Designer home decor on a budget – since many of us are broke this holiday season I thought I’d feature a couple of DIY projects as funky gift ideas.  I know I’d get my holiday glow on if I saw either this recycled refrigerator door shelf unit or ironing board chair with my name on it under my reusable Christmas tree …

The items above can be found on the Spanish website el-recetario.net.

via: recyclart.org

Is it too early to start planning for Christmas?  Not if you’re thinking long-term.  These folding, reusable Christmas trees and ornaments are made in Finland from sustainably harvested FSC certified wood.  Designed and created by Anne Paso and her company,  Lovi, these items can ensure your home exudes a classy Christmas vibe for years to come.

Lovi will plant 5 trees for every large Christmas tree sold.  You’ll find these exquisitely designed products @ matteriashop.com

Who doesn’t enjoy the sound of wind chimes ringing in the breeze?  Woodstock Chimes offers a wide selection of chimes to enhance any patio.  I had the opportunity to test and review the Capiz Solar Chime from Woodstock’s eco friendly, Asli Arts line. The Capiz chimes are made from natural, renewable resources and handcrafted by Balinese artisans – hand strung and hand dyed.

The Capiz Solar Chime we tested uses full capiz shells gently farmed in Indonesia.  In the 1500s, capiz shells, the outer shell of the marine mollusk, were used as windowpanes in houses; however, today they are used in various home decorations, including lamp shades, vases and wind chimes.

What makes these chimes different is their solar panel and a LED light, which enables the chime to cast off a soft, mood enhancing light in addition to its chime.  The solar panel charges the chime’s battery during the day and a sensor turns the light on at dusk as the sun goes down.  The solar panel piece is removable making it convenient to hang the chimes with or without it.

Another feature of Capiz Solar Chimes is that they are not small.  (more…)

Handcrafted, nicely designed and made of 100% GOTS certified organic cotton, this work of art caught my eye.  It measures 72″ x 54″ and features: vines/leaf design throughout, reversible with black and white leaf pattern on the back, and hand finished binding.

$250 @ marymcnultydesign on etsy

The LModern 2 coffee table is the tasteful merging of a recycled door (I’m still looking for it), handsome, upcycled Brazilian Walnut parquet flooring and an L-shaped piece of wall shelving.  49″l x 30″w

$750 @ jalexstudios etsy shop

Are you into multi-tasking and reducing the amount of ’stuff’ you have?  Do you live in a 100 square foot beach cabana?  Too cheap to buy furniture?  Here’s an idea – use your surfboard as a coffee table by night and a wave carving machine by day.  This kit allows you to transform any surfboard under 7 feet into a beachy coffee table and back again into a functioning surfboard in seconds.  Kit comes with instructions, bamboo base and velcro attachment.  $99.95 @ vintagesurfboard.net

Israeli design shop, Studio Groovy, transforms recycled items into functional products imbued with new-found style and funky flair, (car rim fruit bowl, above).

A telephone handset gives birth to a retro-designer bottle opener for a different kind of communication.

Moroccan themed end tables created from laser cut vinyl record albums.

This lighting fixture (above) was created from 4 colorfully authentic Israeli metal soda bottle siphons.

via the very groovy: recyclart

A simple, cleanly designed product with “recycle” written all over it.  Depending on where you shop, or shopped, this frame, designed for holding your reusable bags for recyclables, can be a testament to your good taste in shopping venues – or a physical manifestation of your green street cred.  Set your kitchen recycling area up with a little style by using several matching frames to bag your metal, plastic and paper recycled stuff.  The frame is made of 30% recycled steel and is itself fully recyclable.

frame comes in steel, red, white or black (and with 2 paper bags) – 30.00 eur @ matteriashop.com

If you’re looking for a deal on classic-looking, sustainable deck furniture Stonecrest Furniture is featuring reduced prices on its Poly-Wood line of recycled plastic outdoor and patio furniture.

Poly-Wood furniture is made from 100% recycled plastic lumber which is created from post-consumer recycled milk jugs, once destined for the local landfill.  This line has a lot of nice features.  The furniture’s plastic construction makes it impervious to almost all types of weather, allowing it to be left outside year-round.  It’s maintenance-free — no yearly staining or painting required.  And it’s available in a bunch of styles and a wide variety of colors.  Bonus points:  Poly-Wood furniture is made in Syracuse, Indiana, USA.

Stonecrest newsletter subscribers can use the discount code “trickortreat” to get an additional 10% off their total purchase. That code is good from today until November 9th.  Get more info @ stonecrestfurniture.com

Every once in awhile something just catches our eye…this antique image of a man walking hand-in-hand with a tiny bear says a lot of different things about our relationship with nature and other creatures.  The 8″ x 8″ handmade lightbox is back lit by an energy efficient 40w compact fluorescent bulb.  Hang it on a wall or place it on a table.

$95 @ munstre’s supermarket shop