Fusing plastic bags
CRAFT recently featured a tutorial by etsy labs on how to fuse plastic bags together to make fabric. Something I have been experimenting with at home, so I was excited to see a tutorial. And TreeHugger recently featured an artist, Anna Roebuck, who makes jewellery and art from fused plastic bags (see pic)
Check out this video tutorial on doing it. And this fantastic dress made from this method, and this plastic bag wallet from vestal design. Also check out the tutorial from in the wake which was mentioned way back on whipup.
June 27th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
This is very cool!!
I viewed the video tut and am enthralled. However, I do worry about fumes (I have severe allergies as well) and wonder about this. I use an air purifier…don’t know if this will help or not. Maybe having a window open or doing this outside would be a good idea.
June 28th, 2007 at 6:51 am
Yes, I also worry about the fumes, but what a very cool way to recycle / reuse.
June 29th, 2007 at 2:14 am
The article in Craft specifically addresses the issue of fumes. They ARE toxic, DO open one window and crack a second for good cross-ventillation. For most people that ought to be fine. EdgeGallery, your air purifier should help you, but if you would like to be absolutely certain, invest in a really good particle mask, and get filters rated for gasses. (I’m sorry I can’t be more specific! Those were the instrux we got for intaglio class back in college, when we worked with all sorts of unhooded acids. The same should work for petrochemicals.) Bravo to you, for having your heads up about your safety and health in the presence of art materials! It amazes me that many assume art=carefree and safe.
I TOTALLY AGREE — this new way of dealing with the ubiquitous plastic bag ROCKS! Thank you for this post!
July 21st, 2007 at 2:00 am
This is fantastic! I love this project! It takes 500 years for a plastic bag to decompose so anything we can do creatively with them is brilliant. Theres a great canvas bag tutorial on my website
http://www.artistsresource.co.uk/videos
which is also encouraging us to do away with the plastic bag forever! Horah!
October 18th, 2007 at 4:00 am
[...] there are a lot of posts popping up around blog town on ways to reuse these nuisances to society. Whip up has a nice round up of posts on the topic of fusing plastic bags together to create a [...]