Pop Top Crafts

Escama Studio: Humble materials elevated through design and integrity

Escama Studio is a collaborative design studio based in California and Brazil. Our flagship product is a sleek, handcrafted line of women's bags made from recycled aluminum tabs.

To achieve our singular aesthetic, the Escama Studio team adapted traditional crochet techniques used in Brazil and imbued this tradition with a modern design sense and new materials. With designs originating from both San Francisco and Brazil, the bags are hand crocheted in Brazil by women's collectives who are not just contract manufacturers, but an integral part of Escama Studio.

The result is an elegant and striking collection of accessories that illustrates our mission: creating innovative and stylish products from post-consumer and other sustainable materials, through partnerships with producers in underprivileged communities.

Spool Knit Jewelry: Make Beautiful Bracelets, Anklets and Rings by Ann Johnson

A complete kit for making bracelets, anklets and rings in ten different ways, with countless variations possible. Comes with a knitting spool and crochet hook, elasticized cord in various colors and more than 500 beautiful beads. Fun to make and the results have a uniquely hip look.

Jazzy Jewelry: Recycle materials to make cool accessories by Rebecca Craig

Design and create amazing jewelry with these eco-friendly craft projects. Fifteen fantastic ideas for funky accessories create the perfect original fashion statement and great presents for friends and relatives. From cute and colorful bracelets and necklaces to Mother's Day gift ideas, these accessible and simple projects will save money and help protect the environment.

Recycled Crafts Box by Laura C. Martin

Much more than just a craft book, this title includes a brief history of trash - illustrated in a colorful "trash timeline" - that shows how the invention of disposable products and packaging has created increasing waste. Another diagram shows the "anatomy of a landfill." Organized into sections based on common recyclable materials (paper, plastic, metal, fabric), the easy-to-follow, mostly appealing projects include a "Fancy Foil Fish" aluminum mobile, paper jewelry, and milk-carton castles. Each section has useful information about the material being used, such as a chart that deciphers the codes used in various plastic products. Throughout, Martin makes suggestions for "living lightly" on Earth, although in many cases (purchasing choices, for example), kids will have to pass on the tips to their parents. Illustrated with cheerful cartoon drawings and color photos of the finished projects, and bolstered by many resource lists, this is a surprisingly attractive, substantive offering that is just the thing for teachers planning Earth Day activities.

Gillian Engberg Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved - This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Gorgeous Gifts by Rebecca Craig

Wow friends and family with eco-conscious, cool and highly individual gifts that cannot be found in any store - perfect for birthdays, holidays and much more! From cute and colorful sock puppets for a younger brother or sister to a stylish stationery set for Dad and a beautiful bracelet for Mom, these accessible and easy-to-follow projects will keep children engrossed for hours.