We found the list of Affordable Eco-Friendly Home Accessories at Domino.com and thought you might want some inspiration for your holiday shopping. Our favorites include colorful bowls carved from tree branches and newspaper vases. The shelf at right is a reclaimed railroad tie from Sprout Home.

Shop local by visiting Crafty Wonderland (Dec 14th at the Convention Center) and Trillium Artisans (save 20% with your Chinook Book coupon) for locally made gifts.  More...

We spotted this easy project on BikePortland's family biking page, which is fast becoming a solid resource for families on a roll. The latest blog describes several methods and products for keeping kids warm, dry, and happy through the rain and cold whether using bike seats, bakfiets (at right), or trailers. The easiest is the author's own DIY project, a converted poncho that she fitted with elastic to stay put over the mounted high-back child seat. Materials needed are a poncho, elastic or shock cord, and a small reflective triangle, which you can purchase at one of our bike merchants with a coupon. Happy riding!

Keep an eye out for our family biking blog, which also involves a bakfiet. Coming soon! (Image: Flickr/santanartist) More...

Parents heading out on Halloween with children can do more than just chaperon the candy raids. The site Green Halloween suggests taking along your own reusable bag and offering to collect old cell phones from the neighbors you visit. Not only will you prevent e-waste from reaching the landfill, but you can then send the phones free of charge to the Good Deed Foundation. The phones are recycled and fund programs supporting women and children in poverty.

See Green Halloween for additional ideas, or use our listings for Organic, Fair Trade, and local chocolate for yourself or costumed visitors.

Sometimes you stumble across a blog full of ideas and think, if only I had the time! Resurrection Fern is one of the best crafts blogs we've seen. It's a joy to read and the daily(!) tutorials are simple, beautiful, and entirely possible to tackle. The author is a family physician in a rural community (we look forward to a chat with her in the future!) who takes time each day to make something using materials from the natural world. Each creation is a sweet mix of function and whimsy--recent highlights include crocheting mushrooms from vintage buttons and making sweaters for visiting snails (below). Our list of yarn stores stocking organic cotton and natural wool are after the jump, along with recent Resurrection Fern project highlights. Happy crafting!

It's a busy Thursday here while we work to get out our September newsletter and coupon offers (you can sign up in that box in the upper right corner), so this time we'll inspire you and send you on your way to local salvage shops.

Recently, a Martha Stewart email caught our eye with this crafty repurposing of window shutters as an entryway organizer. Salvage stores always have oodles of weathered, sunbeaten old shutters which would look great for this project. Secure the slider and screw them to the wall, then slip cards and notes in. Vintage hooks could be affixed to the bottom to hold keys. I plan to use an even number of shutters to create a trompe l'oeil style window in my windowless entryway. Below are your local salvage shops and coupons, including a free online coupon for paint! More...

Last week on Craft Thursday we profiled the local non-profit Trillium Artisans. This week we're looking at an international group that unifies crafters by family (ok, city), the Craft Mafia. Originating in Austin, TX, the reign of craft has spread to cities small and large, including Portland. EcoMetro cities Berkeley/Oakland and Seattle are suspiciously absent, though St Paul has a familia. Join the current family and climb the ranks of craft associates and bosses.  More...

Local non-profit organization Trillium Artisans has long been a favorite of Chinook Bookers (see their coupon for 20% off). Members must use a minimum of 50% recycled materials in their gifts and wares. The flower represents the three principles of people, planet and profit that guide this group in creating business opportunities for low-income artists. If you're an artist interested in small business counseling, networking, credit card processing and other benefits of the group, you must make less than the median income in Portland (below $33,950 for a house of four, $27,150 for two and $23,750 for one). Experienced indie crafters can join as board members and commit to helping the organization support sustainability and fair wages. This week we'll take a look at some of our favorite picks from the online shop. Visit in person at 9119 SE Foster Road in Southeast Portland. More...

If you have the DIY bug, then you're familiar with the appeal of those dilapidated, lost looking chairs found in garages, thrift stores, and curbs everywhere. Instead of purchasing a new chair, find one with good bones that needs a little TLC, and give it a new life. With a little elbow grease and our listings of local fabric and paint stores, you'll be able to turn a $5 (or free!) find into a beloved home project. All kinds of wood furniture--tables, dressers, desks--can be painted and revitalized with these tips and resources.

We've got your local coupons, too, to help inspire a project. Anyone can use our free online coupon for Rodda Paint for 2 for 1 gallons. More...

Each Thursday we'll bring you our favorite gems picked out from scouring local craft markets, Etsy, Lov.li, and local craft sites. We'll also give highlights from our other EcoMetro cities. Materials must meet our environmental criteria, which include recycled/reclaimed materials and eco fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, and soy fabrics and yarns.

Catch the maker of this lamp and other local artists at the Summer Artisans Fair August 19th and 20th, 8am-3pm at 2701 NW Vaughn.

Chandelier Lamp by Phoebe1, $180
Celebrate life before Flickr with this lamp made from slides taken by a traveler in 1960s Europe.

More of this week's crafters after the jump... More...