CRAFTY UPCYCLING : Reducing, Reusing and Recycling

All stories start with a wee idea, this is no different. To provide firewood to our next door neighbour (a solo Mum with several children) during the winter months. We chatted to an old acquaintance whose factory had a skip full of wood offcuts on a weekly basis. We collected the skip each week and took it to our neighbour. Another friend was about to celebrate his 60th birthday and we had little if any money to purchase him a present. G decided to make our friend a butlers tray & used the offcuts. Our friend really liked it. S’s Mum became unwell and we travelled to the UK to spend time with her. Our clever sister in law showed us an idea for plant markers using bits of wood and chipped china. S saw bits and bobs using buttons. S had for a longtime had the thought of using her odd bits of fabric to make the same unusual pincushions that she made for her Mum when she was at primary school. G was unemployed despite his degree and S did not enjoy fantastic health, they were both fed up of being a burden on Work and Income.

Suddenly all these diverse thoughts came together and all seemed possible…………..

Our plant markers are not available anywhere else and are a combination of wood offcuts and broken china.

We make a unique heart momento shelf to fit the corner of any room or area.

We have a range of alphabet hearts and make a range of decorative hearts in three sizes using buttons and other items collected along lifes way or from opportunity shops.

We have introduced a range of butterfly wall-hangings – again in three sizes and decorated in an innovative way with buttons.

We have a range of wooden indoor and outdoor shelves and furniture that changes depending on the raw materials available.

The range is completed with sewn items such as our uniquely designed pincushions, mobile telephone holders, door stops and ottomans.

We now collect raw materials from six local manufacturers including an upholstery company, kitchen cabinet maker and aluminium window manufacturer.

95% of our products are made using raw materials collected as waste from these local manufacturers. These waste materials previously went to the local landfill.

All our products are HANDMADE from recycled materials with care, pride and passion in Napier, New Zealand.

Purchasing one of our products is helping to Reduce, Reuse and thereby Recycle.