Apr 17, 2009 2:40 pm US/Eastern
Green Scene: Crafters Go Green On Etsy.com
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Some Philly craft artists are making
the world a greener place, and it's easy to
find their products online.
In discarded scraps of fabric, Nicole Mercurio sees
green.
She recycles old fabrics and
creates pillowcases for her small business, CouchDesign.
Mercurio showed us some of her creations: "This is
created from a vintage piece of bart cloth from the fifties," she said of
one design.
"This is from a piece
of upcycled red wool, and the circles are corduroy," she said of another.
Mercurio sells her creations on Etsy, a website devoted to
all things handmade, many of which are made of recycled materials.
Melinda Steffy sells on Etsy, too.
She was inspired by her farmer's market.
"It seems sort of strange to have this great produce
that came from somewhere nearby, and I'm still sticking it in a plastic
bag," said Steffy.
So she started making reusable produce bags from nylon
tulle.
"I can barely keep them in stock most of the time, so
it's been a good business," said Steffy.
She even created a vinyl alternative to sandwich bags.
On Etsy, both women found customers and a calling.
"I think it's a great idea to be able to reuse things
instead of living in sort of a disposable culture," said Mercurio.
"Maybe I can't change the world, but what are the
little pieces that I can do in my everyday life that are practical and easy and
end up making a difference in the long term?" said Mercurio.
RELATED LINKS:
CouchDesign on Etsy
Fabrik on Etsy
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