The Recycled Arts Festival brings together over 125 highly talented artists who create amazing pieces of art by using a minimum of 75% recycled materials. Peruse the many booths at the festival where you can find anything from jewelry, clothing and accessories to garden art, furniture or home decor. Here’s a list of artists that were accepted to last year’s canceled festival... we’ve added them to the site this year so they get the chance to showcase their incredible art!
I create mosaic artwork from reclaimed and found lumber. My goal is to use 100% reclaimed materials including wood, lath, metal, paint, and textiles. The aesthetic of my work reflects a rustic bohemian vibe with a Pacific Northwest flare focusing on mountain landscapes, geometric patterns, and hammered metal accents.
I sell Found Object Robot Art. I call them my ‘critters.’ Each critter has a unique personality, a name and a back story that is attached. They are essentially indoor metal sculptures. These sweet critters are made of household metal pieces I purchase from estate sales, thrift stores and such. The pieces are primarily brass, copper and silver-plated items such as candle stick holders, bowls, tea strainers, planters, silverware, etc.
I use a plasma torch to cut delicate designs into worn and broken shovels and saws to create garden art and wall decor. I also use scraps of steel and copper sheet to cut designs of birds and other objects of nature.
At Wits End creates year round outdoor garden concrete “paintings” as well as garden rugs and useful wood boxes. I am often at my ‘wits end’ when I see the waste there is in this world. I thoroughly enjoy showing and sharing what can become of that waste with some creativity.
Attic Journals is committed to sustainably offsetting school & library discards by upcycling well worn books into journals, garlands & other goods that delight all sorts of bookish humans. We stand 18 feet from the cusp of the landfill where books are being ground up for toilet paper fodder. We work to never interrupt literacy, only landfill with our sourcing.
I make cute and whimsical metal art animals using a lot of gears and springs from heavy machinery. I look for things in parts like faces and bodies and legs. I work on heavy equipment so I bring home a lot of broken parts from work.
I create furniture and artwork using a combination of salvaged lumber, 100+ year old metal supports, family heirlooms, knick-knacks and vintage drawers, fireplace screens and windows. Large slabs of wood are like looking at a fire— the grains and figures throughout wood can showcase many years of our past.
I make furniture, sculpture, kinetic pieces and yard art from metal and wood. My materials come from farms, the dump, scrap yards.
I am a recycled metal/found object artist. I re-purpose decommissioned propane tanks & fuel storage tanks into fire pits, tables & firewood storage units. I weave old & leftover barbed wire into whimsical bird nests.
I make ocean and forest themed art, as well as jewelry (earrings) and garden art, using all manner of recycled, salvaged, and found materials. I use recycled materials because there is so much usable material available in the world without having to buy new materials, and everything can be turned into art if you look at it long enough. I just love the idea of turning something considered to be trash into something considered art.
I make origami earrings and bottle dioramas called Captured Spirits using recycled magazine paper. I am 11 yrs old. I think that recycling is a form of art, and that it helps the environment, instead of harming it. I get my paper from recycling bins. I get my bottles from friends and family. I make these to warm peoples hearts and to keep the environment clean.
I am a painter. I use salvaged materials to help tell my little stories. I use salvaged and scraps to help tell little stories. I love old sign letters and anything with some patina or wear on it. An old lawn sprinkler is the letter “o.” A wood foundry mold makes a great frame for a clock. My stash of “treasures” to be reused is out of control. I am a painter. I use salvaged materials to help tell my little stories.
We make folding baskets and more, crafted from recycled bamboo chopsticks. We gather single-use bamboo chopsticks from restaurants, boil them at high temperature, color them and then craft them into functional art.
I build acoustic and electric guitars from empty cigar boxes, recycled hardwoods, and some recycled guitar parts. I use empty cigar boxes obtained from a local discount tobacco store, wood obtained from old furniture, leftover pieces from area woodworkers and dumpster diving. I get some of the guitar hardware from old guitars I find at thrift shops or pawn shops.
Cigar box guitars have traditionally been made using recycled materials.
I make Pixie Coats, Fairy Coats and Hoodies from natural fiber recycled sweaters. I also make pants, dresses and tops from recycled T-shirts and jeans, and infant and toddler hats and clothing from old bed sheets.
