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 Animal Earrings

Posted by Jamie Klinger-Krebs on Jul 8, 2014 3:26:00 PM

animal earringsWhen I saw these rubber animals and insects the other day at Goodwill, I couldn’t help but write this post. I know I’ve covered DIY button earrings, and this project is very similar, but bug and dinosaur earrings are so much fun for summer.

animal earringsYou will need:

-Fun animal or insect miniatures from Goodwill

-Spray paint (optional)

-Stud earring backings

-5 minute epoxy

animal earrings
First, spray paint your animals and let them dry fully. I decided to make gold dinosaur earrings, but the butterflies didn’t need any paint.

Once dry, mix up a small amount of epoxy and apply it to the base of your earring back.
Attach it to your insect of choice and hold in place until set. 

animal earringsYou’re done! Now mix and match for a fun summer look.  And make sure to check your local goodwill for this and other inspiration for sun summer jewelry.

animal earrings

Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Annie Temmink, DIY earrings, animal earrings