Finding new and fun ways to recycle old things is a hobby of mine, and I have just discovered some great new books that would make terrific gifts for any creative recycler on your Christmas list. Or don’t wait, buy them for yourself.

This book is so much fun, even the cover is interesting:

Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin

Here are 40 innovative book-making ideas using recycled and green materials! More than just earth-friendly, they’re also beautiful, clever, and witty, stitched with traditional binding techniques. Egg cartons, wood, beer cans, and cassette tapes morph into covers, while brown bags, coffee filters, and discarded newspapers are transformed into pages. Create a boxed set of cereal box books, an exposed stitch sketchbook out of cardboard and remnants, and even a faux leather journal made from teabags.

In addition to how-to drawings, close-up detail photographs, and simple stitch diagrams, a gallery of eco-books from an international roster of artists provides inspiration.

Re-Bound: Creating Handmade Books from Recycled and Repurposed Materials
Re-Bound is a beautiful book on bookbinding with a fun green twist-all the projects use recycled and upcycled materials. This book shows you how to take everyday materials from around the house, flea markets, thrift stores, and hardware stores and turn them into clever and eye-catching hand-made books.

Rejuvenated Jewels: New Designs from Vintage Treasures
In this book, readers learn where to find fabulous vintage jewelry, beads, and artifacts, and how to create stunning one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces using these amazing finds. Rhinestone beads and clasps, mercury glass beads, oxidized metal chains, rosary beads, tiny book charms and more are retooled into fabulous statement pieces that can be worn every day.

Semiprecious Salvage: Creating Found Art Jewelry
Semiprecious Salvage shows readers how to think beyond the techniques taught in traditional beading and jewelry books in order to create found art jewelry. Mixed-media applications like sewing, plasterwork and altering found objects tie together to create jewelry pieces such as brooches, pendants, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and belts. In addition to thought-provoking stories on the origination of some of the found items, Stephanie provides the reader with practical jewelry-making techniques that they can incorporate into their own inspired pieces. A simple, organic approach gives the reader limitless ideas for crafting their own jewelry as well as ideas for locating found items whether it be on a nature walk, one’s travels or in the comforts of home.

Each one of these books would be a terrific gift for someone creative on your list.  And there are more similar books.  If you click through the links for each book you will find more books listed underneath each main title on Amazon.

If you are a fan of local history or green living, then you should get to know the work of a local Cleveland, Ohio company called A Piece of Cleveland.

A Piece of Cleveland or APOC, is a both a company and a mission. This group is creating a demand for recycled wood in Cleveland, Ohio by creating beautiful wood furniture, accessories, and custom furnishings all out of wood from deconstructed buildings.

For more information on A Piece of Cleveland, follow this link.

I am having the best time shopping on eBay’s World of Good site. This is what I found on there today.

Recycled jewelry–earrings in the shape of coffee cups. My favorite drink.

You may laugh, but if you follow this recycled jewelry link, you will see that World of Good has loads of fun and funky recycled jewelry that is made with cast away metal, fabric, and other materials into some very cool stuff. A lot of it is under $20 so we can put it in our Eco-Chic Green Gifts Under $25 category.

Pre-order these books now, and you will get them as soon as they are published. Terrific new green living resources that will be out within the next few months.  Great way to start off 2010:

Available November 2, 2009

Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making
Practically Green takes the guesswork out of reading labels and will show you how to make smart, healthy purchases for your family without spending tedious hours researching the pros and cons of all of the products available on the market today. Each chapter is broken down into “Buy It” and “Do It” sections. The “Buy-It” section provides key information about everyday purchasing decisions and includes clip-out checklists for you to reference while shopping. The “Do It” section gives DIY ideas for how to make things that are good for your family and good for the environment, such as simple sewing projects, non-toxic cleaning products and luxurious, homemade beauty products. Plus, the author shares some of her favorite recipes that are sure to please the entire family!

Available November 6, 2009

The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America’s Emerging Battle Over Food Rights
Review
“David Gumpert has chronicled the Raw Milk War with insight and humor. He provides an important record of systematic government bias against Nature’s perfect food. Must reading for raw milk fans and government officials alike.”–Sally Fallon Morell, President, The Weston A. Price Foundation
Beginning in 2006, the agriculture departments of several large states-with backing from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-launched a major crackdown on small dairies producing raw milk. Replete with undercover agents, sting operations, surprise raids, questionable test-lab results, mysterious illnesses, propaganda blitzes, and grand jury investigations, the crackdown was designed to disrupt the supply of unpasteurized milk to growing legions of consumers demanding healthier and more flavorful food.

The Raw Milk Revolution takes readers behind the scenes of the government’s tough and occasionally brutal intimidation tactics, as seen through the eyes of milk producers, government regulators, scientists, prosecutors, and consumers. It is a disturbing story involving marginally legal police tactics and investigation techniques, with young children used as political pawns in a highly charged atmosphere of fear and retribution.

Are regulators’ claims that raw milk poses a public health threat legitimate? That turns out to be a matter of considerable debate. In assessing the threat, The Raw Milk Revolution reveals that the government’s campaign, ostensibly designed to protect consumers from pathogens like salmonella, E. coli 0157:H7, and listeria, was based in a number of cases on suspect laboratory findings and illnesses attributed to raw milk that could well have had other causes, including, in some cases, pasteurized milk.

