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Adaptive Reuse- Making Discarded Objects into Art
Presented by Marsha Carlin

Adaptive Reuse is an approach to life and art that I learned from my parents, who were both children of The Depression…saving and reusing string, baby food jars to hold nails and screws and making doll houses from discarded wood scraps eventually influenced by own creative process. I purposely use nontraditional and repurposed materials to create art, accessories and useful objects. It is an approach that is especially relevant today and can easily be learned and taught to your grandchildren, partners or friends.

In this workshop...we will explore the adaptive reuse by taking paper that might otherwise be discarded: old letters, newspapers, magazines, illustrated paper calendars paper tubes from dry cleaner hangers, discarded mesh bags from tangerines and onions, empty toilet paper tubes and cocktail napkins which will become necklaces, bracelets, decorative boxes perfect for small gifts. Collected rocks, bottle caps, and discarded wire will become rings, bracelets and necklaces .

Our processes will involve folding, sometimes using traditional origami techniques, glueing, painting, twisting but always transforming.

Please start collecting and come prepared to work with the following materials:

For paper bead NECKLACES:

*the paper tubes from old dry cleaner hangers…usually found in the back of your closet

*paint and small brushes

OR

*Markers

OR

*Colorful paper cocktail napkins

Elmer’s or school glue

String or plastic fishing line for stringing the beads

For Paper BRACELETS:

*Empty toilet paper tubes

Optional:

*Paints and brushes Or markers 

*And/or colorful paper scraps from magazines, calendars, etc.

*Colorful net bags from onions or mandarin oranges

*Thin plastic bags used at the grocery store for your zucchini, etc.

For BOXES

Colorful magazine pages, old calendar pages, letters

(To make the top and bottom of a box you will need 2 sheets that start off the same size)

Scissors

Elmer’s, school glue and/or glue stick 

favorite cocktail napkins

For WIRE JEWELRY

Copper or tin wire 14-18 gauge is best

Rocks collected from streams or gardens

Metal bottle caps

Wire cutters

Pliers

All of these adaptive reuse projects are meditative and addictive. Come and enjoy!

Examples of the boxes we will make together.

Examples of the paper bead necklaces I will demonstrate and you can make also.

Examples of the wire jewelry we will make together.

  An educator by trade, Marsha Carlin now explores her passion for Adaptive Reuse by taking materials that wind up in a landfill and repurposing them into artistic and creative pieces…

 

She has taught photography, biology, math and Chinese cooking from elementary to college levels; and was the Editorial Director, VP of Elementary Math Education at Macmillan Publishing.