Happy Earth Day! I've been thinking about doing something a little special for about a week now and I finally had a brainstorm last night as I was drifting off to sleep. Between thrifting excursions and my own stack of work our outgrown clothing I have a bunch of materials waiting to be upcycled into something new. With this being Earth Day I also wanted to challenge myself to only use what I had around the house. Thus, this bracelet was born.
The fabric itself came from a broomstick skirt that had seen better days. It was too tattered to donate, but I didn't want to send it to the landfill either (you might recognize it from a headband I made a while ago). It had the perfect texture to tear into ribbons and braid with unfinished edges. It just so happened that I had some beads from an old project in my bead box to add a little sparkle.
Gathering my materials I thought I was good to go... Ha! This is one of those projects that stretched my limits, even thought it looks simple. The braiding process went smoothly enough, but attaching them together was a different story. A pile of scraps/thread and my first bent needle later and I have something that works. I was hoping to make a second to put up in my shop, but I really need to fine tune the process first. Though it was frustrating at the time, I am grateful for the difficulty, I feel like I know more about my sewing machine now (and I've finally overcome my fear of dealing with needle problems).
This personal challenge has me thinking up new things to do with the things I already own. I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes me, I really want to adopt an 'Earth Day is everyday' mantra for my life. What have you been up to today?
The fabric itself came from a broomstick skirt that had seen better days. It was too tattered to donate, but I didn't want to send it to the landfill either (you might recognize it from a headband I made a while ago). It had the perfect texture to tear into ribbons and braid with unfinished edges. It just so happened that I had some beads from an old project in my bead box to add a little sparkle.
Gathering my materials I thought I was good to go... Ha! This is one of those projects that stretched my limits, even thought it looks simple. The braiding process went smoothly enough, but attaching them together was a different story. A pile of scraps/thread and my first bent needle later and I have something that works. I was hoping to make a second to put up in my shop, but I really need to fine tune the process first. Though it was frustrating at the time, I am grateful for the difficulty, I feel like I know more about my sewing machine now (and I've finally overcome my fear of dealing with needle problems).
This personal challenge has me thinking up new things to do with the things I already own. I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes me, I really want to adopt an 'Earth Day is everyday' mantra for my life. What have you been up to today?
My materials all laid out after I finished tearing the fabric.
Braiding in progress. This clip board was a life saver.
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Love this post! I've actually had a huge interest in projects like these as i've been trying to adopt the old addage "use it, wear it out, fix it up, or live without" (I think that's how it goes). Anyway, i'm always sending something to the thrift store but i've been trying to get creative and reuse these items somehow instead. Gotta love being frugal and saving the planet at the same time, especially if you get a cute bracelet out of it:)
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