David Gumpert dares to ask whether regulators have the public’s interest in mind or the economic interests of dairy conglomerates. He assesses how the government’s anti-raw-milk campaign fits into a troublesome pattern of expanding government efforts to sanitize the food supply-even in the face of ever-increasing rates of chronic disease like asthma, diabetes, and allergies. The Raw Milk Revolution provides an unsettling view of the future, in which nutritionally dense foods may be available largely through underground channels.

Available November 20, 2009

Green Matters for Everyday Living
Reviews:
Reading Green Matters for Everyday Living is like chatting over a cup of organic coffee with the city’s thought leaders and top tastemakers. An accessible, inspiring and enjoyable guide to the many ways you can green your Atlanta life, there’s something for every level of involvement. –Kate Yandoh, Freelance Writer (PINK, Atlanta Woman)

What can you do to make green matter? You’re already in media res of that journey simply by picking up this book. –Martin Melaver, Melaver Development

Green Matters for Everyday Living is a primer on how to live green. Learn where the housing market is headed and why and how to adopt a greener lifestyle, find money-saving green gadgets, compost, save on utility bills, avoid greenwashing, eat inexpensive organic foods, perform easy and energy-efficient home renovations, travel green, compare green-building programs and buy stylish and eco-friendly clothing and accessories for your home. Beautiful personal and professional photographs throughout the book show you what green living is all about. In-depth and frank discussions with: Laura Turner Seydel, Serenbe’s Steve Nygren, Charles Brewer (Founder of Mindspring), Cinda Boomershine (Design Expert for TBS’s Movie & a Makeover), Fine Living TV’s Stephanie Oswald (All-Girl Getaways), Nutrition Expert & Former Host of CNN’s ‘Travel Now’ Carolyn O’Neil, Cookbook Author and Cooking Show Host Nathalie Dupree, Carl Seville, Jack’s Harvest’s Heather Schoenrock and Connie Pope, Freelance Writer Kate Yandoh, Farmer D, Cici Coffee (Founder of Natural Body Spa & Shop), Jazz Musician Will Scruggs, Publicist Dean Trevelino, EcoMeme Store Owner Pam Hollis, Martin Melaver (Melaver Development), Michele Russo (McGraw-Hill Construction), Southface’s Dennis Creech, Dr. Adam Payne, Architect William Cox, Barb Shadomy (EarthCraft-certified Bed & Breakfast Owner), Realtor Cindy Wallace, Builder Pam Sessions, Lynda Fassa, Founder of Green Babies (organic-cotton baby clothes), Whole Foods Consultant, and Author of Green Babies Sage Moms

Available December 29, 2009 (just in time for the new year)

The Gorgeously Green Diet

Perfect for Earth Day: The bestselling author of Gorgeously Green returns with a simple-and budget-conscious-plan for waist management.

Green guru and ecolicious consultant Sophie Uliano has appeared on Oprah, Good Morning America, The View, and other national television shows; her first book, Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life, is a New York Times bestseller. And now, with The Gorgeously Green Diet, Sophie shows how to love food, live healthily, lose weight, and save money and the planet.

Uliano offers three different lean and green eating plans-Light Green, Bright Green, and Deep Green. Each offers a cornucopia of the healthiest and most gorgeous food you’ve ever eaten as well as the secret to being healthy and staying that way. You’ll learn how to reduce your impact on the environment by following the plan and how The Gorgeously Green Diet will improve your overall health. There are money- saving tips, including how to cook a healthy organic meal for five on less than it would cost to eat at Burger King, as well as nearly one hundred recipes and a gentle exercise plan. Readers can take the pledge to become green and lean, ask questions, and get support. This is the celebration of food, the planet, and healthy bodies that Sophie’s many fans have been waiting for. For more information, follow this link.

Available January 1, 2010

Green Restorations: Sustainable Building and Historic Homes
Some 40 percent of North Americans live in homes built prior to 1940, and when it comes time to remodel or restore our older homes, homeowners and contractors can find themselves lost in a morass of wildly divergent information and opinion. With Green Restorations, author Aaron Lubeck brings his expertise as a restoration contractor and preservation consultant to this first-of-its-kind guide, leading the reader through the steps for restoring historic buildings using sustainable practices and green building techniques.

Available January 5, 2010

New Green Homes: The Latest in Sustainable Living
New Green Homes presents the latest innovations in sustainable architecture and design. Projects include ‘green’ houses, apartments, lofts, and cabins, and explore various aspects of environmentally-friendly design from its ecological and economical benefits to the factors that need to be considered when choosing materials, such as the amount of energy that went into manufacturing the product; its sustainability; the life-expectency of its materials; and, the question of if the materials used can be recycled or safely disposed of if they break down over time. Specific topics covered include climate regulation, drainage systems, and regional planning. Each project contains photographs, floor and aerial plans, as well as detailed drawings that illustrate certain sustainable features revealing how much the parameters of ecological design have expanded in just a few short years. For the environmentally and aesthetically conscious, “New Green Homes” is as poignant as it is refreshing. It’s the perfect resource for homeowners, designers, architects, and all clients interested in creating warm and inviting homes that cause only a fraction of the environmental impact of those created using conventional building methods.

