TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List

Friday, January 28, 2011

"Candy", Dog Food Bags Recycled into Wearable Art

"Candy", a Rayela Art Dogfood Bag


Yay!  I finished another dogfood bag!  Some people knit while they watch TV.  I fold hundreds of little pieces of paper and then interlock them together using a technique known as candywrapper folding.  The long strips are then sewn together with dental floss or fake gut.  I started doing this because I was intrigued with prison art that used soft cigarette packs to make purses and I wanted to so something with the big bags of dog food paper that I go through.  It just seems like a terrible waste!  I use the outer layer which has a protective surface.  The middle layer is usually a brown paper which I save for shipping things and then I do toss the inside layer which has a wax coating and had the contact with the dog food.


"Candy", Red Side (Woven purse by Rayela Art)


 "Candy", Purple Side (Woven purse by Rayela Art)


I am pleased with this purse.  If you notice from the photos above, one side is accented with red and the other with purple.  Vintage and salvaged buttons call out to the colored papers.  A magnetic clasp serves as a closure.  I am the only one that I know of who embellishes these purses with buttons and beads.  Pretty clever, eh?

Close-up of the buttons:






The handle is wide at the sides and narrow at the top:






The hardest part to sew together is the bottom.  I sew both from the inside of the purse and the outside to strengthen the purse, but that is not possible at the bottom:




The purse is available for purchase on Etsy:  Buy "Candy"
It's 360 green ones, free shipping anywhere in the world.

Although the purse is functional, treat it with care.  It is wearable art.  You can bet that if you use it, people will grab you and want to talk about it.  So, only take it to places where you want to be grabbed!

While you are in my shop, look at the other treasures that I have for sale.  You might as well take advantage of the free shipping and add more things to your cart!  (Not valid on the heavier items).

Interested in learning more about the technique?  I've posted tips and links to tutorials in my past posts here on this blog.  Click here.









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