The finalists of the "Art of ReUse" contest were announced this morning. See what won -- and what pieces were most-loved by Tori Spelling, Andy Cohen and Lauren Bush.
When he heard Green is Universal teamed up with Etsy for a contest to find the best upcycled product, we were already excited. But then they had to go and throw in celebrity judges like Martha Stewart and Kathie Lee to get us even more jazzed about recycling pieces into beautiful, innovative products.
For the past month, crafters have been uploading their creative wares to Green is Universal, where users voted and Facebook "Liked" their favorite pieces. Once the 10 products with the most votes emerged, those celebrity judges waltzed in and named the top three, which were announced on the Today Show this morning. And here they are...
We're unbelievably proud to point out that the Cast Iron Claw Foot Bathtub Couch from artist Jill Morrison is already ShelterPop-approved...maybe you remember seeing it on the site back in August. As for the Firefighter Coast Messenger Bag by Evon Cassier and 20-Minute Dog Sweater by Jennifer Kerr -- we're going to call them new favorites. Who can resist that level of creativity -- or that dog?
But we're not the only ones enchanted with these pieces. See what judges Andy Cohen, Tori Spelling and Lauren Bush loved the most.
Both Cohen and Spelling adored the clawfoot sofa. Can't you imagine this on set of Watch What Happens: Live...or in any of Tori Spelling's shows?
Lauren Bush picked the jacket-turned-bag as her favorite -- high praise from the creator of the FEED bag! i"I love when something fulfills one purpose and then is re-made to fulfill another," she said. "And the look of the bag is really great!"
Of course, those are just the top three. Check out the rest of the top 10:
Flying alumifish by John D. Richards
"This amazing Flying Alumifish Mobile was created using cat food can lids, the business end of a burned out light bulb, glass globs, galvanized wire and ordinary box staples."
Weego the Scarecrow by Leslie Wilton
"Weego is made of gigantic old tools and junk the artist's neighbor was going to throw out. There's old gigantic wrenches, a water meter, some sort of homemade bug sprayer, an animal trap, bolt cutter arms, old gun and garden shears, lots of scrap metal and junk."
Re-Zip It! Zipper Brooch by Heather Sennabaum
"All zippers used have been taken from old clothing. After taking all the threads off the zipper I either bleach out the zipper or bleach the zippers to get all the stains out of them. I also will dye the zippers a different color that is more vibrant to the eye."
Coloring Markers Jump Rope by Jenna Riggs
"Markers without caps... caps without markers... useless, dried up leftovers from art project fun. Every parent has a box of these around the house or in the junk drawer-pair them with some lonely leftover kite string and make an old-school jump rope!"
Brightly Colored Twirly Skirt of Upcycled Sweaters by Kelleyanne Wank
"This fantastic twirly skirt was constructed from a white turtleneck sweater with brightly colored embroidery, a yellow sweater and a green sweater. The turtleneck was ready to become the waistband. Then the rest of the sweaters were cut at the seams to become pieces of fabric to cut into the different panels for the skirt. The remaining white sweater fabric was pieced together to create the ruffle at the bottom."
Gift card earrings by Jennifer Kerr
"Used gift cards & expired credit cards that would have otherwise been thrown out are repurposed into eye catching jewelry. Thanks to friends, family, and local cashiers, the artist has hundreds that get a second life as eco-friendly jewelry."
Tab Top Pet Collars by Elizabeth Pickett
"Clean tab tops from soda and beer cans are woven with ultra durable polyester grosgrain ribbon. A durable snap link closes the collar, while a welded D ring provides a place to hang ID, and to hook a leash to."
Looking for more great green stories? Check out our page on everything Earth Day! And don't miss...
The Ultimate Green Kitchen
Unplugging Appliances: Do I REALLY Have to Do This?
Celebrity Homes: Eco-Friendly Edition
When he heard Green is Universal teamed up with Etsy for a contest to find the best upcycled product, we were already excited. But then they had to go and throw in celebrity judges like Martha Stewart and Kathie Lee to get us even more jazzed about recycling pieces into beautiful, innovative products.
For the past month, crafters have been uploading their creative wares to Green is Universal, where users voted and Facebook "Liked" their favorite pieces. Once the 10 products with the most votes emerged, those celebrity judges waltzed in and named the top three, which were announced on the Today Show this morning. And here they are...
Green is Universal
But we're not the only ones enchanted with these pieces. See what judges Andy Cohen, Tori Spelling and Lauren Bush loved the most.
Both Cohen and Spelling adored the clawfoot sofa. Can't you imagine this on set of Watch What Happens: Live...or in any of Tori Spelling's shows?
Getty Images; WireImage; Green is Universal
Getty Images; Green is Universal
Flying alumifish by John D. Richards
"This amazing Flying Alumifish Mobile was created using cat food can lids, the business end of a burned out light bulb, glass globs, galvanized wire and ordinary box staples."
Weego the Scarecrow by Leslie Wilton
"Weego is made of gigantic old tools and junk the artist's neighbor was going to throw out. There's old gigantic wrenches, a water meter, some sort of homemade bug sprayer, an animal trap, bolt cutter arms, old gun and garden shears, lots of scrap metal and junk."
Re-Zip It! Zipper Brooch by Heather Sennabaum
"All zippers used have been taken from old clothing. After taking all the threads off the zipper I either bleach out the zipper or bleach the zippers to get all the stains out of them. I also will dye the zippers a different color that is more vibrant to the eye."
Coloring Markers Jump Rope by Jenna Riggs
"Markers without caps... caps without markers... useless, dried up leftovers from art project fun. Every parent has a box of these around the house or in the junk drawer-pair them with some lonely leftover kite string and make an old-school jump rope!"
Green is Universal
Brightly Colored Twirly Skirt of Upcycled Sweaters by Kelleyanne Wank
"This fantastic twirly skirt was constructed from a white turtleneck sweater with brightly colored embroidery, a yellow sweater and a green sweater. The turtleneck was ready to become the waistband. Then the rest of the sweaters were cut at the seams to become pieces of fabric to cut into the different panels for the skirt. The remaining white sweater fabric was pieced together to create the ruffle at the bottom."
Gift card earrings by Jennifer Kerr
"Used gift cards & expired credit cards that would have otherwise been thrown out are repurposed into eye catching jewelry. Thanks to friends, family, and local cashiers, the artist has hundreds that get a second life as eco-friendly jewelry."
Tab Top Pet Collars by Elizabeth Pickett
"Clean tab tops from soda and beer cans are woven with ultra durable polyester grosgrain ribbon. A durable snap link closes the collar, while a welded D ring provides a place to hang ID, and to hook a leash to."
Green is Universal
The Ultimate Green Kitchen
Unplugging Appliances: Do I REALLY Have to Do This?
Celebrity Homes: Eco-Friendly Edition