Upcycled Pocket Purses

Upcycling is a new buzz word out there like recycling.  It's mearly reusing materials in a recycling way.  I've found a way to recycle old jeans and clothes into fun ways through upcycling.  I've turned the pockets of jeans into adorable purses for little girls, warn jeans into picnic blankets, and as the ideas come to me, more posts will be listed of new creations. 

If you have used jeans or clothing you would like to donate to Mrs. Green Jeans for upcycling, please e-mail me directly for more details. 

A portion of the sale of each item donated is given to charity to clothe and feed those in need.

If we all do a little, less will be wasted.  Help the environment and upcycle your part.

Thank you,
Mrs. Green Jeans

Green Jeans

Do you have jeans that are too short? Warn out? Need a way to add a punch of color to an outfit? 

I make jeans "green" by adding decorative fabric to the bottoms.  No more throwing out pants, when I can add fabric to a favorite warn-in pair of jeans or pants and make them even better than before.  My prices are surprisingly affordable and you will look so trendy in your "new" old Green Jeans.

If you are interested in having me add fabric to your clothes and making them "Green Jeans" or pants, e-mail me directly for more details. 

Custom Tailoring

Do you have trouble with clothes that just don't fit right?  Maybe you've lost weight and need to take in a pair of pants.  Are your pants a little too long?  Too short?  Is that blouse or jacket just a little too boxy and needs some curves? 

              From Boxy and Blah                                                   To Beautiful and Feminine

I love to make clothes FIT by custom tailoring based on need and design.  The shirt above was tailored for a client by taking in 1.5" on both sides, a .5" on the front breast dart and the back dart and of course a nice warm iron to flatten all the wrinkles :)   

Not every great outfit has to be rejected just because it doesn't fit.  Consider having it custom tailored.  My prices are affordable and you will love the difference a little tuck here and there will make you feel about yourself in your clothes.

E-mail me directly if you are located in the New England area and are interested in having some custom tailor work done on your clothes.  I work by appointment only, no direct mail orders.

Beautiful Baubles $7 each

Beautiful Baubles for $10 each plus shipping. 

• Light Weight
• Custom designs
• Trendy Colors

Materials: Glass, Wood and Pewter with Sterling Silver clasps, several styles of ear hooks.

Buy one for you and one for a gift!  So many colors and styles to choose from, each pair is one of a kind because of the beautiful colors of the beads.  Makes a great gift! Colors and designs only while supplies last.

E-mail me directly for more details before they are sold out.

Bucket Bags $15 Each

These darling little Bucket Bags with coordinating lining have been custom designed and specially sewn with a pretty little girl in mind.  She can keep all her little treasures in there.  The bag can easily be washed when taken on all her little outings.  If interested in purchasing a bag for $15 each plus shipping, please e-mail me directly. 

If you are interested in having a custom bag done in a favorite design or fabric to match a favorite outfit, I can sew one up for you for $15 plus shipping, and you provide the fabric.  E-mail me for more details if interested in this or other custom sewing projects.

Wash Wisely, No SLS

Don't you just love a great find!  Let me first tell you about some education I learned first. 

Recently, I learned there are some negative ingredients in a lot of shampoos, toothpastes, and other bubbly hygiene items.  One of those ingredients is SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.  To find out more about this ingredient you can click on the this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_lauryl_sulfate and upon doing further research, you will find SLS causes irritation among other negative affects.  So I began looking for shampoos and body washes that didn't contain SLS.  The prices were astronomical.  Why?  Because SLS is cheap to use and is an easy way to get rid of oil and grease so they use it in alot of things. 

Trader Joe's carries an SLS free set of 3 Shampoo, Conditioner, & Body Wash for the less than $3.00 a 16 oz. bottle.  The Face Wash is less than $5.00 for a 6 oz. bottle.  Now that's a bargain and SLS free!

Recycle Renew, Reuse = Saved Dollars

Recycle, Renew, Reuse...This has become a catch phrase in the eco-friendly community...

But did you know it's not just a catch phrase, it's also a way for your to save some MONEY!  With the economic recession we've faced throughout the US and Canada many of us have had to find ways to cut back, save money and be more resourceful with what we have.  Recycling can fit right into that category.

I took on a sewing project a few years back to recycle and accessorize a pair of old jeans.  It was what I called a basic 101 sewing task of simply adding leftover material to the bottom of some jeans to help accessorize them and freshen up a wardrobe.  Little did I know this sewing project would take on a whole new meaning when it came to being frugal. 

People everywhere began to stop and ask me how they too could accessorize their jeans and pants, not just to make them pretty, but how to make their pants look better because of frayed edges, making the length longer, or to change the fashion to coorginate with something they already owned.  I didn't realize my attempt at recycling old jeans could become such a fashion trend and be considered "Grean Jeans".

I challenge you to look for other ways you or someone like me (yes, I do sew for a small charge) can help you recycle, renew or reuse something you already have and save you money and our precious resources.

It's easy being green!

Thinking Green

These days people are always "Thinking Green"...trying to find ways to be environmentally friendly.  But did you know you can actually SAVE MONEY thinking green?  That's right!  When you begin a new project, say it be organizing a space, updating an area, or just making a change think about how you can THINK GREEN and SAVE MONEY at the same time.

Look at what you already have and start there.  Is there something you can reuse, reconfigure, or adapt to make what you are needing into a workable solution.  Take for instance changing the direction or orientation of an object from vertical to horizontal and see if it will work.  It sounds so simple, yet it actually could be the best solution for you without having to purchase something new.  So before you run out to buy new look at your space with a fresh set of eyes and see if mixing things up could save you some Green.

If that doesn't work try looking at a second hand store or even tag/yard sale.  This is another great way to reuse what has already been purchased and make new again.  Once again, don't just look at an object for its intended use, look beyond and see if it may have another use for your situation. 

Another suggestion is to look on line...try "Google" to save time running around and look for ideas on line.  Look for sizes and dimension, colors textures, get ideas, etc.  This may be a good step 2 for some of you.  Upon finding ideas on line, then you can make a better decision about where to shop for your coveted item.

When you make a purchase think Green.  Is this item something that will biodegrade in time such as biodegradable materials?  Is it something that you can use for other projects once your use for it is finished? How can you use the waste for another project?  Is there excess packaging that will fill up the landfills or can the packaging be made useful?

It isn't that we want to stop consuming new goods, but we do want to consider their impact on our future environment and how it will eventually impact the next generations.  It all begins with one person making a difference and then teaching that principle to others.  When you believe in making a difference in others lives it's amazing what an impact you can have no matter the suggestion.

So until next time, continue Thinking Green!

Rags to one more Run

Before

After

These beloved ski pants have been passed down from my oldest daughter to my petite younger daughter.  My younger daughter wore them almost every day last winter and literally wore the bottoms out of them because she is a few inches shorter than my older daughter was when she wore them. 

Trying to be frugal, I thought maybe I could trim out the bottoms with a polly blend fabric and get one more winter Run out of them.  This is my attempt at doing “sew” and I think they turned out rather cute, to say the least.  Now, don’t look to closely and think they are dirty.  They are just “well loved” from the knees down!  Believe me, with all the sweating done last winter, they got plenty of washes and then some!

Hope you enjoy my thrifty attempt at trimming out a raggedy old pair of ski pants.