Sep 25, 2010

Vintage Buzz: Make It (With) Vintage


This 'Shabby Quilted Strips Bag' from
Such and Sort is a fun way to use
old fabric scraps and cutter quilts.

 
Kitschy little Mice R Nice Charms
come in several colors and have
lots of creative potential. They
are offered by True Colors For You.
Scooping up piles of broken and orphaned vintage jewelry at the local Salvation Army along with sifting through jars and tins of old buttons clinched my vintage addiction. Sorting through my little treasure hoards was at once exciting and relaxing, yet the gratification that came with each acquisition was short-lived. The sense of satisfaction that came each time I found something special drove me to seek more. At some point I had to do something with all this fun junk - thus my first Etsy shop was born as an outlet for my handcrafted-from-vintage creations. I have since found that I'm not the only Etsy Vintagephile that crafts green, using vintage materials both as inspiration and for the very substance of their handcrafted offerings. A search under the 'handmade' category for 'etsyvintageteam' reveals well over 400 items - badges and broochs, pouches and purses and so much more! You'll find plenty of styles too - contemporary, steampunk, country, retro, Victorian and more! 

Check out the Pearl and Brass Steampunk
necklace crafted by DRyan327
in her shop, Purple Toes Jewelry.
(In my opinion, she competes for one of the
greatest avatars on Etsy!)
Once you begin searching, it becomes obvious that members of the Etsy Vintage Team enthusiastically practice the three 'R's (reduce, reuse, recycle) - after all, didn't we learn that from our Grandmas who reused everything from foil to raggy old clothes? But not everyone has a stash of vintage goodies to work with, and for those people there is a fabulous hoard offered by the Etsy Vintage Team.
Etsy Vintage Team shops offer a plethora of vintage supplies: fabric, buttons and lace; paper ephemera, beads, buckles and charms, as well as all sorts of intriguing oddments you never even thought of until you found them surfing through fun shops like The Vintage Recycler or 12Karri Elegant Junk Shop (L-R, below).
Whether you're thinking of something crafted from vintage or are looking for supplies to craft something wonderfully unique yourself, the members of the Etsy Vintage team can provide plenty of satisfaction for your creative muse.
 


3 comments:

SImple and Serene Living said...

I just got a cutter quilt and 2 cutter chenille bedspreads. Plotting now on what to create. Love upcycling vintage finds.

TrueColorsForYou said...

Wonderful article on combing vintage and handmade :) They should share this on the front page --- Go Handmade, Green AND Vintage !
thanks for including the Mice :)

cigarboxbeads said...

i always give a sigh before i cut into cutter quilts and such--it just seems such a sacrilege!....but then i think about what COULD happen to those pieces that some might consider rags---and i have to do something with them!

thanks for including my in today's features! ;>)

marilyn g
suchandsort