I enjoy making retro-futuristic art from recycled and found pieces. Lamps and clocks to bird feeders and robots. I use odd items or unique pieces that catch my eye with a vintage or futuristic look or an oddity about them that, if not immediately, will work their way into a future piece. I find items for my pieces at various places like estate sales and free piles to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store.
Gina Tombleson of Consciously Crafted Jewelry designs jewelry that is hand made from used bicycle inner tubes. Her process starts by slicing the inner tubes down the center and scrubbing out the insides. She dries them thoroughly and cuts them into strips.
I up-cycle cowboy shirts into aprons for men, women and children. I use reclaimed fabric and make tooth fairy pillows, doubled sided napkins and microwave bowls. I also use my own organic catnip and make cat toys in up-cycled infant socks.
I produce glass pendants, including small hummingbirds out of 99% recycled pyrex glass. I use recycled glass (trash) because I cannot stand to throw it away just because it is too small to use normally. I use bits of leftover, rejected pieces of glass from the regular production of glass artwork. This year I have acquired extra bits of glass from my granddaughter’s glass blowing class in high school. They keep buckets full.
Tonya Meyer of cutegirlcreations creates jewelry, including pendants, earrings and bracelet components from old, broken China plates. Her jewelry is finished with lead-free silver solder, making a lasting keepsake piece of jewelry.
We rescue unloved cast iron cookware, clean it up and re-season it so it can get back to work. 100% sustainable, healthy and affordable. Adopt a treasure which will be a part of your family for years to come. We thrift, trade and barter for our items, often saving them from the dump or scrap heap. By rescuing them, we restore their sustainability and offer treasures that are healthy and are 100% sustainable.
My husband and I make women’s jackets & trench coats with our own designs. We cut up sweatshirts, redesign & sew them back into cute and popular styles. I try to use every part of the sweatshirt in this process. The button loops are the ribbing of the shirts and many of our buttons are from coconut shells that would otherwise be discarded.
I make women's fashions from recycled and reclaimed fabrics. Mostly skirts from t-shirts, ponchos and shrugs from knit sweaters and tunics from men’s dress shirts.
I worked in a lumber mill for years and watched the large band saw and circular saw blades thrown away. I was introduced to a plasma cutter and started to re-purpose the blades. When my job of 17 years went by the wayside, I decided to use my skills with a plasma cutter and repurposed one of their discarded byproducts (saw blades) in a new direction — art.
I make crochet purses from recycled plastic bags, totes, plant hangers, water bottle holders. I cut recycled bags into strips and crochet it into purses, totes ect. I get bags from friends, and stores recycle boxes.
I convert discarded bottles and stain glass remnants into wind chimes and hangable pieces of art. I use a kiln to slump and fuse many of the pieces of glass that I use. As an avid recycler, I also incorporate pieces of “found” exotic wood into some pieces. I use recycled glass (trash) because I cannot stand to throw it away just because it is too small to use normally.
I make nature inspired garden art from found farm and truck parts. I am lucky to receive unwanted metal from my friends who go to auctions along with diving into scrap bins that truck companies are looking to get rid of.
I make sculptures that look like robots and other items from recycled metals and found items. I also make metal birdhouses and bird feeders from coffee pots, tea pots and more.
Nature inspired, small scale metal art pieces such as birds and bugs. My artwork is on an extremely smaller scale then most metal artists, and is exceptionally clean and detail oriented. There are no two exactly alike, I give each piece individual character.
Leon Potterton of Fire Sphere Fire Pits creates fire pits from 55-gallon barrels and solar lights from cans. As a welder, he enjoys creating something beautiful out of recycled metals, like old cans and scrap metal barrels.
I make jewelry from used/recycled skateboards. Stud, dangle and hoop earrings, rings, bangles, pendants and keychains. All items are hand made and I use hypoallergenic hardware.
I use old garden tools such as pitch forks and shovels and make garden art with them. I use old pie pans for bird feeders. I craft recycled old wool blankets into benches from old rock corey mesh. I find original car emblems and wrenches and make coat racks from old barn wood. I take old large soup cans and cut art into them and make lights.
