Recycled Crafts Encourage Creativity – An Artist Perspective

 by Rita Schwab

If my job as a creative person is to fill the world with “things,” I feel it is equally important that I reuse materials from waste to make space for my craft.

I believe that creative re-use has the potential to spark new ways of viewing the world. If one thing can be turned into another, what else can we do? Successful recycled crafting encourage creativity in others— it’s magical and transformative by nature. My recent project, “Holiday Cloches” for Create and Decorate is a way of demonstrating that the world and the items in it are not limited or easily identified as they appear at first glance. It allows me to engage others to be more creative in their own daily lives and to think more creatively about the world around them.

As an artist, my job is to inspire! Check out my newest recycle/repurpose project in the Holiday issue of Create and Decorate page 52 and BE INSPIRED. You can find the G2 Bottle Cutter at your favorite local craft retailer.

Create and Decorate 2011 Holiday

Published by dticrafts

Most of my inspiration comes from my mother. Her handiwork could be seen in the kitchen where I watched her stir up imaginative dishes for her hungry family of nine and in the sewing room where she magically turned feedsacks into adorable sundresses for her daughters. So, I would say my genius and inspiration comes from dear ol' Mom. Since graduating from the University of Cincinnati, my art career has centered on paper, pencil and computers. However that all changed once I was introduced and fell in love with glass, mosaics and recycled art, a love affair or obsession that continues today.

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