Yaniv’s surprisingly colorful dolls are made solely from scraps of newspaper (and no paint!). Israeli artist Liat Yaniv‘s creativity – like that of many before here – was fueled by a shortage of materials and resources. When she was an art student in Denmark she had limited funds, and so she began to find ways […]
Singular upcycled wooden boxes called “Frank” combine to create larger design pieces. Tel Aviv has been fortunate enough to experience a recent influx of sustainable design studios, creating anything from rotary telephone desk lamps to wood veneer light fixtures. These studios are slowly bringing upcycled and sustainable design to the mainstream, and two new girls […]
Chafic Abi Abdallah used to work in the hospitality industry, but grew weary of sitting in front of the computer for twelve hours a day. So he set out on a trip to Southeast Asia to clear his mind and dream up more hands-on and community-oriented job prospects. During his journey throughout India, Cambodia and […]
Fashion designer Naomi Maaravi makes clothes with a story. When Dutch designer Naomi Maaravi moved to Tel Aviv a few years ago, she brought her “clothes with a story” and affinity for recycled fashion with her. She began creating her upcycled, re-designed fashion pieces ten years ago, when she made her first piece for her […]
When you need to use the dryer, make modelling clay out of your dryer lint. Dryer lint exists in endless supplies in some households and can be put to good use. Of course hanging your laundry outside is the most green option, but when you can’t we have some solutions for the lint. For years, […]
Yiuco may be the Middle East’s greener Etsy. Etsy, the global online store, has enjoyed great success due to the fact that it enables individuals to buy handmade, unique items from other individuals around the world with the click of a mouse. It has even spurred what some people are calling the “Handmade Revolution” by […]
Ecoist: an individual that lives a modern, eco-minded lifestyle. (Don’t forget chic.) When it comes to upcycling discarded products or industrial scraps, designers often turn to making fashion or home accessories. They are fun to make, and allow people to feel creative and less wasteful in their accessory choices. Here on Green Prophet we’ve already […]
Galit Begas’ plastic bag shoes Well known for its innovative and high level of forward-thinking in the arts and design, Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design can be proud of its creative students. Proud enough to show their designs off to the world, which is what they will be doing in April when they […]
We’ve seen billboards turned into handbags, now they’re being upcycled into placemats. Chew on that. The ubiquitous billboards that we routinely see during our everyday lives are made out of PVC, some pretty nasty stuff. Due to the nature of billboards being hung outdoors and subjected to weather, they are made of out a fairly […]
If you have a lot of stuff laying around that you can’t bear to part with but currently has no use, than Hana would be a god send. The Jordan-based eco designer can turn tins into lanterns, skateboards into necklaces and plastic bags into notebooks. Not only is she a budding designer with great flair […]
A new law in Israel could mandate manufacturers to take ensure their packaging is recycled, or reused. Despite its posh upcycled art installation, a quick visit to Israel’s Hiria dump demonstrates the extent to which materials that could be recycled, and should be recycled, are instead buried. There are cages available in some neighborhoods where […]
Giving Eid cards is trendy in Muslim culture. Eco-designer Zaufishan demonstrates how she "upcycles" old spangles and scraps, into jazzy new handmade Eid cards for the Hajj season.
Green Prophet talks to Assaf Wexler of Dosuno Design about the sustainability of multifunctional furniture, using recyclable materials, and an eco-prognosis for his old hometown of Tel Aviv. When it comes to furniture design (or design in general), Green Prophet has consistently been a fan of the sustainable variety – which comes in many shapes […]
You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream! (And upcycled ice cream spoon chandeliers.) Upcycled design (especially the fun kind) is definitely worthy of celebration, and all the more so with quality ice cream. Jaffa-based upcycling design workshop Hasadna (Hebrew for “workshop”) celebrated and re-launched its line of plastic spoon chandeliers this week […]
Salon Mazal’s eco-activists may be a little extreme, but they can still teach you some cool recycled crafts. Salon Mazal, an information center in Tel Aviv that spreads information about a whole range of issues including social change, human rights, animal rights, consumerism, feminism, and gender issues, is known for bringing together a collective of […]
Before you start building your sukkah, think about the materials and values that you want to use. Sukkot, the Jewish Festival of Booths, will begin next week and many Jews all over the world are starting to think about building their sukkah. While intended to imitate a natural makeshift shelter and honor certain forms of […]
Before and after: For 365 days, and only 365 dollars, New Dress A Day blogger Marisa removes standard consumerism from her wardrobe and replaces it with 365 upcycled outfits. Inspired by a creative rut, being newly unemployed, and her looming 30th birthday, Marisa (pictured to the left in a glamorous “before” picture) decided it was […]
A Clearance sale and the approaching High Holidays provide good excuses to check out Junktion Studio’s upcycled, recycled, unique designs. The Jewish High Holidays are coming up in just a couple of weeks, and for some of us this is a traditional time to exchange gifts. In Israel these gifts often come in the form […]
We’ve heard about H&M’s imported influx of sustainable fashion, and now onto to local eco-friendly clothing design: PopLove Designs. A design label that produces men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, accessories and housewares, PopLove describes its mission as “creating fabulous products with minimal harm to the surrounding world.” Its founders, Andrea Hughes and Shai Wallach, both […]
Used ice-cream taster spoons turn into delightful eco-inspired lamp. It happened to me just the other night, when I was standing at the counter of the ice cream shop, trying to decide between espresso cardamum and dark chocolate (or both). I felt guilty about my deliberation, and the consequent waste of those small plastic spoons […]
Recycled owls are a hoot. Win one in this Green Prophet giveaway. Conveying a wise message of reuse that suits their owl-like form, Inbal Weisman’s fabric owls are made exclusively out of upcycled fabric and buttons. Hoot! She sources her materials from a variety of sources, including the open trading market at Nahalal, her grandmother’s […]
Brigitte Cartier, a French-born artist who has been living and creating in Tel Aviv for the past 15 years and who now comfortably tackles Israeli roads in her pick-up truck alongside her trusty dog, is the magician responsible for transforming the Hiria garbage dump into an upcycling design Mecca. Just check out the before and […]
Tel Aviv’s port (or “namal”) has in recent years become a trendy hot spot. A little too trendy. And often their trendiness does not go hand in hand with eco-friendliness. But sometimes it does, like with their (too chic and elitist for some) farmer’s market and, this month, with their Pop-Up Design Store, Rafsoda. Rafsoda […]
You’ve selected your gift (which is hopefully local, handmade, and made out of sustainable materials), you’ve written a card (hopefully on recycled paper), but the presentation still needs that extra touch? KAPARA (also known as Viktoria Slutsky), runs a cute little shop on Etsy that specializes in upcycled paper gift tags. When you are making […]
Tel Aviv based designer, Limor Matityahoo, has been involved with crafts for as long as she can remember. Among her many skills, Limor is a textile designer, a makeup artist, a cake decorator, and an interactive product manager. Most recently her curiosity, playfulness and skill have brought her to upcycled and recycled crafts made from […]