To me, being eco conscious also means making useful things out of items that would otherwise be trash, or Upcycling. Pique the interest of your friends and co-workers by asking them for their trash, and MacGyver something new. It may start a conversation, it may appeal to someone’s creative side and it will hopefully get everyone thinking about stepping outside the box. After all, that’s a big part of what being green is about, right?

Ready Made has a great MacGyver Challenge going on right now. (photo above) – You can easily create an iPad holder out of a Starbucks sleeve. It only requires a cutting tool. I live near a Starbucks so I plan to walk over today and ask someone who is almost done with their coffee if I can have the used cup rather than them trashing it. See the instructions @ readymade.com/.

If that doesn’t appeal to you – here’s an oldie but goodie – how about making a laptop case out of plastic bags that you took out of the recycling bin? Warning: this one requires a sewing machine. Video instructions @ planetgreen.discovery.com.

There are hundreds of easy upcycling ideas. I dare you to try one over the long weekend. Pick one to try from this list. Let me know how it goes.