Tiffany Threadgould: Shrinky-dinked Mr. (or is it Ms.?) Cart Earrings!

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Your daily source of inspiration for creative reuse and mindful consumption.

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[Background on, & press coverage of, Unconsumption can be found here and here.]

Consumption is a word used to describe acts of acquisition – generally, the acquisition of things, in exchange for money.

Unconsumption is a word used to describe everything that happens after an act of acquisition.

Unconsumption is an invisible badge.

Unconsumption means the accomplishment of properly recycling your old cellphone, rather than the guilt of letting it sit in a drawer.

Unconsumption means the thrill of finding a new use for something that you were about to throw away.

Unconsumption means the pleasure of using a service like Freecycle (or Craigslist, Goodwill, or Salvation Army) to find a new home for the functioning DVD player you just replaced, rather than throwing it in the garbage.

Unconsumption means enjoying the things you own to the fullest – not just at the moment of acquisition.

Unconsumption means the pleasure of using a pair of sneakers until they are truly worn out – as opposed to the nagging feeling of defeat when they simply go out of style.

Unconsumption means feeling good about the simple act of turning off the lights when you leave the room.

Unconsumption is not about the rejection of things, or the demonization of things. It’s not a bunch of rules.

Unconsumption is an idea, a set of behaviors, a way of thinking about consumption itself from a new perspective.

Unconsumption is free.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Founder & Editor: Rob Walker, journalist, Savannah, GA

Editorial & Community Manager: Molly Block, marketing and business development geek, Houston, TX

Brian W. Jones, designer & writer, Göteborg, Sweden

Kashvi Kumar, Environmental Studies and Economics major at New York University

Deirdre Nelson, ever threading artist, Glasgow, Scotland

Shanna Trenholm, writer. catalyst. force of nature. San Diego, CA

* * *

Alumnus & Unconsumption logo creator: Clifton Burt, graphic designer, Portland, OR

Further information about Unconsumption can be found here.

12:05 pm - Wed, May 11, 2011: 13 notes

Tiffany Threadgould: Shrinky-dinked Mr. (or is it Ms.?) Cart Earrings!

On Monday we announced we’d be sharing the things that Tiffany Threadgould, author of the (awesome!) new book ReMake It! Recycling Projects From The Stuff You Usually Scrap, made, incorporating the Unconsumption logo.

Above (and below, actually) is the finale in this series of three: A pair of earrings made with recycled plastic! Tiffany explains:

To remake your very own recycled plastic shrink jewelry, you’ll need #6 plastic (found on most deli lids and clear plastic takeout containers), scissors, hole punch, permanent markers, aluminum foil, an oven, an oven mitt or tongs, and jewelry findings.

Use your markers to draw your own designs — like Mr. (and/or Ms.) Cart — onto the plastic. The plastic will shrink over 50%, so keep that in mind as you’re creating. Since the plastic is clear, it’s easy to place an image under the plastic and trace. Cut out your shapes. Use a standard 1/4” hole punch to punch a hole in near the top of your piece.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your plastic piece on top of a folded piece of aluminum foil. Aluminum foil may be hard to grab once hot, so be careful as you remove it. Keep an eye on your plastic. It usually only takes about 30 seconds to cook. Carefully take out your plastic piece and add your jewelry findings. Your new shrink jewelry will have big style.

Happy ReMaking!

For more inspirational yet practical remaker projects — 95 of ‘em in all, involving all manner of materials — check out ReMake It! Recycling Projects From The Stuff You Usually Scrap.

The Unconsumption team thanks Tiffany for this incredible work!!

And if you’re inspired to create your own reuses of our logo, post a picture on our Facebook wall. Maybe we’ll feature it here on the flagship blog! Help build the Uncollection!