From drab to fab

There’s a cliché that says the only constant in our world is change. It may be a cliché, but it’s also true. Technology, the environment, society’s structures, even relationships – all are changing at a rate that is often far less comfortable than many of us would like. And it’s for that very reason that so many people are fighting to slow things down, to preserve the good, to ‘save the planet’, to create beauty and not to be conned into a throw-away mentality.

In the interests of ‘going green’ and sustainable living, we are constantly asked to reduce, reuse and recycle, but I suggest that while you’re on your way to becoming a fully fledged ‘RE’ warrior, don’t limit yourself. What about repurpose, restore, return, revitalise, revise, revisit, reinvent and, most importantly, rethink?

If you ask most people what ‘junk’ is, they’ll say it’s anything old, worn and drab, of little value, or something that should be thrown away. I, on the other hand, see junk as a springboard for ideas, a starting point for something grand and fresh for the garden or home. Items of junk can become new creations overnight. Over the years I have started to look and think differently about items lying around my house or garden – pieces that ordinarily would have been discarded because they were way past their best. With a rescue and craft process, all junk can be given a second chance and welcomed back.

I grew up on a farm in the Free State province. Everything was homemade from jam to ball gowns. The skills I learned from creating something from nothing have proved to be invaluable. There are no limits to the imagination. I love homemade items, but I dislike things that merely look homemade.

The concept of ‘grand’ can differ. I noticed while running craft lessons that each individual’s final object looked different to the person’s next to them. The difference was in the love and effort they put into their work, thus ‘grand’ took on a different meaning with each person. My ‘grand’ is merely an idea to inspire you to discover your own ‘grand’.

Perhaps you’re wondering how shabby can be grand and fabulous. In my opinion, shabby chic is stylish rather than fashionable, and therefore your style reflects a quality as opposed to a ‘newness’. And quality is always fabulous.

In this book I aim to give you ideas for ‘reuse’ (to use an item again after it has been used), ‘recycle’ (the breaking down of used items into raw materials that are then used to make new items), as well as ‘up-cycle’ (to take a plain, ugly or cheap item and turn it into something of beauty and value). In this manner, the amount of waste entering landfill sites may be reduced and resources and materials conserved. Moreover, I hope the ideas will show you how a dash of creativity can transform unwanted products into desirable items. From Drab to Fab also provides you with the necessary techniques to achieve this, because one person’s junk is another person’s treasure.

It gives me great pleasure to create things that people want in their homes, or to give a friend a handmade gift. My objects are not necessities, but rather things that elevate your life. I hope this book will inspire you to create something from nothing, taking something menial and transforming it into something beautiful and decorative. It does not require a lot of skill, money or resources. You just need to start somewhere, and when you are done, to stand back and proudly proclaim that you did it yourself! Every object in this book represents a recycled or reused item that has been modified by a craft technique to create an objet d’art for the home.

The techniques themselves are very simple and achievable for any crafter. I learnt them from my mother, my mother-inlaw and friends, or discovered something by chance. Someone once said that ‘the best learning process of any kind of craft is just to look at the work of others’.

Think left and think right, think low and think high. Oh! The things you can think up if you only try.

Dr Seuss

INTRODUCTION