Hi everyone, Keren here with you today to talk about giving everyday items or tools a wonderful second chance!
As we turn our eyes increasingly to both environmental issues and of sustainability in our personal lives, with 2022 being dubbed 'The Year Of The Squeeze', it seems that in order to be both prudent with our planet and careful with our wallets, we need to make better use of the things we already own.
Many of us are advocates for repurposing and recycling, but do we really look at our possessions and consider their potential ? Rather than seeing the recycle bin as things that we need to make better use of, could we really view them as a treasure chest?
Sure, we've all used old discarded pages and created boxes that end up more beautiful than they began, but we're an artistic bunch.. what wonders can we produce from simple things?
This topic is encouraging us to look at the ordinary and create the extraordinary. Upcycling on steroids and repurposing with hefty doses of imagination.
I'm going to show you lots of simple items that have been changed to hopefully give you inspiration.
Take a CD like Alison Hall created, (do people still buy CDs?!) and change it to make something fancy for your garden.
Dounia took some old paintbrushes and cleverly incorporated them into a book spine emulating the technique of using sticks in book binding.
Many of us have leftover match boxes, and Anneke De Clerck made the cutest mini bunting with a wonderful matchbox holder.
For a real 'using up everything' idea, Alison Hall experimented with gel plate printing on teabags of all things. The result is just brilliant.
The last project from the PaperArtsy blog comes via Amanda Pink who took a Jenga game as her starter. Whilst it still can be played as the game, it looks more art than game and she gets full marks for ingenuity!
There are some really good ideas around, and here's a small smattering of them.
Brian Mock uses 100% reclaimed items in his sculptures including cutlery.
If you have any spare drums lying around, doesn't this clock look awesome!
We're used to reusing paper by stamping and painting on them, but this is a unique way of repurposing old newspapers; creating yarn with them!
These can ring pulls definitely have been given a second life. I wouldn't have given them a second thought, but this jewellery artist has created something beautiful from them.
If you're beyond a certain age, you may remember listening to these. Someone has cleverly created a business opportunity painting film themes onto them.
Whatever we like to do as hobbies, we may have bits left over. How could we use that to adorn what we wear or own? This sculptor creates unique items from old shoes and other things like computer elements.
Could you do something magical with a crisp can?
If you have a little more technical know-how, you could start to create useful items for your home like this clever lamp. Where could your imagination take you?
Does this topic push your creative buttons? We would LOVE you to share what you get up to with us! A great place is tagging us on Instagram @paperartsy or why not join us and post in the PaperArtsy People Group on Facebook. We love to see what you make!
I love this theme! Always like recycling things. Ahem, that was my CD art Keren btw, the other Alison 😉
ReplyDeleteAlison x
Thanks for featuring my teabag art too amongst all that fabulous recycled eye candy 😊x
Delete