Guest Blog: Greening the kitchen with some tips, tutorials & finds from Katya the intern

One of my latest interns (I have 2), Katya from the University of Illinois, put together a round-up of eco tips, finds and tutorial  for the kitchen. It’s part of a series she’s put together and I will be sharing a post from the series every couple of weeks. – jen

By guest contributor Katya

Hello! I’m Katya the Intern (I tend to imagine myself as Intern2 with a big number on my chest a la Thing One and Thing Two. Feel free to get that stuck in your head.) Normally, I’m in Chicago at the University of Illinois but for the summer I’m back in Oregon where we take our Indie for granted. When I’m not doing things for Indie Fixx I’m knitting and making patterns for my Etsy shop (Toasty Knits) and (slowly) learning to quilt under my mother’s master instruction.

As an Oregonian who loves her nature and a crafter, crafting to make my life a little greener makes sense to me. Over the summer I’m going to be passing along all the tutorials and inspiration for a more eco-friendly life that I can find.  Each eco-post will have DIY items using things that would either be thrown out, crafting reusable items to replace disposable ones and some other green ideas. Each post will be based around a particular room or use, first up is the kitchen!

I moved into my first ever college apartment last semester, which was amazing but also made me figure out how much stuff it takes to outfit an apartment! It got my thinking about how to make everything around me a little greener on the cheap. You can make many of the little things around your house yourself, and by picking recycled or sustainable materials making them a little kinder for the Earth isn’t hard at all.

Ditch your disposables! Avoid relying on paper towels and napkins when you can. Not only do reusable cloth napkins keep the garage a little less full but they also look oh so much nicer sitting out on the table.

1. Maggie’s Kitchen Pot Holders from zigzagstitch
2. Handstitched Napkins from the Purl Bee
3. Linoleum Dishcloth from Mason Dixson Knitting

By growing your own herbs and veggies (or buying them locally) your food won’t use up gas and other resources through transport and they will be fresher, tastier and more nutritious. And when you head to the market: bring your own bags!

4. Inspiring Gardens for Small Spaces
5 One Pot Herb Garden both from The Kitchn

Don’t know where to find local produce in your area? Find local farms, markets, Co-Ops and everything else at Local Harvest

For all the things you can’t make or grow, buy vintage and second hand to use what already exists instead of buying new.

6. Retro Coffee Cups from Falcon and Finch
7. Cocktail Glasses from Octavia Brown

Don’t forget to sort through the kitchen trash to find all the reusable goodies!

8. Recycled Glass Bottles from Martha Stewart
9.DIY Mid-Century Magnets from How About Orange
10. Upcycled Drink Caddy from Dandee Designs

About the contributor: Katya, one of the latest Indie Fixx interns, is a student at the University of Chicago who is in constant oscillation between school in Chicago and her home in Oregon. She also has an Etsy Shop called Toasty Knits and you can find her on twitter as well.