upcycling

Featured seller: Karkt

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Helen of KARKT Recycled Bags describes her family as nomadic and simple-living. Having spent almost two decades backpacking around the world, she says they know they don’t need much to live with, materially and financially. KARKT Recycled Bags aligns with their values: re-using, recycling and fixing as much as they can. They’ve come a long way from the day they first called a trucking company to ask if they had any unwanted truck tarps, only to be told they’re actually called ‘truck curtains’!

Featured seller: The Quirky Kat

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For Kat Rowlands, her Felt shop The Quirky Kat is part of a bigger picture: part of the plan of renovating and living in her over-100 year-old house, “Olive-Tree Cottage” with her husband, growing organic fruits, vegetable and nuts, keeping chooks, preparing delicious, nutritious foods, home-schooling her son – and running a business from home that utilises her creative abilities.

Brilliant blankets

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The wool blanket. Stalwart bedding of older generations, often relegated to the airing cupboard in favour of duvets and quilts these days. But not for much longer! Ingenious makers are discovering a hundred and one fantastic ways to repurpose the high quality fabric of the humble wool blanket and give it new, stylish and practical life.

Featured seller: Velo

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Argentinian-born maker Natalia Lombardo is the face behind Felt shop Velo. Settling in Aotearoa four years ago, after four previous years of traveling the world, she now makes Wellington her home and base for producing her beautiful, unusual and eco-friendly jewellery.