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Resolutions for Reuse
Resolutions for Reuse
pemGarth Johnson is an artist, writer and educator who lives in Eureka, California and teaches at College of the Redwoods. His book, /ema href=”http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781592535408?aff=etsy” target=”_blank”1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse/aem, was just released by Quarry Publishing. Additionally, he maintains the blog a href=”http://www.extremecraft.com” target=”_blank”Extreme Craft/a and a a href=”http://readymadeblogs.mydevstaging.com/blogs/johnsons/” target=”_blank”new blog/a for /emReadyMade Magazineem about his adventures with his 1905 Victorian home. Garth is also the co-host of /ema href=”http://www.reconstructdvd.com” target=”_blank”Reconstruct: Eco-Friendly Crafts Made Easy/aem, a step-by-step DVD that shows viewers how to make their own projects out of recycled materials./em/p
pimg style=”float: right;” src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/deejay.jpg” alt=”" /Quarry recently published my new book, em1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse/em, which gathers 1000 projects from contemporary crafters, artists and makers from across the globe. Every project in the book reuses materials in a clever way, transforming everyday materials into exciting pieces of fashion, art, jewelry and furniture. There are stunning works of craftsmanship in the book by established masters, but also “quick and dirty projects” that may not have taken much time or elaborate equipment to assemble, just a leap of imagination.br /br /I invited many of the contributors to the book personally, asking them to submit projects I had seen or written about previously, but the bulk of the contributors came from an open call for entries that circulated on blogs and message boards. I spent countless hours sifting through Etsy sellers, trying out every variation on “a href=”http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=handmadeamp;search_query=repurposed”repurposed/a,” “a href=”http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=handmadeamp;search_query=recycled”recycled/a,” “a href=”http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=handmadeamp;search_query=upcycled”upcycled/a” and “a href=”http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=handmadeamp;search_query=trashion”trashion/a” that I could think of. I also had the good fortune to host a few Etsy a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/shop-live/”Shop Live events/a where I got to play show-and-tell with some of my finds and chat live with Etsy makers. In fact, the book wouldnrsquo;t have been possible without Etsy. I would estimate that nearly half of the contributors have (or have had) shops on Etsy.br /br /I spent a solid year soliciting, then sifting through the more than 7,000 files that were submitted. I had to juggle paperwork and files for each artist, which was almost as challenging as the agonizing decisions about which projects to choose. In the end, though, the monumental amount of work that went into assembling the book was well worth it. My book designer, a href=”http://www.sandrasalamony.com/” target=”_blank”Sandra Salamony/a, helped make visual sense out of the material, giving harmony to the wide range of work.br /br /The best part for me was getting to know the people who submitted work to the book. I had met a handful prior to putting the book together, but I was introduced to the plenty of new people in the process.br /br /Itrsquo;s now 2010. My wife and I just bought an old Victorian house in Eureka, California. Wersquo;re doing a lot of decoration and restoration, and wersquo;re trying to fill the house with as much repurposing as possible. One new acquisition is an exquisite chandelier from a href=”http://www.myspace.com/tincanluminary” target=”_blank”John Hardin/a, an artist featured in the book, which is made out of tin cans that have been transformed with a welding torch.br /br /Wersquo;ve actually been writing a blog for emReadyMade Magazine/em called a href=”http://readymadeblogs.mydevstaging.com/blogs/johnsons/” target=”_blank”Keeping Up With the Johnsons/a, which has been a fun 21st century experiment in home renovation. Itrsquo;s been really helpful to ask advice from emReadyMade/emrsquo;s readers, as well as sharing our tragedies and triumphs. Wersquo;re going to be working on other repurposed projects like a souvenir-plate tiled backsplash for our kitchen and shelving made from old wooden soda crates. Wersquo;re trying to furnish our entire house in antique, refinished and repurposed furniture.br /br /After all of the work it took to put the book together, itrsquo;s amazing to finally hold a finished copy in my hands. Every page is loaded with exciting ideas that inspire me to create my own repurposing projects rather than following step-by-step instructions. In fact, the main part of the book only contains photographs and some information about the maker. My hope is that the reader is constantly guessing what materials were used and flipping to the index in the back of the book for more information.nbsp; br /br /Response to em1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse/em has been tremendous so far. I owe a huge debt of inspiration and gratitude to the makers who submitted their work. Creative reuse has always been a part of life in the small town in Northern California where I live, and itrsquo;s great to see that the concept is opening up new avenues of creativity for people around the world.br /br /In conjunction with the book, Irsquo;ve been looking at instances of creative reuse throughout history, and I found that creative reuse has always been the norm. Itrsquo;s time we catch up to our ancestors. Etsians who contributed to em1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse /emshare some repurposing tips and new year’s resolutions below./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/reuse_frucci_eyepop.jpg” alt=”" //p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/FrucciDesign”FrucciDesign/a: I collect the wrapping paper of all my gifts and I reuse it. I’ll make some jewelry out of it, but you know, there are many ways to reuse paper, such as mail envelopes, cards, placeholders, name tags, and collages just to name few./p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/EyePopArt”EyePopArt/a: Don’t be afraid to start with next to nothing! When I discovered that I wanted to paint, I was super poor and couldn’t afford to purchase canvases. So I just started painting on whatever was around. The first painting I ever did was on the side of an old hard shell suitcase. If you have a creative impulse, there is no reason to be limited by lack of access to materials. There are materials all around you! br /br /It’s been over a year since I’ve taught an art class to kids, and I really miss that! One of my favorite lesson plans is painting mandalas on recycled vinyl records. In 2010 I resolve to volunteer my time to teach this creative reuse class to kids at a local elementary school. I love talking to kids about upcycling and repurposing, because they totally get it! It’s not a hard sell, especially when they see what beautiful creations they are capable of making from scraps, trash, and junk! I think art and recycling go hand in hand, and kids understand that. They just need a little guidance. The more kids we can educate about reusing and recycling, the better the chances are for our planet’s future./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/reuse_thistle_wooly_hooks.jpg” alt=”" //p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/thistledownandfinch”thistledownandfinch/a: The best piece of advice I have for folks looking to creatively reuse is to open their minds. Wide, wiiiiide open. Think outside of the box. Literally emanything/em can be reused mdash; and (nearly as literally) anything can be made from that said-initial-anything. That’s what makes Etsy so great. That’s what makes art art and craft craft. (And art craft and craft art.) Reuse is as good for your brain as it is for your soul. And in this age of excessive consumption, it’s better for the planet than most things I can think of. br /br /My mantra for 2010 is “search for the bigger picture.” There’s enormous impact hidden behind everything that we consume, and it can be so simple to miss it mdash; but it’s so important to pay attention, because, often, I think, our intent can be nullified without our even knowing. People decide to buy organic to protect ecosystems and reduce greenhouse emissions, but their town only carries things flown the width of the country, wrapped in four layers of plastic, or someone wants to support sustainable clothing, but the mother-company is a conglomerate and the proceeds are in the hands of folks with abominable environmental records. br /br /It merits enormous pats on the back for making that initial commitment, for leading by example and trying to effect real environmental change, but marketers are saaaaaaavvy these days. It is (almost) the future, after all, and so it’s important to remember look behind things and to collect as many facts as you can to be sure that your resolve isn’t in vain and that this happy little planet of ours has us all watching its back as well as we think we are./p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/woolybaby”woolybaby/a: Most of my creativity regarding reuse comes from the thrift store, where there are so many treasures just waiting for a new life. I also “reuse” in lots of ways other than in my finished product. Just now I was turning my husband’s empty beer boxes into cubbies for my cut leather inventory. This summer I turned a tea box inside out and into a card holder for a craft show. Maybe these are ideas that others could try.br /br /In the new year, I plan to find a source for previously used tissue paper (for stuffing my slippers), perhaps from a local store, and find durable recycled shipping envelopes./p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/offthehooks”OffTheHooks/a: Instead of buying brand new yarn, why not try recycling and unraveling a second-hand sweater? This can often be even more earth friendly than buying new “eco” yarn as it takes no new energy to produce. Look for higher quality fibers such as soft wool, cashmere, cotton or even silk mdash; avoid serged seams and sweaters that have been shrunk or felted mdash; these are very difficult to unravel. Once unraveled, you can even dye your yarn!br /br /One of my new year’s resolutions to help the environment: To find more sources of local fiber for spinning my yarn. Until I can raise my own sheep for wool, I’d love to be able to meet and support the farmers who do this already!/p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/reuse_1byliz.jpg” alt=”" //p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/1byliz”1byliz/a: Spend time with children. Notice how they interact with their environment. They see possibilities everywhere and sometimes we need to shift our perspective to foster our own creativity. br /br /Resolution: Bike more, drive less./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/reuse_margaux.jpg” alt=”" //p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/margauxlange”margauxlange/a: An idea for creative re-use that I really like (but, I should be clear, I DID NOT personally come up with) is a “kitty scratcher stump” made out of cardboard boxes. I collected used boxes and other various discarded scraps of cardboard for about a month and a half and cut them into 6″ strips. Then I coiled the strips onto themselves, gluing with a hot glue gun as I went, until the circle was about 2 feet in diameter. I then painted the edge of the outside of the stump (colorful circus-like stripes), sprinkled the top with some catnip, and voila! My cat LOVES the thing and scratches on it all the time. I plan to eventually make more at various heights./p
pimg src=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2010/01/reuse_western_mitchell.jpg” alt=”" //p
pa href=”http://www.etsy.com/shop/westernartglass”westernartglass/a: When nibbling shapes from sides of beer and wine bottles, have an ample supply of band-aids, and be up-to-date on your tetanus shot! For the noodle year, as always, keep a wary eye for feral mushrooms and pheromone marshmallows./p
p style=”text-align: center;”stronga href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism”More Craftivism Posts/a | a href=”http://www.etsy.com/gift-guides/environmentally-friendly-gifts/261″Environmentally Friendly Gift Guide/a | a href=”http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/tags/earth-tones/”Earth Tones Series/abr //strong/p
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