Socktopus – $ 22.50
From: BuyGreen.com
The long lost cousin of the famous Sock Monkey. The eight-legged creatures are made from traditional red heel socks and button eyes. This Socktopus is handmade by Friends of Socktopus. These delightful cephalopods are made from recycled wool sweaters. Their wooly covering allows them to live comfortably on land, especially indoors. They are excellent companions for children of all ages, and add a splash of color to any room.

One of the best places to shop for green gifts is BuyGreen.com. BuyGreen.com is essentially a Eco-Chic Green Shopping Mall. All of the products on their site are green, eco-friendly and healthy products. They have products in several different types of product lines including skin care, household cleaners, clothing, and accessories. I am just going to highlight a few items here that are under $25 and would make great green gifts, but if you click through the links you will find loads more to explore. I love the Socktopus above. Here are some more:

Affirmatif
With DMAE and pearl powder to tighten, tone and nourish your skin.

This is part of Marie-Veronique’s therapeutic line of skin care, designed to care for your skin through all stages of life. These products protect, nourish and repair in an age-appropriate manner. The Therapy line is for everyone who wants healthy and radiant skin. You can also supplement the basic skin care routine with products that address special concerns such as aging and rosacea.

UV Natural Baby Sunscreen

UV Natural has just been ranked #1 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). UV Natural ranked as the safest and most effective sunscreen sold in the US and the World! Beating nearly 800 other brands, UV natural is recognized as offering uncompromising safety and efficacy in sun protection. The entire range of UV Natural sunscreens protect against the full spectrum of UV light – UV A1, A2, B and C.

For the most precious members of your family, UV Natural Baby is gentle in its action so you can reduce the risk of sunburn to your baby’s soft and sensitive skin. In addition to its SPF 30 block-out properties, UV Natural Baby formulation strengthens and maintains healthy skin cell growth. Apply UV Natural Baby daily for a skin routine that nurtures healthy glowing skin for life as sun damage is cumulative and must be taken seriously from the earliest age. UV Natural Baby comes in two perfect sizes – small (1.76 oz)- for the diaper bag, purse, handbag or glove box in the car, and the large (5.29 oz) for the home, the diaper bag or to share with friends. UV Natural Baby provides a nourishing, health conscious sunscreen solution.

Sweater Owl

These charming creatures are made from recycled sweaters. They are soft and squeezable, and have child-safe eyes. They are 12″ tall. They come in the following colors: Green-Blue, Red-Yellow-Orange, or Pink-Purple.

Solar Hybrid Flashlight

This flashlight offers innovative Hybrid Solar Technology – it generates renewable power from sunlight or room light and stores it for later use. No shaking, no cranking – it’s ready to go when you need it! This flashlight can hold a single charge for over 3 years with 1-Watt 2X Super Bright LED.

Comes in three colors: Black, Camouflage and Yellow

Environmentally friendly – Solar technology generates renewable power from sun or room light. 8 hours charge in sunlight or room light will provide up to 16 hours of continuous light – can be charged over and over again. Holds a single charge for over 3 years and comes fully charged.

Does not need to be stored in the sun – throw it in your glove box or drawer and three years later, just turn it on! Back up battery has a 7 year shelf life.

For more green gift ideas under $25, follow this link

I am totally in love with these Fox Earrings which are made from recycled cart parts by artist Emily Baker. Emily Baker is a self-taught artist and designer. Jewelry design, landscape design, music, and painting are a few of the mediums she works in. Currently, her line, Emily Baker Sustainable Jewelry, is a hit among eco-savvy men and ladies everywhere. She creates earrings and necklaces out of used car parts and the result is tough and pretty at the same time. Emily hunts for treasures in small dusty towns and near the railroad tracks to find cast-off pieces of old metal to create her jewelry.

The round rings used in the earrings and necklaces are old machine parts, along with antique brass vintage chain and gold-filled earring wires. For more information about this artist and her work, follow this link.

Do you have a person in your family that loves to sew or knit? If so, there is a great book just for them that shows you how to create new clothing and accessories out of old ones. This is a book written by two fellow Clevelanders, Shannon Okey and Alexandra Underhill. Both of the authors are extremely creative people as well as extremely interesting.

Alternation reflects their varied talents. To purchase Alternation, you can link directly to the page on Lake Erie Artists Gallery’s website, and I will ship it right to you, or you can buy it directly from Amazon in the U.S. or Amazon in the UK.

Both Shannon and Alexandra are very into recycling and reusing old materials in new ways. Shannon is an expert knitter and crocheter. She has written several other books on both topics, the most well known is the knitgrrl series. For more information on Shannon’s books, click here.

Alexandra Underhill (also known as Xan) is most well known as a costume designer, dancer, and stiltwalker. She also is a proponent of eating raw foods. If you see a woman on a pair of stilts, and her hair is blond with other colors mixed in, chances are that it is Xan. This is her first book.