TOMS Shoes has an aggressively philanthropic business model, giving one pair of shoes to a child in need for every single pair they sell. Their hugely successful line of canvas slip-ons and newly released “wrap boots” sell to major national retailers like Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, American Rag, and Greenloop. Up until just last week, Founder Blake Mycoskie and team have flown to exotic locales like Argentina, South Africa, and Ethiopia to personally fit kids with brand new pairs of TOMS, distributing more than 85,000 pairs around the world.

Doing shoe drops abroad seemed to make the most sense to Blake, considering most kids in the US have access to shoes. He recently realized though that some American children, like victims of natural disasters, were stuck with ill-fitting hand-me-downs or had to share shoes with siblings. So Blake decided to finally bring his “shoe drops” home to the US by organizing a handful of TOMS signature DIY shoe parties, dubbed Style Your Sole, at four different school districts in Mississippi still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Each child received a brand new pair of white canvas TOMS to paint in their own unique way. Needless to say, they were very excited! Another brilliant idea from TOMS.

Our DIY mavens at Threadbanger, Rob Czar and Corinne Leigh, enjoyed their time at New York Fashion Week earlier this month. Though, luckily for us, these two have once again figured out how to create haute couture looks with very shallow pocketbooks. That rhymed. (Just in case you weren’t paying attention.) Check out Madame Corinne’s incredibly hot, slightly domi exposed-zipper skirt.

To make it as sustainable a project as possible, see what fabric you already have or try shopping for fabric at the thrift store. Otherwise, experiment with organic cotton, Oeko-Tex certified bamboo, or my personal favorite, hemp.

*Beware of long T-Mobile ad at the end…I guess Threadbangers have to pay their bills too.

In this episode of Threadbanger, Rob and Corinne, our favorite icons of DIY fashion, show us a few key elements about fabric’s construction. Then Miss Corinne Leigh demos how to make an incredible summer dress from recycled fabric. (She makes it look so easy!)

The ecological beauty of DIY everything is that you can personally create new goods from materials that would otherwise go unused, like surplus and vintage fabrics as well as the treasure trove of material found in your “On-The-Way-To-The-Salvation-Army” bag that lives in the nether regions of your closet. It’s like magic. Jesus may be one of the only historical figures to turn water into wine, but you can certainly perform the miracle of turning old table cloths into new headturning halter tops. Hallelujah.

Of course, if you still haven’t gotten your own sewing machine, you can check out the incredible summer dresses at Greenloop, made from organic cotton, bamboo, tencel, and recycled materials.

There’s no greener way for an eco fashion maven to refresh the wardrobe than to reuse and revamp what you already have. Rob and Corinne of Threadbanger, the Quintessential Web TV Heroes Of DIY (that’s an original moniker), are going to show you how to make flip flops out of an old yoga mat. No way. Way. Check this out-it’s shockingly easy.

Now, on the off chance you find this video absolutely fascinating but can not imagine using scissors or a glue gun to craft your very own footwear, you can always purchase some eco flip flops that do not require assembly. Ladies, take a look at the Simple’s Cushee hemp sandals (I love the aquamarine myself.) Guys, take a gander at Splaff Flops made of recycled car tires…very manly.

And whatever way you decide to get your flop on this summer, make sure to enjoy some of the many gorgeous natural places in your area. I mean, you’re changing your purchasing habits to benefit wildlife habitats around the world, now get out there and savor them before summer’s over!