Celebrate Beauty & Earth With These 4 Eco-Friendly Art Ideas You Have To Try

May 27, 2021

I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you when I say that I’ve taken up some new hobbies in this past year. Lockdowns and restrictions have given most of us a lot more free time to explore some new activities. I have taken up a few new things but one thing I have recently enjoyed exploring is an eco-friendly creative art. Whether you’re on a budget, wanting to be more zero waste or just looking for some creative ways to use unwanted things around your home, here are 4 eco-art ideas you’ll want to try.

1. Collages

Collages are a great way to use many unwanted materials from around your home such as textiles, packaging and magazines. All you need is some glue, a paintbrush (and make sure they’re vegan for bonus points) and a canvas, and by canvas, I mean any backdrop you wish to use. You could use cardboard, paper, card or an actual canvas.

Here are some collages I recently made from old cut-up magazines.

Collage Eco Art Collage Eco Art Collage Eco Art

2. T-shirt blanket

Now this one I’ve not actually tried, but it’s on my list! I have a bunch of old t-shirts from various events and experiences over the years such as expeditions and competitions. I have been keeping all of these t-shirts in a memory box. They’re just collecting dust and I never get to look at them. I am excited to start the project of sewing these shirts to make a blanket.

If you have a bunch of old t-shirts but don’t like the idea of making a blanket from them, here are some other ideas:

  • DIY dog toys
  • T-shirt wall art
  • Bean bags
  • T-shirt pillows
  • Tote bags
  • Plant hanger
  • Coasters
  • Memory Scarf

3. Acrylic cover-ups

This year, I had a bunch of old business cards which I no longer had use for. Rather than recycle them, I wanted to find a way to make use of them. They were a bit too thick to use in collages and so I had to get creative. With some acrylic paint, I ended up creating some polaroid style pictures.

Acrylic Eco Art Acrylic Eco Art

This idea will work for many different materials, not just business cards.

4. Greeting cards

Creating greeting cards from recycled items is another eco-friendly art idea that is on my to-do list. I am not a fan of buying greeting cards as I know that most of them end up in landfill sites or if we’re lucky, recycled or in a memory box! Creating your own greeting cards adds so much more value to the gift and if they’re made from unwanted textiles, it’s helping to reduce our individual waste. I’m really excited to get started on this idea this winter.

If you’re looking for more ways to create eco-friendly art, a great place to look is Pinterest. There are tonnes of ideas for all kinds of items! Happy crafting.

Also by Anna: 6 Ways To Creatively Channel Your Inner Activist Through Artivism

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Photo: Anna Ashbarry

Anna Ashbarry
Anna is a Communications and Outreach Manager at Dyslexia Canada and works in a freelance capacity as an activist, photographer and writer. Anna uses various media forms to raise awareness of issues whilst seeking social justice. With a passion for human rights and international development, Anna has worked as a Youth Reporter in Nepal and continues to explore her interest in communications in order to help provide platforms for voices to be heard. Follow Anna on Instagram @annaashbarry

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