Here’s a new thing that can be recycled and re-purposed: stuffed animals! Tree Hugger tells the story of an artist, Augustina Woodgate, and her rugs made out of the “skins” of stuffed animals.

To make the rugs, she removes the animals’ heads and the stuffing from the bodies and uses the skins, together with other stuffed animals’ skins, to create a rug that looks almost like no other rug you’ve seen before. Its trippy look could work well in a family or living room (we’re picturing it in a mid-century home) or even a child’s room.

What do you think? Weirdest rug material ever or ingenious use of old materials to create usable art?

Photos courtesy of Tree Hugger.

High-Tech Bins Will Fine People for Not Recycling
Inhabitat
Cleveland has a new solution for reluctant recyclers: “The city’s officials plan to implement a smart recycling bin program city-wide that will fine residents up to $100 for not recycling. The smart bins will eventually cover all 150,000 households and will monitor how many times residents take their recycling bins to the curb. If it is noted that a household isn’t bringing their recyclables out, their regular trash will be sorted through and if more than 10% recyclables are found, they’ll be fined.”

Don’t It Yourself
Curbly
Not every DIY project has a fairytale ending. For anyone who’s relied upon bubble gum and duct tape for a quick fix, these photos are for you.

5 Factors in Kitchen Pricing
Kitchen + Bath Business
Wonder why the final costs of a kitchen remodeling project often differ so greatly from the initial estimate? Here’s a breakdown of where your money goes once the project launches.

5 Ways to Make Colors Pop
Curbly
Here’s some helpful hints from the folks at GE on how to make the colors your home come alive.

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Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Test Green Products
One Project Closer
“UL has been a trusted name for product testing for since 1894. They analyze all kinds of goods ranging from duct mastic to baby car seats. Now, UL is an authoritative resource for measuring green products in the marketplace.” This Q&A post includes a five-minute video with UL’s John Drengenberg, recorded specifically for the bloggers at OPC.

Divine White Interior: Church Remodeled into Modern Home
Dornob
“Some church conversions end up looking like anything but their original function. By using white throughout the stark modern interior of this remodeling project, however, the architects manage to mix both residential minimalism and the classic bright, light and white aspects of an awe-inspiring sanctuary space.” Be sure to click through to check out these photos.

Things You Thought You Could Recycle…But Can’t
DIY Life
“Thankfully, awareness of the environmental need to recycle and shop with reusable tote bags is everywhere. In fact, it’s probably the do-gooder in us all that leads some of us to sort our trash incorrectly — and toss things in the recycling bin that actually can’t be recycled. … Here are some of the items that blur the line for a lots of people. You might think you can recycle these things, but according to the EPA, you actually can’t.”

Best and worst home improvement products
Kathy’s Remodeling Blog
“Are you a fan of Consumer Reports? I am. Totally. The nonprofit company’s integrity and independence remind me of the good old days of journalism. In the May issue of the magazine, CR named the Best and Worst in home fix-it-up products. The winners and losers include…”

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No, we don’t mean flexing your biceps. We’re talking about inside your house. Let’s jump right into today’s link love.

Considering Exposed Pipes
Curbly
Over at the home improvement/do-it-yourself site Curbly.com, the DIY Maven has an overview of some things to think about if you’re considering exposed pipes as a design option or to perhaps save some energy on building something to cover them up. As the Maven points out, exposed interior pipes can just as easily be a nice bit of character or be really ugly and obtrusive. Sometimes, just a bit of paint makes the difference.

10 Things You Can Recycle You Didn’t Know You Could
Re-Nest
From the great green blog Re-Nest: “If you’re like us you hate throwing anything in the regular garbage. It seems like such a, pardon the pun, waste. But there’s some stuff you just don’t know what to do with. Check out our list plus a refresher on what can go in your city’s recycle bin…” Potato chip bags, old medicine, wine corks and more — recycle ‘em!

Most Asked Questions of Home Improvement Contractors
National Association of the Remodeling Industry
“Contractors share the short list of questions they are usually asked by homeowners and offer a list of questions they recommend you ask.” Talk about valuable information! If you’re planning a remodel or any other project working with a contractor, this is a must-read.

Photo courtesy of Coastal Living by way of Curbly

This story from The Good Human blog proves that homeowners don’t have to install solar panels or spend a fortune to be more environmentally friendly on a daily basis.

There are some very small changes you can make that will go a long way toward a greener life.

Office paper and envelopes: Buy 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper products. They’re available everywhere and they are actually a little cheaper than the virgin paper version.

Sponges: Stop buying disposable ones and switch to washable ones that can be cleaned in the laundry.

Toothbrushes: Buy a recycled plastic one like this Preserve brand. They’re generally less expensive and they don’t use virgin plastic. The Preserve brand even takes them back when you are done with them and turns them into playground equipment.

Batteries: Buy rechargeable ones. Purchasing a charger instead of new batteries every month or so and waiting a couple hours for them to recharge will ultimate save money, time and energy.

Plastic bags: Buy the reusable brand from the grocery store. Most natural foods stores sell them for less than one-and-done bags.

This tip doesn’t come from The Good Human, but it’s one of the easiest ways to start incorporating some green habits into your life: Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Start by replacing just the bulbs in your home that burn out most often. You’ll be surprised by how much longer they stay lit and how much money you save. Lighting typically accounts for about 20 percent of the electric bill in an average home, and CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.

Photo courtesy of Mulad on Flickr