Dan's Papers - May 9, 2008 - Extreme Makover, Earth Edition

Our homes are reflections of our lives. They are a mirror of what we hold dear - bookshelves lined with our favorite novels, photos of family and friends, expansive kitchens in which we can cook to our heart's delight. But it's been the formation of the modern home that's almost caused our downfall as a society - environmentally speaking that is. Massive amounts of waste are generated each year by the average American - plastic in household garbage that won't break down in landfills until the next ice age, harsh chemicals used to keep our houses clean, and textiles - furniture, curtains, rugs, and accessories - that are all far from biodegradable. Space age materials may look cool but nice to the earth they are not.

So how to keep chic in this Age of Environment? Green style guru Danny Seo, author of the Simply Green book series, comes to the rescue. His handy ideas make it easy to be green. Seo reuses common household objects, fashioning them into new and useful ideas. Thrifty indeed! He also recommends some of the best ecological household objects to add to your cupboard.

Mixed Glass Centerpiece: Don't throw old bottles away - keep them on the table. Many have beautiful designs when you examine them more closely. Save different sizes, shapes, and colors to make a centerpiece that invites that examination. Soak each in hot water to remove the label. Choose a favorite tray or platter and group the bottles tightly together on it, and place in the center of your table. Filling some with flowers or leaves adds to the beauty. Scout your local thrift shop for older, interesting bottles (they often sell here for pocket change).

Sweater Seats: There comes the sad time in all of our lives when we must give up the treasured sweater, the one with so many holes that one questions whether it's part of the design. Don't fret; there is life beyond the closet. Fashioning seat cushions out of those trusted garments is one way to sustain their life span. Make two squares by cutting up the side seams and across the shoulders, and chop off the sleeves and neck (do make sure that the squares will cover the chosen chair). Turn the chair over and unscrew the seat cushions. Attach the fabric to the seat with a staple gun or tacks, trim off the excess, place back onto chair, and sit down!

Rustic Candles: When candles have burned down to a pool of wax, most of us throw them away. But they still have a use! Make your own and house them in worn yet welcoming flower pots of all sizes. Wash the inside of the pot while leaving the outside looking like it's been outside. Use a coin to cover the drainage hole in the bottom. Place a stiff wick (sold at craft stores) into the center and tie the top end to a pencil laid across the top of the pot. In a cooking pot or double boiler over a low flame, melt down the candle excesses; when melted, pour into the flower pots. Let them sit overnight and trim off the end of the wick if necessary.

Cork Trivet: It's useful and cute to boot. After you've popped the cork on your favorite Chardonnay, save the corks to fashion a trivet, the trusty guard of grandma's fine linen. A medium sized trivet will demand approximately 50 corks (that's a lot of wine, but hey, it's all for the environment). Important: Ensure they are all the same size or your sauce may slide out of the pan. Encircle the corks with a metal hose clamp, which is readily available at your friendly neighborhood hardware store, and tighten to fit. Cut off excess with metal clippers and apply food.

Plastic Bag Dryer: This is one of my personal favorites, since I have, in recent months, stopped buying plastic bags or wrap (using good old paper towels or cloth, like they did in the olden days). As I used the last of those bags in my closet, however, I stretched their life span by washing and drying after use. This idea is genius for just that: Take a toothbrush holder (make sure the holder is a pretty one, not gooped up with Crest), insert wooden chopsticks into the holes, hang the washed bags over them and dry they will become.

Natural Aromatherapy: There are all kinds of cold remedies, but eucalyptus is a strong one. Hang a branch of it from the curtain rod in your bathroom (away from the spray of the water) and the heat and steam will activate the herb's essential oils. Hanging it with natural garden twine, rather than cotton, will hold up better in the moist environment. The eucalyptus will only last a few weeks, but hopefully your cold will be gone by then.

Carpet Coasters: You don't even want to hear this one - carpet accounts for 1.75 million TONS of waste in landfills every year. You can help reduce that to some degree by saving pieces of carpet in your home - whether old or newly installed - and fashioning it into a spiffy coaster. Cut into squares (or a shape you desire) and trim the fray. If too much Merlot gets them a little stained, the coasters can be washed with soap and water and left to air dry.

Glass Food Containers: The scary thing about plastic food containers (beside their being TERRIBLE for the environment) is that, if heated at too high a temperature, they can emit harmful chemicals into food (remember that next time you put last night's lasagna into the microwave for a quick zap). Ikea has the answer (those Swedes, they think of everything). Their 365+ line (Get it? Days in a year) is it. With lids and all, they're sure to seal your meal. From $5.99 to $6.99. www.ikea.com.