recycle your credit cards into free name rings - courtesy of amex

if you’ve decided to take american express up on their offer to buy you out for $300, recycle your old credit card by turning it into a priceless piece of name jewelry.

here’s how.

this is a card i received in the mail from macy’s after i specifically told them never to send me one again. ahhh, macy’s. my first instinct was to cut it into a million pieces and tell it to begone. but when i thought about all the design work, glittery gold and red pigments (actually quite pretty), energy and plastic it took to make this card, i couldn’t bear to just throw it in the trash.

so here’s what i did:
1. first, cut the part of the card with your name on it off in a long strip.
2. then, cut it to a size that will fit your finger.
3. next, bend the strip around a marker or something that has a similar circumference to your finger to form a loop.
3. last, poke a hole into each side of the strip, and use strong thread to link them.
voila!

you can also use the part of the card that has your account number (after you’ve canceled your account, please) to make a bracelet symbolizing man’s plight (addiction to shopping).

i added an extra lil suttin’ suttin’ to mine with a dior ribbon that i found in a garbage pile right outside of the flagship store on 57th street. all it needed was a good wash.

other ways to deal with unwanted credit cards: when a paper shredder just won’t do

plan your next vacation on an abandoned oilrig

want to blow your friends away with a trip that makes whalewatching in alaska and waterfall jumping in hawaii seem oh so passe?

check out the oil rig platform resort and spa by morris architects, a project that proposes repurposing abandoned oil rigs in the gulf of mexico into luxurious accommodations for tourists. such a resort would breathe new life into an otherwise stagnant and useless vessel, and the fact that it would be powered by all renewable energy sources makes this a clever solution with an ironic twist.

the oilrig resort is just one of many ecolocations popping up on the green scene.

read about all of the lavish amenities that the rig hotel plans to offer at inhabitat.

how to recycle one of your totes into a hacked snowboard bag!

what’s a girl to do when she needs a snowboard bag and can only afford to spend $28 a week?

why, hack one, of course!

this army-colored oversized tote that the c.l.a.s.s. eco-materials showroom gave away to guests at their nyc launch party was the perfect size. you can use a similar bag or even sew two small duffel bags together.

first, i cut away the bottom of the bag to create two extra pieces that would form the sides of the snowboard bag.

cleo matches my board!

then, i just sewed the two extra pieces to either side of the remaining portion of the bag, et voila!

total cost: $0
total energy used: a little to power the sewing machine, but not nearly as much as it would take to make a brand new snowboard bag

other useful hacks:
check yourself before you wreck yourself: how to recycle those padded inserts that come with your bra
turn your plastic bag into a sewing machine cover
need a new laptop bag? make one out of a recycled t shirt!
laid off? recycle your business cards for waste free catharsis
make your old tank tops into reusable totebags/scarves

why is this a site?

swyyne has always been an experiment for me. with all of the other super eco sites out there, i've been feeling like i want to contribute something just a bit different. so for now, here are my random musings.