RRR&r: Resourcefully Reusing, Repurposing and recycling….Caring for the earth

Workshops to build items out of discarded and recyclable materials.

Using materials that you have available to you, a workshop can be designed to use those materials in a way that is useful, creative and fun to make and use. This can be done with any size group from one or two people up to 20 . The complexity of projects and pace will be set by the age of the participants. Items include various types of book bindings, mug mats or placemats, drawstring pouches, gift boxes and bags,, stamps/printmaking tools, jewelry, cases and other useful items.

Bindings – made with thrift shop found leathers.

Bookbinders have long reused materials from other sources. Sometimes they are hidden within the structure, other times they were highly visible.  In this example the leather on the spine of the book was up-cycled from a leather garment. Pieces can be commissioned using favorite but worn out or outdated pieces (cloth or leathers). Classes can be arranged to learn how to use these materials.

Simple projects.

Simple projects made from discarded recyclable materials can be made using a minimum of tools to make useful and fun items. This project Heart-beet biscuit maker, comes with a unit on the value of wholesome foods (including recipes) as well as using materials that can be reused. Available as a fun, live making and baking session, as a unit study, classroom format or as pdf format lesson.

Recycled materials Book bindings, files and wallets…

Many types of bindings can use recycled fibers, cloth, leather materials. These can be commissioned, or the craft of binding taught in a workshop, lesson or residency setting available for group or individual learning. The emphasis can be contemporary or historic style of books.

Hussifs!

Throughout history people have found ways to make scraps useful, and these ‘hussifs’ (short for housewife’s) are no exception! They were widely used in the 17th through 19th centuries by thrifty sewers who needed their supplies close at hand for mending or sewing with easily accessible equipment at hand. These are made from period correct materials. They can be ordered completely hand sewn or machine sewn, or in kits including patterns with assembly instructions. Or, classes can be created including these and projects using your own materials or supplied fibers. All you need is colorful scraps of cloth and wool.

Metals and Mud!

Metal has been one of the oldest material to be reused and reborn as something else as long as mankind has been using it. Recycling sweeps (filings and scrap materials), melting down worn out, whole or partial objects are pathways to a no-waste, honoring the earth practice. 

Mud (Clay) can be the basis for pigment making for paints and inks, as well as clay bodies for vessel shapes.