Plastic Upcycling

[StefC]

Who knew that there was such a word as upcycling??

I've been wandering t'interweb for a while and have found loads of useful sites / blogs etc. Then I found this place - great!

I have decided to start being crafty again, after decades of forgetting what fun it was to actually make something. So I dug out my old sewing machine and then got stumped, what do I make?

Then I found something, fusing plastic!

It is cheap, green(ish), easy (mainly straight lines to stitch) and makes useful things out of rubbish.

I'm hoping to get some more great ideas and make lots of lovely / silly things for friends and family. I might even be persuaded to join the local handmade group and sell - but not for a year or so :D

Does anyone have any experience and ideas for me to try out??

[artistsresource]

Me too! I want to try out fusing fabrics as I have heard its loads of fun! I don;t really have any suggestions but it good to collect as much as you can to experiment with. Get loads of colourful sweet wrappers/carrier bags (and you could also buy some bits like angelina/crystalina fibres/ heat resist sequins to add a bit of sparkle) and go for it!

Look forward to seeing what you get up to as you can inspire me too.

Leona x

ps. I really like the image on your page - it looks like one of my fav flowers - gazania, right?

[StefC]

Yes it's a gazenia, I found it in the ready made selection. I was going to laod my fave peony picture but liked their gazenia!

I'm off looking in charity shops for bits and pieces tomorrow and I shall be fusing the pile fo bags I have already collected in the afternoon. I may have a complete 'thing' or two over the weekend.

So many ideas.... it's great, possibly!

[StefC]

20627

took me ages to actually get round to making something! I can't believe how much work got in the way!

It It's clumsy but it's my first 'thing'. It took about 2 hours to make. Hopefully I'll get quicker and neater (and remember to sew all the petals togrether the right way round!).

[KayleighAnn]

Hi,

Im a newbie to crafts and have discovered upcycling too¬ Perfect since Im a student :)

As a beginner I chose to try decoupage but ended up doing it on wooden bracelets and it looked quite amateur though Im proud of my efforts. Those and the plastic up cycling reminded me of something in primary school we did (so it might take some effort to make it look amazing)

Basically we cut a strip from a cereal box that would fit our wrist plus two inches ish (use string to measure the wrist I guess) then fixed the two ends together with an inch overlap or so and then using lots of pretty colourful plastic bags twist them and weave around the bracelet if that makes any sense? Im going to give it a try and see if it looks good or not..

Im on the hunt for beginner crafts on the forum now!

KayleighAnn