This past weekend, I spent a lot of time trying out my new hobby! And I enjoyed it! I had been doing a lot of research about different crafts that I thought might be fun, and I decided on jewelry making. I chose this because there are several varieties of jewelry to make, and A LOT of different materials that you can use.
Through my online research, I’ve discovered so many fun projects out there that allow you to create fun jewelry with materials that a person might normally throw away.
And let me tell you, one thing I’m really passionate about is the environment! And not just because it’s the new trend to be “green.” I’ve cared about the environment since I was in elementary school. I remember having a club called the “Save the Earth Club.” I think it was me, Emily Stanton, and Cindy Brew. I think we created a newsletter about it and we tried picking up trash in the undeveloped part of our neighborhood. I think we also bought a bird feeder to help the birds, and we planted some plants in the undeveloped part of the neighborhood, that was later torn up and turned into the rest of the neighborhood. So yes, I’ve always been interested in the environment.
Well, as I was saying, you can basically use “trash” to make jewelry! The first upcycled material I decided to use was the tab from a soda pop can. I had seen many projects using these tabs and so I started saving them a few weeks ago. My intention was to save enough to create a purse! But unfortunately, I haven’t been able to save that many. So, I decided to make a bracelet instead because it requires a lot less tabs. After a few attempts at getting started, I was finally able to get into the swing of things and create my first pop can tab bracelet. Check it out!
Also, during my research of fun craft projects, I discovered Etsy.com. I had heard people mention it before, but I never really checked it out until recently. They have A LOT of cool stuff on that site! It is a site for people to sell handmade or vintage items. There are a lot of creative people out there. And I hope to become one of them! So, in order to promote my new crafting hobby, I decided to create my own Etsy shop, www.AccessoryLove.etsy.com. It was easy to set up, and although I haven’t sold any of my creations yet, I hope maybe I will someday! It would be fun to know that somebody else thinks what I did is so cool that they would want to buy it and wear it around! So, hopefully I’ll make my first sale soon! :-)
My other jewelry crafts that I made were drop earrings. I had wanted to make these for a long time since I saw them at a craft fair on the 4th of July. They seemed like something I’d be able to do, and I love earrings, but hate paying too much for them. And after buying the materials at Hobby Lobby, I discovered it was possible for me to make them! I was very excited about my first pair. I wore them to work today! I’ve created a few different designs so far and I made these available on my www.AccessoryLove.etsy.com. I still need to design more pairs! :-)
The final project I created this past weekend was a wreath for our front door. I got the idea from my friend Ashley, and it was a fun project to do! The wreath is made out of lima beans, hot glue, and a foam floral wreath. I spray painted it flat black, and glued on an “M,” the first initial of my last name, that I spray painted green. I hung it from our front door on a wreath hanger with a thick green ribbon. Because of the flat black, it kind of reminds me of a tire hanging on our door, so I might paint the wreath a different color, but for now, I’m satisfied! Another thing I might change would be to have it say “Welcome” instead of the initial “M.” All in all, it was a great, inexpensive project that I enjoyed creating! And I hope it makes our front door look decorated! :-)
I’m really enjoying my crafting hobby! I have several more projects that I want to try that involve upcycled materials, including but not limited to: water bottle or juice wrappers, old gift cards or credit cards, and more fun with pop can tabs! It gives me something to do when I come home from a rough day at work. And it’s something I can do while still spending time with Chaz. I sit at the kitchen table and make earrings while he works on his laptop. We can chat about our day and still get something accomplished. It is better that sitting in front of the TV! Chaz has also been very supportive in gathering all the “trash” that I want to make crafts from. We have little bowls and piles of “junk” all over the kitchen right now, but he hasn’t complained yet. He’s a good guy! :-)
So, stay tuned for more fun craft projects made by me! And stay tuned for more handmade accessories listed at www.AccessoryLove.etsy.com! :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment