DIY Ways to Make Your House More Eco-Friendly

Buy Now

DIY projects that upcycle materials from around your home are cheaper, more convenient, and far more eco-friendly than any other craft you’ll fine. Using supplies that you probably already have on hand, you can help transform your home into a “greener” space, reducing your carbon footprint as you DIY! Check out these eco-friendly DIY projects that will help you keep your crafting and your home more green!

DIY laundry tablets

You can make your home green by doing more than just upcycling! Making your own natural laundry detergent reduces your environmental impact as well. It’s also a lot of fun. Check out Kiwiservices‘s recipe for making laundry detergent out of household ingredients.

Mason jar herb garden

If you’re looking for a project that’s a little more hands on, try creating a mason jar herb garden like the one on Inhabitat! Not only will you love the convenience (and, depending on what you plant, the fragrance) of having your own herb garden, but you’ll also be making good use of old mason jars and pieces of wood that might otherwise have gone to waste.

Shopping bag shipping envelopes

Sure, plastic and paper bags can be useful. You can even use them in a greener way by keeping them around the house and reusing them as much as possible. Have you ever thought of making something else you need from them so that you can repurpose and save yourself from spending? Check out Eco Etsy‘s tutorial of how to turn plastic and paper shopping bags into shipping envelopes for the mail!

Trash planner

Buying a new day planner is fun, but upcycling one for yourself is even better! By creating yourself a custom book like the one on Green Upgrader, you’re saving yourself from wasting materials just to buy more.

Plastic bag hammock

If your house is overrun by plastic bags, there’s any number of things you can do to make greener use of them. One of the most creative ones we’ve seen is Reduce, Reuse, and Upcycle‘s plastic bag hammock!

Tin can reading lamp

Let there be light! Instructables shows you how to use your regular recycling and a few other simple tools to light up the entire room. Why buy new when you can use things that are simple and available?

Tin can lanterns

Perhaps you’d like a little light but you don’t need another desk lamp? Try making Inhabitat‘s tin can lanterns instead! They give off the perfect glow for backyard parties on a warm summer’s night or snowy walkways during the holidays.

Paper bag basket

Perhaps your local grocer gave you more paper bags than you need, or maybe you just moved and you have an abundance of leftover packing paper. Did you know you can use these things to make a storage basket instead of throwing them out and buying new plastic ones? Do it and How shows you a great, easy way to do it!

Plastic bag bowls

Plastic bowls are great for the kids, but buying and getting rid of them has a huge environmental impact. Instead, try recycling your plastic shopping bags by making them into plastic bowls, just like Supercyclers did!

Sweater pillows

Refraining from throwing out old clothing can help you develop greener habits too! Instead of throwing out your old seater with the tear in the armpit, turn it into a comfy throw pillow! This project means less clothing in the land fill and less money spent by you. Inhabitat shows you how to make adorable pillows from your old sweaters.

Solar panel purse

Using alternative electricity sources like solar power helps you reduce environmental impact. Did you know that affordable solar panels are available in small sizes so you can use them for smaller things than your home or television? Solar energy works for your cell phone too! Check out Closette‘s innovative design for a portable solar panel purse!

Book shelves

No, we don’t just mean shelves to set your books on! You can recycle old books by transforming the books themselves into shelves. This project makes use of novels that are damaged or that you’ll never read again without throwing them in the trash. Take a look at how Real Simple did it!

Penny table

Did you know that some people actually throw pennies out? Other people leave them around the streets like litter. If you have pennies that you don’t want, try turning them into something useful instead. EPBOT used them to make a beautiful mosaic-style tabletop on a coffee table!

DIY “bug juice”

Getting green about the things you use on your body is smart too! Many bug sprays contain chemicals that are harmful when breathed in or unhealthy for the skin. Instead of spraying these toxins into the air or onto your children, consider a more natural alternative. Inhabitots made an eco-friendly bug spray from witch hazel and essential oils!

Tire flip flops

Are you looking for an easy pair of shoes to throw on while you take out the garbage or run to check the mail? Instead of buying new plastic ones from a store, upcycle a blown tire! Old tires aren’t hard to come by. A neighbour might have one they’ve been meaning to get rid of, or you can check local mechanics and dumps. Once you’ve found a tire, Robbtoberfest show you exactly how to transform it into a useful pair of flip flop sandals!

Do you have any favourite DIY projects that help you keep your home and habits green and eco-friendly? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!