Etsy's Handmade Blog
News from the Etsy Labs: 4/20 Craft Night with Betz White
Story by EtsyStore, julieincharge
Published on April 16, 2009 in Events 		Photo by

Sewing Green

This Monday evening, learn how to make upcycled tyvek totes! Dust off your crafty pants and come join us for our weekly Craft Night at the Etsy Labs and in the Virtual Labs. Craft Night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and hang out — whether you're here in person or beaming in via the Web. Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8pm EDT. Join us online in the Virtual Labs (where the schedule is magically in your time zone) or in person at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York.

This week, on Monday, April 20th (just 2 days shy of Earth Day), we'll be creating fabulous totes out of discarded Tyvek envelopes with Betz White, author of the book Sewing Green.
You can decorate your tote with a bubblewrap stamp technique, applique, etc. This project is open to people with a basic level of sewing experience. Supplies will be provided for guests here in Brooklyn.

Not in Brooklyn? Join us for a live broadcast and demo from Craft Night online in the Virtual Labs starting at 5pm EDT. Click here to see what time 5pm EDT is around the world (though we usually take some time to get settled and ready to go). If you are attending Craft Night virtually this week and would like to craft along with us, you'll need a few supplies:

  • Four 11 1/2" x 15" used Tyvek mailing envelopes
  • One sheet each of large and small bubblewrap
  • Scissors
  • Disappearing ink fabric marker
  • Paper clips
  • 1" wide sponge brush
  • Acrylic craft paint
  • Plate or palette for mixing paint
  • Newspaper

Or, just be ready to take some notes and see if this is a project you'd like to try out later on. If you've made a project like this before, show off your items in the Virtual Labs or in person at Etsy Labs. We want to see!

Upcoming Craft Nights:

4/27: Open Craft Night

5/4: Scrapplique with Heather Ross

5/11: Cupcake Craft Night with Cupcakes Take the Cake

5/18: Open Craft Night

Would you like to lead a Craft Night project? Send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group! Want to learn more about the Labs? Check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

If you're on the prowl for some eco-friendly items on Etsy, be sure to check out the links below!

Handpicked Environmentally Friendly Items | Earth Tones | Search Items Tagged "Eco"

Tags Betz White, community, crafting, Craft Night, Earth Tones, eco-friendly, environmental, Etsy Labs, fun, fused plastic, green, how-to, learning, New York, projects, recycling, sewing, Sewing Green, tutorial, tyvek, upcycling
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34 comments     Login to add your own!

April 16, 2009 at 2:17 p.m. SewFragrant

Looks like fun! :)

April 16, 2009 at 2:39 p.m. MayaBella

Love Bets White. That is going to be a super lab.

April 16, 2009 at 2:41 p.m. pouch

looks interesting, although I don't know what Tyvek envelope is! Not sure if we have them in the UK *goes off to google Tyvek*

April 16, 2009 at 2:59 p.m. bbbennyandthejet

GaH!! what cute bags.. how I love virtual lab crafts.. :D

April 16, 2009 at 3:41 p.m. ScottieinaCanoe

sweet bags :)

April 16, 2009 at 4:04 p.m. DeborahVoizin

Cool!

April 16, 2009 at 4:40 p.m. fromlucywithlove

I've read about her book at the "freshly blended" blog. This is going to be a fun craft night.
By the way, loved the recycled clutch!

April 16, 2009 at 6:02 p.m. mylittlesister

so cool. I have to admit... I seem to be a bag junkie. You can never have to many bags on hand to reuse again & again.

April 16, 2009 at 8:23 p.m. amerrymishap

I could use some more grocery bags!

April 16, 2009 at 8:27 p.m. sandali

LOVE the 3 R's -- Reduce, Re-use & Recycle !! Always look towards the green ;)

April 16, 2009 at 8:31 p.m. SoSheSews

Hooray! Thank you so much for including my pleated purse here! I wish I lived in Brooklyn!

