Discarded to Precious – Floppy-disk/Jeans Bag

Challenge:

- Design a product that is only constructed out of discarded materials.

Creative Solution:  Floppy-disk/Jeans bag

How it was made:

I have a tendency to not throw away anything because I always think that “Oh I may need it for a future project or craft.” In this case my mild hoarding came in handy. I looked through a lot of the random materials that I had at hand to see if I could create something new out of any of it. I stuck with using theses three items: floppy disks, an old pair of jeans, and some suspenders.

I first drilled holes into the floppy disks and then looped them together with jump rings until I had a sheet of 1×3 and two sheets of 2×3.

I then cut the jeans right above where it splits into two legs. Then turned them inside out so that the pockets will be on the inside of the bag.

I then sewed a bottom to the jeans.

Then sides and a second bottom layer.

Then sewed on the floppy disk sheets to the front and back. I also added a flap on the top where the 1×3 sheet is sown to. The suspenders are then just attached to both sides of the bag to be the straps.

And there you have it a recycled bag made from old floppy-disks, an old pair of jeans and old suspenders.

- K

Discarded to Precious

Recently we finished a Discarded to Precious assignment in our design class. The assignment was to basically take something people throw away and make it something awesome. I obviously decided that I was going to make clothing, a dress to be specific.

Why? I really have no idea. I guess I just wanted a reason to use a sewing machine and say I made an outfit. All the cool kids can sew.

Anyway, I decided to use plastic bags and iron them together to make them stiff. When you iron plastic bags together, they become really WEIRD.

Which one is not like the others

This is with the pattern I made by hand. It wasn’t too bad, but for whatever reason I had no idea how to sew this when it came down to curves. I figured it out, but I don’t really know how.

Beautiful

Basically what it looked like in the end after sewing it and sticking some duct tape to the bottom of it for some ‘hem’.

I wish I could show the whole process, but I forgot to take pictures of most of it. And as much as I’d love to show pictures of the completed model, but I’d rather not have a human model in it. So MAYBE ONE DAY.

The back is a lace up with some old shoelaces I found from a pair of shoes I used for Halloween. They have no traction, so I won’t be using them again. I figured that much so why not use the shoelaces right?

Seemed like a good idea at the time

My partner on this blog took most of these pictures for me because I am incompetent. So rousing applause!

Anyway, I didn’t get much more than a book.

There aren’t any pictures in it so that means I have to read it.

Not really sure what it’s about.

- A