Welcome to my latest obsession.....I made these two necklaces from recycled vintage beads, chain and exotic seeds.
Lately I've become really fascinated with upcycling. I especially enjoy making new and
interesting pieces from vintage jewelry "odds and ends" and interesting fabrics from old
clothing. Just thinking of the stuff I can create makes me all happy and bubbly inside. It is so much fun!!!!...and it is also very relaxing. Who wouldn't want that?
But what is UPCYCLING?
The term "upcycled" refers to vintage items that have been either re-done, re-
made, re-vamped, or re-purposed. An "upcycled" piece includes one or more
vintage elements. Some upcycled items contain 100% vintage materials that have been combined or re-done. Others may have 1 or 2 vintage elements that have been re-vamped with new pieces.
Upcycling is eco-friendly. It allows us to recycle and re-use.....to make something gorgeous
from odd pieces, broken jewelry, and bit and pieces that are useless or invaluable by
themselves.
Two weeks ago I ordered six pounds of assorted broken/mismatched vintage jewelry on Ebay. (Cost me $16.00) I had read up on upcycling so I knew that this would be perfect to make lots of beautiful original accessories. I was not disappointed! Look at this, I know it looks like a heap of junk but there are so many nice pieces and opportunities for greatness in this pile......I'm serious.
I made this cute little hair comb from a broken clip-on earring. Not bad for a piece that was headed to the trash can.
And yet another broken earring became the perfect centerpiece for my new handmade hair
band. Perfect!
The hair accessories below were made from pieces of vintage fabric and elements from broken jewelry. I made flowers from the fabric which with the help of my trusty glue gun, was a snap! Check out the easy flower tutorial here.
And finally the Pièce de résistance.... this vase I made from recycled vintage magazine
paper. It's my favorite piece so far.
As I said in a older post, I switch into hyper craft mode whenever I have something
traumatic going on in my life. Lol, as you can see, the crafts keep-a-comin! Good new
though, my dad's condition has stabilized and he is doing much better. Thanks to all of you
for your encouragement and prayers. God bless you!
Cherio!