Recycled Wearable Art

One thing not many people know about me is that I have a bit of a hobby making things.

In particular, I like to make items from recycled objects.. whether it be broken assortments, off-cuts of fabric, old bits of scrap and vintage nick knacks to name a few.

I'm saddened sometimes with the way the world is with it's mentality that more is more and new is best. Maybe it's the slight hoarder or the frustrated artist within me, but I think we should all try to see the beauty in the broken.

*Trump sketch is by an artist I follow on instagram named Martin Skauen (@martymixx) check it out, love his work!

I begun a tiny shop on Etsy back in 2012, not to make money but moreso to share my things and inspire me to keep creating. (but if you sell something, not gonna lie it's awesome!)

Etsy is an amazing platform for people like me who love to create and resell vintage and used items. Everytime I meet someone who makes cool things, I always tell them "Open an etsy!"

The last few years of my life have been filled with major ups and downs with life changes no one saw coming so reluctantly my little shop has been in the back burner.

But stay tuned! This year I will have a better balance in life and be back to creating more and more.

Spotted this randomly whilst visiting Melbourne

Included in the things I make, are rings from recycled pieces of costume jewelry which have broken elements. With some of my rings, stones were originally broken with the bases intact, so I salvaged them by removing the broken sections and replacing them with printings of tiny masterpieces within the hollow ring face. I used heavy duty clear nail polish to seal it and create a nice shiny glaze. Once it dried it was surprisingly stiff and strong!

Here are some of my works, you may recognize some of the paintings within :P

I made this from the lining of a vintage dress by cutting it up into strips of fabric, and using various techniques of braiding, knotting and twisting to turn it into a necklace.

This cuff I made from recycled metal mesh which I salvaged from a project I was working on whilst at uni studying interior architecture. It was quite mold-able and fun to distort, and I was inspired by cloud formations. I added a satin ribbon to bring it back down to earth and make it more wearable.

Some might say my designs are a bit out there, but that's ok, it's more for fun :) I never really have a plan when I make something. I find, I utilize ..and the end result is contemporary wearable art.

Keep in touch if you wish as I will be posting more images and information on my other creations in future posts. :D

Always a pleasure,
Christiana