! How neat is that?

Repurpose Objects and Dress Them up With Your Supplies

Foiled Marble Washi Tape

Instead of buying new furniture to spruce up your space, why not try dressing up your old furniture with some craft decorations? You can design an old clay pot with some stencil designs, add glamor to your old cabinet with washi tape, or design some old boxes with stamps and die-cuts to serve as containers or gift boxes. Maybe you have some glass jars you can turn into a vase with beautiful metallic threads wrapped around its neck, or you have some old magazines that you can use for scrapbook layouts. The creative possibilities are endless! 

Wild Flora Wide Washi Tape

DIY paper crafting enables you to repurpose, recycle, and reuse old stuff, which can help lessen the waste that ends up in landfills. If you still have some perfectly usable stuff around your house, all they need is a bit of love and creativity, and they'll feel new again!  

Play Around With Natural Elements and Found Objects

Have you ever tried adorning your paper crafting projects with found objects and real-life nature elements? How cool would it be to pair your floral stamps with real pressed flowers? Here are some items you can try putting in your crafty projects to add extra pizzazz, even with just a few supplies: 

1. Pressed Flowers: Pressing flowers is a great way to preserve their natural beauty and incorporate them into your crafting. You can use them to decorate cards, journals, or even picture frames! 
2. Leaf Rubbings: Leaf rubbings are a fun and easy way to create unique designs using natural elements. Simply place a leaf under a piece of paper and rub some ink or paint over it to transfer the texture and pattern of the leaf onto your paper. You can also try experimenting with alcohol inks to make leafy imprints or use leaves as a makeshift mask stencil! 
3. Twig Art: Tiny twigs can be used to create beautiful, rustic-looking art. You can use them to adorn a picture frame, create a wreath, or even pair them with floral die-cuts! 

Donate or Recycle Unused Crafting Materials 

Do you have some old arts and crafts supplies tucked away in your closet? Maybe you can consider donating them to a local school or community center. By donating your old supplies to a local school or community center, you are helping to promote creativity and inspire others to create!

 Zero-Waste 3D Floral Cover Die

Plus, giving away your old supplies is a great way to build a community and connect with others who share your love of crafting. You may even inspire others to donate their own supplies and make a bigger impact! So instead of throwing them away or letting them collect dust in your storage, you can give them a new life and help others in the process.

Get Creative and Think Outside of the Box

Have you ever tried working with unconventional materials? In fact, you can even try decorating with the packaging that your crafty supplies come in! At Altenew, we make sure that all parts of our products and services provide you with inspiration, even with our packaging! You can use the floral patterns from your packages or the sample cards to help you create. 

Got pieces of left-over cardstock? You can color your scraps and turn them into a mosaic or collage next time. Have a mask stencil set? Not only can you use the mask stencil pieces to mask, but you can also use the included stencil outline to make unique backgrounds and shadows! Ended up with dried watercolor paint on your palette? Don’t clean them just yet -reactivate them again by simply adding water and make soft watercolor background washes for your next cards! 

Zero-Waste Leaf Pattern Die

Overall, there are so many ways to stretch the use of your crafty products, and it's all up to your creativity on how you can make beautiful eco-friendly projects with them. Just always remember to have fun with it, and know that you're doing it for a good cause! Start taking inspiration from these tips and try incorporating them into your crafty routine, not just for Earth Day 2023 but all year round. 

Celebrate Earth Day 2023 With These Eco-Friendly Craft Ideas!

Here at Altenew, we are also trying our best to come up with more innovative products that will not only bring you inspiration but also lessen the environmental impact that our industry can have. This coming Earth Day 2023, let us reflect on how we can craft a better world by simply becoming more conscious of how we handle our materials and waste. 

We hope these tips have inspired you to be a more eco-conscious crafter! Do you have any other environmental-friendly tips and tricks? Let us know in the comments! If you need more inspiration on how to make the most out of your crafty supplies, you can drop by our All About Crafting blog for endless techniques and ideas. Happy Earth Day 2023!