recycle – Crafted in Carhartt

Girls On A Mission: Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day, I’d like to call to light some of the most memorable up-cycled moments in Crafted in Carhartt history.

Chicago based designers, Linsey Burritt and Crystal Grover, of The Indo Projects, are fine artists on a mission. Each one of their masterfully created instillations is crafted from recycled items like chopsticks or cardboard. Read more here.

Pashon Murray of Detroit Dirt strives to use every bit of trash for the greater good. She collects compostable waste and brings it around full circle to create fertile soil. That dirt is then used to further fuel urban farming in the area. Pashon truly lives up to her name in spirit and through her ambition to rebuild Detroit. Read more here.

Rebuilding Exchange in Chicago is a well-known, recyclers’ paradise. I’ve gotten the chance to follow around Meegan Czop as she gathers whatever materials she can from demolition sites and brings them back to the warehouse to sell to the public. Buying used materials is good for the earth and lends itself to a whole new world of history. Where did that wood come from, anyway? Read more here.

Artist Leslie Vigeant visits the Portland dump to source objects that will be used in her pieces. I got to tag along as she rummaged and it was truly an eye opening experience. Read more here.

Janie Mills and the folks at Salt Works in Syracuse salvage old building materials in the New York area, train people who want to learn skills in the art of carpentry, and transform rubble into stunning handmade furniture. Read more here.

Happy Earth Day, all! Don’t forget, we’re all in this together.

How to Make a Simple, Cordless Lantern

Once the holidays have come and gone and all the decorations are put away, it can feel a bit glib around the house. I had a few strands of lights that I thought could be put to better use than sitting in a basement. Go ahead and give those rarely used lights a whole new purpose with these geometric lanterns.

You’ll need: an old cardboard box, scissors, masking tape, twine, a brush, glue or modge podge, a bowl of water, and a newspaper.

Step 1: Cut 3 identical triangles and an equilateral triangle with sides equal to the length of the base of the 3 larger shapes.
Step 2: Cut smaller triangles out of the middle of the largest shapes. Make sure they are identically sized cut outs.
Step 3: Tie a loop of twine and tape it the top of one of the larger triangles. It will serve as a way to hang the lantern later.
Step 4: Tape the pyramid together, with the 3 large triangles as the sides and smaller as the base. Make sure it is secure.
Step 5: With paper mache, coat the cardboard. Cut paper strips and use a mixture of 1:1 water and glue or modge podge.
Step 6: Get an LED battery operated strand of lights. Put the battery pack in the lantern’s base and wrap the lights around it.

This is such a fun way to spread cheer at all times of the year. Not to mention, it’s easy to use inside or out because it is cordless. Get your craft on, folks!

Leslie Vigeant of Material Rescue League

Visiting a city dump is an eye opening revelation to those who haven’t had an opportunity to see the path that waste follows once it’s left homes and businesses in the surrounding area. Endless piles of what most consider trash fill the gigantic rooms of the facility. Those heaps are destined to filtered, compacted, and shipped to the nearest landfill. The Portland dump has a different approach. They have programs that allow artists and others to sort through trash that has been safely filtered through the system so that they can recycle their finds. I saw plenty of things that could be reused and made new again as I made my way through the mountains of junk.
Just ask artist Leslie Vigeant. Her project the Material Rescue League incorporated her precious finds from the dump. Leslie collected non-recyclable items and rehabilitated them into boutique products. Take a look at the final photo posted above, with interesting colors and materials packaged and displayed with care, all in the name of art and making the world a better and cleaner place.
As the birthday of this nation rolls around, keep those in mind who go out of their way to preserve the beauty of America. Be motivated by strong women like Leslie, who aren’t daunted by piles of stinky trash. Find the beauty in everything and use a little elbow grease to help others see that beauty as well.

Take a look at Leslie’s work gear: Carhartt Women’s Minot Shirt, Clarkston Cami Tank, Relaxed-Fit Canvas Kane Dungaree, & Carhartt Women’s Quick Flex Glove.

How to Reclaim Red Clay

As you may well know, Carhartt women are known for being innovative. So when it comes to craftiness, don’t be wasteful and think green. For those pottery lovers who want to be resourceful and re-use scrap clay, take a look at this tutorial Victoria from Pewabic Pottery is demonstrating above.

How to Reclaim Clay: (in other words, how to recycle dry clay bits back into a workable material)
1. Soak dry bits, chunks, failed projects of clay in water.
2. Soak for a few hours or days, depending on dryness of clay. Stir mixture with your hand.
3. Scoop out rehydrated clay onto plaster block.
4. Make sure clay is even thickness on the plaster block to allow for even water absorbtion.
5. Once clay is no longer tacky scrape it off the plaster block into a medium size pile.
6. Wedge it. Rock clay back and forth in kneading motion until air bubbles are compressed and clay feels pliable.

Victoria’s workwear: Carhartt Women’s Short-Sleeve Signature Tee & Slim Fit Nyona Jean

Linsey Burritt and Crystal Grover of Indo in Chicago

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that recycling is awesome. Chicago based designers, Linsey Burritt and Crystal Grover, believe in sustainable living so much that they dedicated their careers to it. The ladies collect items that would normally be thrown away and turn them into art. The interplay of creative design and recycled objects are perfect for window displays, art instillations, and interior spaces. One of their more recent creations is currently featured in City Soles store front, pictured above. Linsey and Crystal discovered their passion and found a way to spread it around the city of Chicago, adding their own personal touch and sentiment to each display. Check out what their up to now and see how you can help your trash turn into something beautiful.