April 16, 2009 at 8:40 p.m. craftyard

dots! dots! dots! so cute!!!

xoxo,
craftYARD

April 16, 2009 at 9:05 p.m. dragonhouseofyuen

another great project going on!

April 16, 2009 at 10:41 p.m. inspireddoodles

Love the creativity here!

April 17, 2009 at 2:50 a.m. BabbidgePatch

looks like a fun project ~ love new (from old) totes!

April 17, 2009 at 5:23 a.m. Signs

I used to print on tyvek.. neat material

April 17, 2009 at 7:42 a.m. ketartstudio

This looks like fun! I've been trying to make some cool packaging, and I think that this could be a technique I would actually use!

April 17, 2009 at 2:59 p.m. reVisionDesign

Such a great lab idea! And thanks so much for including my wallet!!!

April 17, 2009 at 3:12 p.m. TessaKim

lovely :)

April 17, 2009 at 5:29 p.m. lovelygifts

Sounds like fun!

April 17, 2009 at 6:48 p.m. BlueTerracotta

I don't know what tyvek envelopes are, but I don't suppose there are any in France. Can we use something else instead?

April 17, 2009 at 6:59 p.m. jodieflowers

Neato!

April 17, 2009 at 8:14 p.m. isewcute

awesome! Wish I could be there!

April 18, 2009 at 5:09 a.m. akane

I love the fused plastic items!

www.akanedesigns.blogspot.com

April 18, 2009 at 1:55 p.m. wearthou

Tyvek can also take on the appearance of well worn leather when colored with acrylic paint. Just paint on with a brush and wipe off with a dampened paper towel. Voila!! Tyvek is a moisture barrier material used in construction for buildings. I used it in my bookbindings. Also you can glue several layers together to make it thicker for say, the cover of your book in place of a mat board.

April 19, 2009 at 12:44 p.m. MissHoneyVintage

very cool

April 19, 2009 at 4:56 p.m. HuntersHideaway

Blue and Pouch: My sister just brought me some maps from Paris printed on Tyvek (from a fancy hotel)! They might be called something else in Europe, but it is definitely around. try this link for a bit more info and some images, http://www2.dupont.com/Tyvek/en_US/in...

Last week I just started sewing up the tyvek maps into little projects, it is such a great material!

April 19, 2009 at 9:45 p.m. matconweb

Too bad it won't be possible to join you in Brooklyn to learn how to make learn how to make upcycled Tyvek totes, but check out our blog post about your event: http://www.materialconcepts.com/tyvek....

And this recent blog post about fashionable Tyvek hand bags may be of interest:
http://www.materialconcepts.com/tyvek...

Material Concepts is a Tyvek master distributor and we have a blog called the Tyvek Innovative Uses Blog at http://www.materialconcepts.com/tyvek....

Let us know how your Tyvek totes turn out, and if you send us (web@materialconcepts.com) a photo or two of your activities and what you make, we'll post it to our blog.

April 20, 2009 at 1:25 p.m. michon

okay, seriously, what CAN'T Betz White do? :)

April 20, 2009 at 3:15 p.m. SewBizzyGifts

Great idea for recycling or upcycling or whatever! I would like to be there in person...but maybe can be there virtually. Thanks for the offering!

April 20, 2009 at 3:42 p.m. kellybellydesigns

Neat

April 20, 2009 at 7:43 p.m. shopgreen

Love the bracelet Betz is wearing!
Wonder where she got it.

April 20, 2009 at 8:28 p.m. ilovecutethings

I just returned home from Etsy Labs with my new (recycled) Tyvek tote. This was my first visit to the Labs and I had a great time. Thank you, Betz & Etsy!!

April 24, 2009 at 2:14 p.m. dyenah

I just ordered some soft structure tyvek to make a bedbug proof mattress enclosure. I've also been eyeing my shoji screen with it's torn paper...does anyone know about coloring tyvek?

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