Kitsch-koo has a nice post on how to make your own envelopes from magazines or just about anything you have lying around the house. The results are very nice looking. The only thing you need to make sure if you are posting these is to make sure the address stands out clearly particularly if the material is a very busy one.

“Upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value.”

If this concept appeals to you and you like to dabble in crafts why not join this contest at Etsy. Winners will be judged on the ingenuity, originality and usefulness of their product.

You can read the rules of the contest here.

Mobile or cell phones (depending on which country you live in) cause a great deal of harm to the environment if allowed to enter landfill. Cadmium from the phone’s batteries (which is even more harmful then lead) can potentially leach into the soil and cause problems. For this reason it is important to recycle your old phones rather then throw them in the rubbish bin (or forget about them in a draw somewhere). Recycling also allows metals such as gold, silver, copper and nickel to be recovered from the old phones.