Top 3 Trendy Eco-Friendly Craft Terms and What They Mean

Should You Be Using Them to Describe Your Work?

Crafters have been using old stuff and turning it into new items for ages. By updating the words you use to describe your craft items, you can attract a whole new trendy audience to your work. Here are several popular terms eco-friendly consumers search for when they shop online.

Upcycled
Upcycling is not only eco-friendly; it is also a good way to turn a profit. 'Upcycled' sounds like 'recycled'. It is in the same ballpark, but is not quite the same thing. For a craft item or material to truly be upcycled, it must be used to create an item of similar or greater value or use than the original.

If you crochet a trivet using bottle caps, those metal caps were upcycled. The value and usefulness of those old bottle caps went up dramatically, from being garbage to being part of a new kitchen doodad. You've just made a trendy upcycled kitchenware item, not just a Depression era crocheted craft project.

Another example of a craft that falls into the category of upcycling is creating paper beads. This was also really popular during the 1930s. It seems our parents and grandparents went green before eco-friendly was cool!

Repurposed
A repurposed item is one reused for a different purpose than its original intention. This term is often used interchangeably with 'upcycled', but it doesn't mean exactly the same thing. Repurposed items don't always increase or retain similar value or end up having a more useful purpose.

Using an old denim skirt to make a tote bag is an example of repurposing. The denim tote bag doesn't necessarily have more value or usefulness than it had in the original jean skirt, yet it has been reused to make a new item. Whether or not it's been upcycled may be up to the buyer, who will ultimately determine the article's usefulness and value.

Reconstructed
Crafts and fashions that have been created using a similar, preexisting item are often reconstructed. These objects have been taken apart in some manner and reassembled differently. Some embellishments may have been added and other components removed to change the look and feel of the finished piece.