We are very excited to announce our new website Vinyl Living!

Vinyl Living is our sister website, and not wanting to confuse you all, but no, our products are not all vinyl! They’re also canvas and cotton too.

Vinyl Living collection of homewares and accessories comprises cool cushions, canvas tote bags, exquisite linen tea towels and more. Add originality and flair to your interior style with our contemporary and quirky home décor.

As the days are getting cooler, it is clear that autumn is well and truly in the air. We at Vinyl Design love DIY decoration and décor, so we have found some beautiful ideas of pieces that you can make yourself, to celebrate the crisp air of autumn with pieces painted with hues of orange and brown to warm your home.

There are a collection of wall pieces we have found and loved; mobile-esque hanging foliage and seasonal door wreaths to create an organic look of falling orange Autumn leaves and crackled brown branches. Instructions of how to create these gorgeous decorations are on the websites of the ones we have found; Belle Maison, Cut Out & Keep, and Madame Citron.

The Mason Jar was invented and patented in 1858 by Philadelphia tinsmith John Landis Mason.

They are made of molded glass and commonly used to preserve food. Such a common item in the past, they are now sought by collectors, and are bought and sold through antique stores or auction sites.

Nowadays these glass jars make great decorations around the home. Their timeless and versatile nature make them perfect for any room or setting. Not only are they great for your own home but would be perfect for gifts.

We love these Etsy sellers who have taken some glass jars and transformed them, hope you love them too!

Boots n Gus – make beautiful mason jar chandeliers and up-cycled lighting!

LITdecor – make charming Moroccan inspired glass jar lanterns, candles, and lamps. These are so bright and colourful and will light up any home!

Cdlwin – a selection of hand painted and distressed mason jars perfect for dsiplays, home decoration, vases, and more.

Available at any arts and crafts store, tissue and crepe paper are cheap and relatively easy to work with. Normally used as gift wrap or in party streamers, the materials can also be used to make decorative paper flowers that range from basic to incredibly intricate....

If you're not a very crafty person have a look at these amazing shops on Etsy!

We fell in love with these paper pom pom and flowers from 4 different shops, they make you want to have a party just to decorate your house with these creations!

We thought a brilliant idea the wedding bouquet made of paper: these wedding bouquets can be customized to your specifications with your favorite songs.

These gorgeous paper beaded bracelets are back in stock!

They come in lots of different colours, they're made from recycled magazines paper; each bead is handmade from paper and then varnished.

We get them from Cambodia, during our last trip we found by chance this very cute fair trade shop and we fell in love with their innovative design and use of local and recycled materials.

They make th perfect gift or a little treat to yourself!

You can now purchase them on our website at $20!

Hundreds of millions of families across the globe share the same morning routine. They get up, get washed, get dressed, eat breakfast, and pack the kids’ lunches before they drop them off at school. Others skip a step or two to save time and money. School buses and lunches are a godsend for parents who don’t have time for the traditional routine.  They may also, unknowingly, be helping out the environment.

School buses produce significantly less pollution than the dozen of cars it would take to transport each of its passengers to school. And school lunches are arguably more eco friendly than homemade meals because they do not require plastic bags. Most parents are unaware of this. They believe they’re making the healthy choice for their families. But most of the bags that are used for snacks and sandwiches end up in landfills.

What’s the problem?
Because of its molecular stability, plastic is not considered to be biodegradable. It may take up to 500 years to degrade, according to most estimates. This might not be much of an issue if we weren’t using so many of them. We’re talking billions of plastic lunch bags each day!  

What’s the solution?

There is absolutely no reason why a loving parent should feel guilty about packing healthy lunches for her children.  But she can also help out the environment by switching from plastic bags to reusable green bags.

What are they?
Often made of lightweight cotton or other food-safe fabrics, a reusable lunch bag can replace hundreds of plastic paper bags.  Most parents use them for an entire school year before they order new ones. So, not only are they better for the environment than plastic bags, they are also much cheaper in the long run.

Where to find them?
We came across these lovely pattern from Lunch Skins (image 1 and 2 on top), very colorful and fresh.
Etsy seller LYKDesign has a vast variety of 100% cotton fabrics with a retro vibe to them.

Whether impromptu or planned, cleanup is always an issue at any get-together. After a three or four-course meal, the dishwasher will inevitably run out of room and tableware will start to pile up. In the past, there were only two options—plastic or paper plates, both of which must be discarded. There is now a third option that is somewhere between disposable and permanent tableware. Melamine is a resin or synthetic polymer that is composed of organic compounds that are heat and fire resistant. The material is extremely versatile and highly stable, which makes it suitable for numerous industrial and commercial applications.

Also known as thermoset plastic, since it is heated before it is set into a fixed form, melamine kitchenware is considered safe for normal, domestic use. But like most other wonder materials it has it weaknesses. Chief among them is its sensitivity to heat, which means that melamine kitchenware should not be placed in the dishwasher or microwave. Melamine plates and cutlery really must be hand washed. The material is also difficult to recycle, which is not necessarily a bad thing. What do we mean?

The average earthling doesn’t think twice about discarding a paper or plastic plate. Why? Because they get recycled and that’s good for the environment…right? Well, not exactly. Recycling is unquestionably a better environmental option than simply burying, burning, or stacking trash. But it still pollutes the environment, since gas-powered trucks have to haul it away and recycling factories require energy to run, which also pollutes our planet. Therefore, the best and more eco-friendly option is to simply use melamine tableware in place of paper or plastic.

Durability

Made of a tough and rugged resin, melamine plates and utensils won’t break if you drop them. That means the kids can finally, safely clear the table after dinner. The sturdy material is also far more attractive than traditional plastic plates that are designed for a single use. Available in a wide range of colors and styles, melamine may just be the wonder material of the future.

Here are some links to some of our favorite designs from online shops around the world!

1. 1) Tea Party from Lucy King Design
2. 2) Monster Kids Bowls from French Bull
3. 3) Embossed Melamine Plate from Rice
4. 4) Melamine Jug from Rice
5. 5) Custom Melamine Plate from Etsy Shop SimplySublimeBaby
6. 6) Juice Cups Set from French Bull

As people look for new ways to cut energy costs and conserve vital natural resources, a slew of new products have come on the scene in recent days. Often advertised as eco friendly or just plain “green,” these devices help us make the world a better, safer, cleaner place for future generations. These are some ideas we fell in love with, the perfect mix of good innovative design and sustainability.

The Sky Planter

It might seem like an odd idea, but most new ideas do. Hanging a plant upside-down from the ceiling takes advantage of unused space, instead of cluttering up your floor. With the help of the Sky Planter from Boskke, plant lovers can bring their outside garden indoors. In addition to saving space, upside-down planters also help conserve water, since regular potted plants lose a significant amount of H2O through evaporation and drainage. By comparison, the Sky Planter has a unique reservoir system that gradually releases water to the plant’s roots when needed.

Why bring greenery indoors? There are several reasons. First, they emit oxygen and absorb unhealthy chemicals, thereby purifying the air. Studies have shown that people who are around plants on a regular basis have improved levels of concentration, self-confidence, well-being, and are even able to sleep better at night. Those are just a few of the reasons why all office workers should go green.

Just landed in Sydney from Cambodia!

We’re very excited to be the only stockist in Australia of this new range of fair trade and eco-friendly products handmade in Cambodia.

During a recent trip to Cambodia we came across this fabulous line of jewellery, accessories and stationary ethically made with recycled and upcycled materials; we decided to import them, excited about the concept of combining innovative design with local materials and environmentally friendly manufacturing process, providing an income to disadvantaged families and youths.

In this range you can find colourful paper clip necklaces made with recycled food packaging, funky paper beads bracelets, notebooks in various styles and materials, rolled paper coasters and coin purses made of rubber tires.

Even more exciting is the fact that each piece is unique; you won’t see anybody else wearing your same necklace or bracelet!

The Holidays are a time to make changes for the coming year. In the spirit of the season, many cities across the world have looked to take on the eco-friendly challenge of banning plastic bags at grocery stores and local shops, instead encouraging patrons to bring their own canvas bags to carry groceries.

Plastic bag bans are nothing new. Canvas bags have already caught on as the best way to carry groceries in many parts of the world, giving cities with newly minted bans something to admire. The accessories have made popular gifts with public radio and television; as door prizes for fundraisers and other marketing opportunities. But now, as plastic bag movements become reality in many cities, tote bags are looking to become the newest fashion trend.

For Students: Creative students returning to school after the Holidays may be looking for a great way to carry groceries, school books or even a laptop. But if the items at the bookstore don't strike your fancy, you can find your own canvas bag with a design more suited to your personality. With many fun designs to choose from, you are sure to go back to school in style.

For Gamers: Late-night gaming sessions mean a lot of late-night trips to the corner store for more battle snacks before jumping back into a new game. Have less impact on the environment when you head out on a snack run by bringing a canvas bag.

For Fashionistas: Tote bags are popular utilitarian bags for those days when a dressy purse just won't go. You can throw in a few things for the car, some work documents or your groceries and never look out of fashion. With cutting edge designs and simple, retro-style images, a simple tote can accentuate your casual style on days when you are dressing down but still dressing up.