I create original stained glass mosaics using recycled wooden window frames and scrap stained glass. My work is usually figurative; I create expressive characters that celebrate the female perspective.
Made from a variety of metals and other materials, we make fanciful and fun items for garden and home. Lamps, sculptures and yard art are some of the pieces we make.
We salvage expired SCUBA tanks fire extinguishers and other steel cylinders. We then repurpose them into chiming bells. We got interested in making wind chimes back in 2014 when we needed an anniversary gift for each other. Leah knowing that Jon is a project motivated artist brought home a SCUBA tank and said let’s make our own. The adventure began by making wind chimes for friends and family.
I make decor from found objects, most of which are vintage-inspired. I love to save vintage items, even if they're incomplete or damaged. I like to look at these things from the past and see them in a new light and use them in unexpected ways. I find most of the things I use at estate sales and thrift stores.
Brenda Lee Calvert of Half Moon Farm handcrafts art inspired by nature, like dragonflies, flowers and owls. She uses recycled glass, wood, metal and plastic to create tiles, garden totems, garden windows and more.
I make dolls and baby quilts from old felted wool and cashmere sweaters. Did you know that the EPA estimates that the average person discards 70 + pounds of clothing per year?
I am an artist focused on reclamation of unwanted material, I turn the unwanted into something new. All of the material I choose to work with originates from something that was destined for the waste stream. My hand made finished works contain metal of all varieties. When available I love to work with old tanks, appliances, tools, or general knick knacks which are no longer wanted.
We partner with local bars/restaurants to upcycle beer, wine and alcohol bottles. We make a quality cut and polish and then fill with wax, scents and color to make candles. We upcycle alcohol bottles that would normally be thrown out or recycled and make them into high quality candles. We source the wax locally and sell locally keeping it all within our community.
I create art out of license plates— birdhouses, barn stars, mailboxes, purses, dust pans, pencil holders, signs, yard art flower spinner, etc. I drive for a used car dealer and they are required to remove the license plates from the cars and destroy them. So instead of the throwing them away the give them to me and I make things out of them.
I recycle old sewing machines into tractors, cars, lighthouses, trains; covert crystal bowls into decorative yard art with hanging crystals; create yard art out of old tools. Materials come from garage sales and thrift stores converting them into whimsical yard art.
I create whimsical, welded metal art for home and garden. Using mostly scrap and repurposed metal found in junk yards, thrift stores, and garages, I visualize the final piece, deconstruct and cut out pieces, then weld the metal sculpture. Sometimes parts need to be bent, which may require heat or a jig. All parts must be cleaned with a wire brush wheel, solvent solution, or flame.
We use recycled metal to create unique one-of-a-kind metal sculptures. Scrap Metal is a unique medium to create one of a kind Sculpture’s. We find our materials in scrapyards, industry, home, junkyards, and people like you.
I make jewelry from wood pieces, and recycled wood coasters, signs and boxes. I collect torn down fences, old wood flooring from boats and make stools, boxes and home decor from it. I find dolls at goodwill and thrift shops make them into creepy art. Light bulbs from friends are hollowed out and made into hanging bud vases. Recycled fools into creepy creations!
Jason Pickering of Jason Pickering Studios uses discarded dolls and toys to make sculptural pieces. Since vinyl is a porous he uses Rit DyeMore to change the color of any vinyl material. Jason focuses on creating dolls with a variety of colors, sizes and silhouettes.
I am a Portland, Oregon based metal and found material sculpture artist. I have been making found art/industrial sculptures for over 20 years. My subjects are usually people or animals, along with re-purposed eccentric, but functional furniture.
We make fairy houses from plastic bottles, egg cartons, cardboard, lids, cardboard, paints and embellishments. These are mailed to children with ‘big’ diagnosis all over the USA as part of The Addie Project. It is accompanied by an elf-helper story which teaches them how to kickstart their own inner rainbow and play a powerful tole in bringing them hope and healing.Money raised will go towards costs of running Project Addie.
Julie Koch of jul lays out mosaics on unconventional canvases of windows, scrap wood, bowling balls, plates and other items destined for the dump. Her artwork process is inspired by the recycled goods themselves, allowing the object’s lines to guide her mosaics.
