Bottle Bracelets

These were made by cutting plastic bottles, sandpapering the edges, then wrapping them in ribbon that I had saved from chocolate boxes.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Mothers' Day

The flower industry, as harmless as it may seem, is one of the world's largest contributors to global pesticide pollution. These chemicals poison the florists and farmworkers, seep into soil and groundwater, and travel through the food chain to affect animals such as birds and felines. This mothers' day, consider buying your mom a tulip from a local florist instead of from a supermarket. Go to a swap meet or find a neighbor who raises flowers, and support eco-friendly growth. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Paper Flower Bouquet

This was the most time consuming part of my project: 28 hours of work! A friend of mine (a musician) had a lot of sheet music she was going to throw away. Instead of recycling the paper and losing all of those beautiful notes, I thought I could do a lot better with it. I cut, folded and glued every flower petal by hand. Each flower was attached to a kebab toothpick, then inserted into the base of the bouquet (which was made out of oasis wrapped in foil). I made the handle out of chopsticks and ribbon.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Paper Crane Earrings

This little project has the potential to be made out of all sorts of materials. Get creative! I used traditional origami paper and silver candy wrappers. For wiring I stripped down twist ties, and I strung small beads for added decoration.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Wall Chandelier

I made this out of old wrapping paper and a jewel set that I saved from when I was a little girl. The gaudy plastic necklaces held little charm for me as an adult, but the fake jewels were perfect for a wall chandelier.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Song Birds

Materials used: black ink pens old cardboard box sheet music glue

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Resourceful "Upcycling"

We all buy plastic packaged products: pre-sliced deli meat, bowls of noodles, yogurt, jars of cookies and sealed microwave lunches, just to name a few. Here's an idea: after you're done consuming your fast food, take the label off the resealable plastic containers and voila! Free tupperware! Watertight and often microwavable, these contains are great for bringing home lunch to school or messy arts and crafts. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Aluminum Rose

David Y. (Class of 2012) took real initiative and created beautiful metal flowers out of nothing but aluminum cans, nuts and bolts. Check it out!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Story of Stuff

Where does trash come from? Why is it such a huge issue in America? What impact does all of this environmental stuff have on me? Story of Stuff is an ingenious video; Annie Leonard really knows what she's talking about. In twenty minutes, become an expert on every aspect of "stuff". Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Starting the Journey: An Introduction to Clean Art

99% of the things we buy are trashed within 6 months. When I first heard this statistic, I was shocked! I only keep 1% of my belongings? Do I really value so little of my life? And of that 1% that we keep, what percentage of that is actually used on a regular basis? But you know what? Statistics can change. I want to increase that 1%. My goal is to save as much of that 99% of trash I create, and reuse or recycle it into something valuable and worth keeping. My challenge is to not only take trash and reuse it, but to make junk into something beautiful. This blog is a collection of not only my actions, but actions I've seen in my community that are ideal examples of how to make a change. This blog was created to educate, inspire and appreciate sustainable efforts of all shapes and sizes. Clean Art is not just a project to me. It's changing my lifestyle. It's saving a corner of the Earth. It's creative. It's a journey. And by reading this blog, I'm hoping you'll walk with me (even if it's just for part of the way) and we can take this small but significant journey together. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink