Can't Buy Me Love! Upcycled Projects For Valentine's Day Teach Children Valuable Environmental Lessons

EDMONTON, AB, February 05, 2011

At this time of year it's hard to walk through a store without being bombarded with red and pink paraphernalia littering the aisles. Hundreds of plastic and paper products are being marketed to consumers telling us that the best way to show love for friends and families this Valentine's Day is through buying more products. Canada's DIY expert Linda Bodo thinks Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to teach children a different 'love lesson': loving their planet.

Valentine's is a time when students make almost more crafts than they do at Christmas time. Classrooms are decorated to the hilt with heart-shaped items and children are busying themselves making cards and gifts for their friends and families. What better opportunity to get children involved in an oft-forgotten cornerstone of the 3Rs: Reuse and as the author of The Art of Upcycle, Bodo has a Cupid's quiver full of Valentine's-themed projects perfect for the classroom, all embracing the upcycling approach to creativity.

"Why are we teaching our children that only way to express our creativity and emotions is through buying something that's disposable, something that we throw away after we're done with it?" asks Bodo. "When I walk through the stores at this time of year and am bombarded with all these products marketed for one-time use, I'm just reminded of the fact that we're still encouraging people to live in a disposable world. This is the wrong message to be sending our kids, especially on a day that's supposed to celebrate love. Love certainly isn't disposable!"

Schools are at the frontline of environmental education, and special events like Valentine's Day represent a great opportunity to get kids on the right track when it comes to ecological stewardship. By embracing the tenets of upcycling, children will be producing heartfelt and unique items for loved ones, while also learning a valuable ecological 'love lesson'.

Bodo, author of The Art of Upcycle: Repurpose, Reclaim & Redefine Leisure Time, wants to remind people that it's critical that consumers understand the ecological impact of purchasing new goods. Her books, along with her numerous columns and appearance, are providing people with a template for changing consumer habits which will, in turn, reshape our buying practices and engagement with the economy for the better.

For more information on how you can upcycle visit: http://www.absolutebodo.com

To book an interview contact: Rachel Sentes, publicist- rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com 604-366-7846