The leather biker jacket is a key wardrobe piece for spring and summer. Get the look, the ethical way, by choosing one made from upcycled leather.

One of the definite key wardrobe pieces this spring and summer is the leather biker jacket. It’s a beloved classic that will never go out of style and goes with anything from sweet floral dresses to tough distressed denim. This versatility makes it a great investment piece that will last you a very long time. Although leather is ethically questionable, it is also highly durable and, let’s face it, looks great. Luckily, there is a way to get this look without having to put your ethics aside – by choosing a jacket made from upcycled scrap leather. Here are four great-looking options for upcycled leather biker jackets.

Byron Retro Biker Jacket by The Sway
This cropped biker jacket by NYC-based The Sway comes in black as well as a rich tobacco color that gives it a great vintage feel. Ethically made from upcycled leather factory scraps.
$460, The Sway

Olga Road The Cypress C24 Jacket
Olga Road’s leather jackets start life as trench coats. After being sorted and examined to identify unique qualities, the designers incorporate design elements of the original piece into the new, upcycled version in creative ways. This one comes in black as well as navy and is a great classic pick that will go with whatever you decide to pair it with.
$197, Olga Road

Olga Road The Cypress C28 Jacket
If plain black is too, well, plain for you, opt for bright red, like this one by Olga Road. In addition to a great red-orange color, it features unique vertical piecework on the front, back and arms and has a nice heavy weight. Upcycled from old leather trench coats, it has inviting creases from the old leather and some slight dye irregularities that give it an offbeat yet mature personality.
$197, Olga Road

The Sway Momo Biker Jacket
Made by The Sway from upcycled factory leather scraps, this cropped version of the classic biker jacket features great patchwork detailing that sets it apart from the rest. Not only does it look good, but it ensures that even the smallest leather scrap can be put to use. Dress it up with killer heels and tuxedo pants or make it more casual with jeans and a plain white tee.
$690, The Sway

Read the rest of HOW TO: Make Your Own Upcycled Wooden Spool Headphone Keeper

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Post tags: DIY, earbud keeper, earbud spool, earbuds, green design, headphone keeper, headphone spool, headphones, how-to, upcycled, upcycled creation, vintage spool, wooden thread spool

Read the rest of Top 10 Crazy Christmas Trees Made from Bottles, Bikes, Shopping Carts and More!

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Read the rest of DIY: How To Make a Beautiful Holiday Wreath in 5 Easy Steps

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We remember a time when furnishings made from salvaged materials were considered too avant-garde for mainstream businesses, but international ad agency Digitas proves that era is all in the past with their funky new Chicago headquarters! The company commissioned Torchia Architects to turn wooden pallets, a shipping container, and other salvaged materials into an inspiring space on the 11th floor of a downtown Chicago building. This colorful mixed-use office space is further enlivened with urban graffiti and color to create an environment that is ideal for manufacturing cutting-edge ideas.

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Post tags: Art, chicago, Digitas, eco design, Environment, factory of ideas, green design, green materials, recycled, Recycled Materials, shipping container, sustainable design, torchia, upcycled, upcycled materials, urban grafitti, Windy City

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Post tags: anthony gormley, chain sculptures, chains, dystopia, eco design, green art, green design, korea, metal art, nude sculptures, recycled art, Seo Young Deok, sustainable art, sustainable design, upcycled, upcycled art

They’re frilly, flouncy, flirty – and you can wear them, too.

These handmade, upcycled hanging lamps are made from bare lamp shades, cotton belts and vintage crinoline petticoats. Cute for stringing up in the yard, under the evening sky as laundry is meant to be hung. Or try hanging them daintily in a dressing room, if you happen to have one of those.

Available for around $110 in white, black, and pink taffeta.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. (Read more...)

Until our author can afford to go antiquing in Indonesia, she’s happy to batten down the hatches with a pair of salvaged doors.  

Someday, I would love to have a one-of-a-kind headboard like this one featured in Elle Décor.

It’s an antique Indonesian wall panel discovered by husband and wife architects Jose Tavel and Cara Cummins. I love how they opted to pair it with a modern bed frame and simple monochrome bedding.

Today, I cannot afford a beautiful antique from Indonesia, but I can repurpose some salvaged doors and get the same look, care of Dreamy Whites. (Read more...)

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Post tags: "Music Box", BDP Architects, Creative Reuse, eco design, green design, Manchester International Festival, music, performance, Recycle, shipping containers, sustainable design, theater, upcycled

Build yourself a screen of upcycled Spool at home or office to create some privacy.

Founded in 2007 at the Rhode Island School of Design, Grain is “a collaborative of design thinkers with the shared vision of a more sustainable future.”

Their build-it-yourself modular system called Spool, can be assembled into a variety of freestanding structures such as screens, table bases or partitions. Made from paper spools upcycled from the Los Angeles apparel industry and connectors of chipboard,  Spool is sold in kits of 240 spools and 520 connectors, which can build a structure about 55 in H x 40 in W x 7 in D. Each spool has a random graphic pattern that indicates which type of fiber they once held.

Grain, you had us at upcycled. (Read more...)

If you’re in the market for a new sofa, but don’t feel like shelling out too many coins, then get inspired to build your own! Styleitchic recently posted the ultimate DIY guide to building very cool, recycled country sofas with used shipping pallets. All you’ve got to do is jet down to the local warehouse or waste yard where you can pick up some valuable pallets, grab a handful of screws, find yourself a few wheels, and collect a secondhand mattress or a set of pillows, and you’ll easily be on your way to having your very own upcycled sofa.

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Post tags: "green furniture", carbon footprint, country sofa, eco design, green design, Recycled Materials, recycled sofa, shipping pallets, sustainable design, upcycled, used materials