Students upcycle for charity

A group of resourceful Otago Polytechnic ākonga have been rummaging through op-shop shelves as part of an upcycling project for charity.

The students have been collaborating with the New Zealand Red Cross Dunedin Op Shop as part of a
four-week elective, “Retooled”, which requires them to upcycle, remake and add value to unwanted items, most of which come from the Dunedin Red Cross Op Shop.

There will be a charity auction open to the public on Thursday 22 June (5.30pm) at Otago Polytechnic’s Hub.

“From clothing to accessories, furniture, homewares and other objects, the students have retooled, redesigned, recycled and remade a range of existing products, focusing on design for social good, while incorporating the values of sustainable practice/kaitiakitanga and collaboration/kotahitanga,” says Tracy Kennedy, Principal Lecturer, Otago Polytechnic School of Design.

“All the re-designed works will be credited to designers, enabling them to profile their creativity and making skills in a public setting,” says Tania Allan Ross, Principal Lecturer, Otago Polytechnic School of Design.

“The proceeds from the auction will go to New Zealand Red Cross – to be used for social good.”

Examples of students’ work:

Emma Rowley, second-year Bachelor of Design (Fashion), has turned chlorinated polyurethane (CPE) gowns, commonly used in laboratory settings to protect individuals from exposure to hazardous materials and diseases, into a handbag and a tote bag.

“The Red Cross Op Shop had been given four boxes of CPE gowns, but who’s going to buy them? I chopped the gowns into strips, then rolled the strips into a ball, similar to a ball of wool,” says Emma who, after teaching herself to knit, then spent more than 40 hours with needles in hand.

“I would have liked to make more bags, but it's quite time-consuming.

“The smaller handbag took more time because the stitches are smaller. I think that took a solid week to complete. My hands were so sore from that one.

“Still, it’s been worth it, knowing that I’m re-using this plastic and preventing it going to landfill, giving it a new life.”

Rhiannon Savage, second-year Bachelor of Design (Fashion), has used old fabric to create pre-school dresses (and, in some cases, matching hats) inspired by vintage patterns.

“One set has been made from purple curtains. I also used unwanted fabrics. I’m pretty happy with the result.”

Ailie Muldrew, a third-year Bachelor of Culinary Arts student who is completing a Design elective in upcycling, discovered an old wooden sewing table in the Dunedin Red Cross Op Shop basement. She has reworked it into a funky occasional table, complete with a top tier that has a row of openings into which she has fitted small succulent plants.

“I think the table came from an old sewing factory, but I don’t honestly know the history of it. It looked very old but sanding it down has revealed this beautiful timber.”

“It obviously had a good life. And now it's got a new life.”