Going Green in the Bathroom
By Erin Burger – 7 CommentsAll across the nation there is a heightened anxiety about the waste we are creating and the over-consumption our communities are experiencing. Here on Crochet Spot we have briefly addressed this growing concern with Ideas for Going Green and Tips for Being A Frugal Crocheter. It’s a very popular subject right now and exciting as well, because people are looking for ways to save money and help save our environment.
One of the most valid methods of going green in your home is using handmade products in your bathroom, mainly because of reusable items like washcloths or facial cleanser pads that can be easily washed and rinsed and then used over and over again. Crocheters in Japan have started using bamboo yarn for all of their bathroom and kitchen crocheting projects instead of cotton, citing that bamboo has anti-bacterial properties and doesn’t have to be washed as often, in the meantime saving water as well as waste.
Organic cotton is still the most easily accessible source fiber for crocheting bathroom products. Many companies are offering undyed 100% organic cotton for sale in stores and online AND also, for an added bonus many of these companies are also offering dying kits with dyes made from organic sources! How much fun would that be?
Here are some projects to get you started on reusable bathroom goodies:
- Washcloth and Dishcloth patterns are very easy and quick to work up. Star Washcloth in Two Sizes, Dishcloth with Ridges, 5 Absolutely Fast Dishcloths, All-Purpose Mesh Dishcloth are just some great patterns to start you off on an all reusable bathroom!
- Making a bathroom rug out of organic fibers is a unique way to go green in the bathroom, this Rug with Ridges would make a conversation piece for your bathroom, especially in some bold stand out color or even in stripes!
- Hygienic products are a must have in the bathroom. Why not make them yourself? Facial Cleaning Pads, Super Fluffy Bath Puff and The Nylon Cleaning Set all have great patterns for self care projects.
Have any other tips for green products in your bathroom? Or questions about this post? Please don’t hesitate to share!
any ideas about what to do with scraps of yarn? sometimes when I’m doing a big project with lots of color changing, after I weave in the ends, I cut off about an inch of yarn and throw it out. I end up throwing out about a trash can full before I’m done, and it seems a shame that theres no way to recycle it somehow. I heard something once about putting old scraps of yarn out in a mesh bag for the birds to use in their nests (maybe that was this blog?). Are there any other ideas on how to recycle out there?
Hi Tennyemaye,
I mentioned using scrap yarn for stuffing of pillows and stuffed animals in the post Tips for the Frugal Crocheter. I’ve also heard of people using scraps for granny squares and small applique, although I’ve never had the patience to weave in that many ends and try it myself!
Erin
use them to stuff things like cup cakes
@tenyemeye – how about using them to stuff a bunch of small, colourful yarn-balls to make a necklace, like the one I say on http://easymakesmehappy.blogspot.com/2010/04/rainbow-necklace-skill-level-easy-peasy.html or even tying up a bunch of similar coloured yarns with rubber bands (or even just tying them in bunches using a knot. Then you could make a framed piece of artwork out of it (look at same site’s tutorial and patterns list).
Another one would be torandomly knot these scraps into a plain scarf so they look like ‘hairy’ yarn?
Hope this gives you some ideas.
Thanks Merry and Erin for the cool ideas! I think I’ll try them. I always hate to waste yarn. 😛
Great tips! I’ve seen a person (I think on Ravelry) that saved her wool scraps and used them for needle felting. I use 3-inch scraps for latch hooking.
Another frugal thing to do is stuff plush toys & pillows with used fabric softener sheets. They smell good too!
Rugs out of Plarn is a great way to re-use plastic bags. I get the toilet paper at our local warehouse club stores. The big plastic bag it comes in makes a decent size ball of plarn.
[…] This washcloth is a great beginner’s pattern and also a very satisfying project because a few washcloths can usually be finished in one sitting. Give a set of these as a gift for housewarming or make a set in many bright colors to add some fun to a child’s bathroom. Bathroom and Kitchen crochet is best done in cotton and organic materials. For more crocheting for the bathroom see this post: Going Green in the Bathroom […]