Upcycling Expert - Annie Temmink

Annie Temmink

Annie completed her BA in sculpture and math from Davidson College in North Carolina, and received a Thomas J Watson Foundation Fellowship to travel independently for twelve months studying fashion and textiles.  From Indonesia to Japan, India to Uganda and Tanzania, she worked with village women, dove through sprawling second-hand markets and explored fashion in the world’s biggest cities and smallest towns.  The scope of her studies took her from preparing plants for organic dyes to exploring the factories that produce clothing for brand name stores.

Much of Annie’s inspiration comes from common or unwanted materials whose wide availability sparked her interest in recycling materials six years ago. Now she transforms repurposed clothing into sculpture for solo exhibitions and larger installations. Her work catches attention including that of trend forecasting companies in New York and private collectors on the east coast. Annie looks forward to blogging about her experiences and showing you how to create fabulous projects (clothing, jewelry and beyond) with materials from Goodwill.

Annie currently designs and makes clothing and accessories (and dances like-a-fool) in Charlottesville, Virginia. To learn more and to see Annie's projects visit: www.artemmink.com

DIY Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Posted by Jamie Klinger-Krebs on Nov 6, 2013 1:10:00 PM

centerpiece1 2 3.fwIf your friends invited you to thanksgiving this year and you’re looking for something to bring, or if you’re looking for an exciting, low-cost centerpiece, try making your own arrangements with glassware from Goodwill.   You’ll find inspiration from the variety of vases, jars, and containers stocked on their shelves; and regardless of what you find, it’s guaranteed to be more interesting than your standard florist arrangement.

What you’ll need

-Vase, bowl, or other interesting containers from Goodwill

-Fruit, evergreens, sticks, or greenery

centerpiece4If you find a nice bowl at Goodwill, try a fruit arrangement.  Pile up your fruit of choice into the bowl and begin adding greenery, branches or other decorative elements until you have a variety of textures, sizes, and colors (or play with one color scheme for a little more drama).  You can find interesting twigs, bark, and evergreens in November to supplement your arrangement.  You can also spray paint twigs to add a more artistic look to your arrangement.

centerpiece6centerpiece5If you choose a bigger vase, you might need to use a vase liner to contain your arrangement.  Use another smaller vase, or cut the top off of a juice bottle and use that. Next cut up lemons, limes, or oranges and arrangement between the vase and the vase liner.  Then fill the vase liner with water and add greenery for a fresh, easy arrangement.

It’s best to take inspiration from the plants you have available, so go foraging and see what you find.  Regardless of what kind of arrangement you make, your friends will be thrilled, and will be sure to invite you back next year.  By thanking your friends you’ll also give thanks to your community by shopping at Goodwill.

centerpiece

Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Thanksgiving, Annie Temmink, Thanksgiving centerpiece