Easy and Affordable DIYs for Spring
Spring 2021 — Special Topics #2
Introduction
Did you know that Americans produce over 200 million tons of waste each year? Other ways to think about it: that’s equivalent to one million Egyptian Sphinxes, nearly four thousand Titanics, or about 5 pounds of waste per person per day. Hence, it’s important for us to understand climate issues at large and our responsibilities to the environment as global citizens and caretakers of our planet.
For example, many of our scraps, junk, and regular household items can be repurposed into useful, sustainable, and reliable products for everyday use. Below is a tutorial for TWO easy, quick, and extremely affordable DIYs that you can try!
Mason Jars
Imagine after a pasta dinner, you find yourself with a lovely jar — with an unfortunate label — worthy of repurposing. Here are the easy steps you can take to unlock this mason jar’s full potential:
- Rinse the inside of your desired jar.
- Find vinegar and dish soap and measure 2 teaspoons of each.
- Prepare a large bowl of warm water, pour vinegar and dish soap in, and mix well.
- Submerge the jar fully into the vinegar-soap water, for about 25–35 mins.
- Remove from the water and scrub until the entire label is removed. Soaking it should make any sticky residue easily removable.
- Pat dry with a towel and repurpose it to your heart’s desire!
- Bonus: these jars can then be used for just about anything — candies, spices, desk stationery, and even as a unique container for small gifts!
Headbands
Before tossing out those old t-shirts… consider transforming them into headbands for everyday use! Here are the easy steps you can take (sewing machine is not required):
- Cut a 2–3 inch wide strip of fabric — the bottom portion of a t-shirt makes a perfect circular strip. For stretchier headbands, look for old t-shirts made of polyester or nylon.
- For a clean edge, fold over the raw edge of the cut and sew with a straight stitch.
- Measure how long you would like the headband to be and pin it.
- Sew along the desired marked length.
- Cut the excess on the other side of that sewed edge.
- Flip the headband over so that the sewed edge is facing inside and you’re finished!
Closing Remarks
These are just a few ideas for how you can repurpose items in your surroundings and minimize the waste we create. The larger takeaway is to reconsider what “trash” is and get creative with your surroundings. While much of the world’s waste is rooted in systemic failures of mass commercial production (i.e. fast fashion and the fossil fuel industry) and harmful waste management practices (i.e. incinerators and marine litter), it is still important for us to be environmentally conscious and incorporate sustainable habits into our daily lives.
Other equally important ways to reduce waste and consumption are to shop sustainably and ethically, recycle, compost, and educate yourself and those around you. We hope you feel empowered to determine your own sustainability journey in ways that matter most to you. Happy DIYs!
Author: Natalie Chu| Editors: Vivian Kuang and Smera Patil | Graphics: Natalie Chu | Team: Social Good
