Ep. 27: Creative Reuse and Sustainable Crafting for Every Season with Sibia Torres Padilla
What if the things we already have — the scraps, the leaves, the little bits of trash that most people throw away — are exactly where creativity begins?
In this episode of the Sustainable in the Suburbs podcast, I chatted with Sibia Torres Padilla all about creative reuse and sustainable crafting with found objects. She is the artist you may know as @sibster on Instagram and the author of Charming Woodland Crafts: 50 Fun and Easy Projects Made from Natural and Recycled Materials.
Sibia shares how her upbringing shaped her creativity and resourcefulness, and how those early lessons in “making do” evolved into a lifelong love of turning the everyday into something meaningful. Together, they explore the beauty of creative reuse, the emotional connections formed through making, and how crafting with kids can nurture imagination and mindfulness — especially during the busy holiday season.
They also talk about the realities of navigating online fame, what it felt like to publish her first book, and why creating something by hand can be such a powerful act of hope.
Takeaways
- Creativity and sustainability are deeply connected — both begin with what’s already around us.
- Creative reuse transforms ordinary materials into art and joy.
- Making things by hand fosters connection with nature and each other.
- Publishing Charming Woodland Crafts was a dream realized for Sibia.
- The holidays offer a chance to create intentionally, not consume endlessly.
- You don’t need to be “crafty” to make something meaningful.
- Beauty exists even in what others might see as trash.
One Small Shift
Look at what’s already in your home — paper scraps, jars, pinecones, fabric bits — and see what could become something new. Start with one small, handmade project and let the process be the point.
Connect with Sibia
Capture the Magic and Whimsy of the Enchanted Forest!
Make spellbinding nature crafts that will transport your wild child into the realm of fairies, gnomes and enchanted toadstools. Discover how to use flowers and fairy lights to create a dreamy Flower Lantern, or fill a glass jar with moss, painted rocks and little treasures to invite a fairy into your very own Fairy Jar, and so much more!
Every project uses recycled materials you can find in your home or backyard. These sweet and charming heirloom crafts will inspire kids of every age—even those “kids at heart” adults—to find the magic in the mundane, create special memories and preserve a bit of nature’s wild beauty.
