Nurture yourself and the environment by choosing green or natural arts and craft supplies. Non-toxic paints, artist’s supplies, fleece, and yarns are widely available.
Decorative Paints
Ordinary acrylic craft paints contain VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), which are harmful to human health. Choose non-toxic ones instead. Anita’s Yard and Garden non-toxic paint can be used on a variety of surfaces. These include stone, terra cotta, stucco, and metal as well as wood. This durable, water based formula withstands outdoor conditions. However, it can also be used for decorative indoor items. This is self sealing, permanent, and UV-resistant.
The Folk Art line includes several non-toxic craft paints. Folk Art Outdoor Opaque acrylic paint is suitable for porous surfaces like stone, concrete, terra cotta, and wood. It can also be used on metal. This is permanent outdoors. It resists weather and UV rays.
Folk Art also has a non-toxic fabric paint. This leaves the fabric feeling soft to the touch.
Green Fleece Fabric
Fleece is a wonderful fabric for all sorts of craft projects, especially dolls, stuffed animals, and other toys. Now, there is a fleece with some recycled ingredients.
Make It Green fleece contains 30% recycled plastic products and 70% polyester. Available in a variety of prints, this is 58 to 60 inches wide. It looks and feels like any other premium quality fleece. This would be greener if the manufacturer increased the amount of recycled fibers.
Green Art Supplies
For artists, there is a complete line of green art supplies. The Green Art brand includes everything artists need. These range from paint brushes and easels to sketch pads and non-toxic paints. The manufacturer uses recycled materials for the packages and store displays.
The table-top easel, brush handles, and colored pencils are made from reclaimed wood. One hundred percent post-consumer recycled waste paper is used for the sketch pads, which have a hemp binding. The drawing set comes in an organic storage case. The Green Art water color set has recycled trays.
All of the Green Art paints and water colors are VOC-free. These are made with organic pigments and dyes. The paint brush bristles aren’t green. According to the manufacturer, 100% nylon was chosen to avoid using animal products.
Green Yarns
Green crafters can choose from a range of organic and natural yarns, including wool, cotton, and others. Retail stores and online sources sell these products. A number of organic farms sell wool yarns directly to the public.
Among the recommended wools are the Rowan Purelife organic wool, which is naturally dyed, and O-Wool classic wool yarn. Bernat 100% natural wool for felting is another natural choice.
For organic cotton yarn, crafters have various choices. The Lion Nature’s Choice organic cotton is medium weight. This 100% organically grown cotton is manufactured under the Global Organic Textile Standard guidelines.
Bernat manufactures Organic Natural cotton. Available in solid and variegated colors, this is made from 100% organic cotton.
Red Heart is moving in the right direction. Its Eco-Cotton Blend is made from 75% reclaimed cotton and 25% acrylic. Rowan Purelife organic cotton and Blue Sky organic cotton yarns are also available.
Soy Wool yarn is sold in solids and stripes. Part of the Patons SWS line, this contains 70% wool and 30% soy. Patons also makes Silk Bamboo Blend with 70% bamboo and 30% silk.
Most major yarn manufacturers have various natural/synthetic blends. Typically, these are mostly synthetic. Because the contents can vary, check the label. In some cases, labeling these as natural is green washing.
Of these blends, Bernat Bamboo Natural Blends is the most desirable. It contains 86% bamboo and 14% acrylic/polyester. On the other hand, the Bernat Cashmere Natural Blends only has 5% cashmere, while the alpaca blend contains 30% alpaca.
Natural Caron makes Spa yarn, described as a “silky soft bamboo blend.” Only 25% of the fiber is from bamboo. Ironically, the label is printed on recycled paper. Mostly acrylic, the Naturally Caron Country Yarn merino wool blend contains 25% merino wool.