I make earrings, necklaces, key chains and zipper pulls out of salvaged copper flashing from one demolition in Bend, OR. I make all of my blanks out of this weathered material. They are stamped with words and designs and I set up a workstation in my booth to make personalized items on the spot.
We make wind chime from recycled silverware that is twisted to many different shapes. We also use glass plates drinking glasses and figurines to hang fishing line with glass beads and at the end we attach spoons and forks to make the chime noise. We also make spoon rings and bracelets.
I make jewelry using a variety of materials that have been discarded. I make hand-torched, glass beads using glass from discarded bottles, jars, vintage glassware and scrap art glass. Accent beads in my jewelry are re-purposed from thrift store and estate store jewelry finds. I make hand-rolled beads from inherited fabric scraps.
My love of painting & old houses has merged into a creative art form that gives new life to discarded pieces of history. I gather and collect old wooden windows from around my neighborhood in North Portland, clean them up and paint my original floral designs on the back.
My passion and mission are to give new, usable life to broken musical instruments in the form of sculptures (some would call lamps) that have the main light, night light, and candle holder, for when there is no electricity. I use broken musical instruments mainly from eBay, but also vintage lamp parts and shades that would normally end up in landfills.
I create glass on glass mosaics from recycled stained glass, discarded glass shelving and up-cycled wood items that we mill down to create the frames, or I use old wood windows.
I use recycled cans ( re: soda, juice, beer etc.) to make my artwork, then I add a magnet on the back. The color of each piece comes from the color of the can. I use recycled drink cans from friends or the garbage to make my art.
I create one-of-a-kind abstract metal sculptures for the home and garden using mainly found and salvaged metals. I search the scrapyards and discard bins of fabrication shops to find the metals I use.
I use surplus sheets of 16-gauge steel, found objects, old tools, farm implements and recycled materials to create 2 and 3 dimensional pieces that are both whimsical and artistic. Each piece that I create is unique and one-of-a-kind. I use a hand-held plasma cutter, grinder, gas torch and welder.
Wayne Deaton of Metal Creation has been welding since the young age of eight after being taught by his father. He chooses to use materials that would have gone to the landfill because he still sees life and beauty in all types of material.
I use recycled window glass and fuse it in a kiln to make light switch covers, night lights, dishes etc. I also use scrap pieces of brass and make jewelry. Even the silver I use for the ear wires is made with recycled silver. Window glass is not recycled in the Portland area so I enjoy using this glass that would end up in the landfill and give it another life as a piece of art. I also use small scraps of metal from metal shops to form into jewelry.
Mindy Humphrey of Mindy’s Beer Gear reimagines discarded beer packaging into wallets, luggage tags and other functional and fun accessories including pet waste bag holders, disc golf frisbee holsters and tiara headbands.
I create reusable grocery bags from damaged and discarded oil paintings. Most of my paintings come from the goodwill outlet bins and are torn or damaged. I line them in new discontinued fabric samples from local furniture stores.
I make Folded Book Art from old books and jewelry and purses from pull top tabs. As people are going digital, I use old books and find them in thrift stores or from donations. Also donated are pill tabs and old jewelry bits.
I create Postage Stamp Collage Art out of postage stamps from countries all over the world. I like the fact that I have been able to breathe new life into stamps that are usually thrown out or placed in albums never to be seen again.
We create fun & funky handbags, wallets & accessories from books, games, maps, album covers & more! We love making home accessories from reclaimed materials ranging from paper to wood to metal. We glean materials from thrift stores, recycling centers, and often take donations from retiring teachers & people who inherit their parent's old encyclopedia set—and then some!
I primarily create wearable art garments. I also create fabric collages. Further, I create themed wall hangings and found objects assemblages. I get all my materials from thrift stores and donated by friends. Fabric is a common material and easy to procure.
I make figurative metal sculptures. People throw away so much stuff that scrap metal is a readily available medium for me to work with. I've always been a maker of things. I worked as an industrial welder for many years so my metal work is just another aspect of my being.
I make patio/night lights from recycled mason jars and things from nature. I learned from working with young children, and a small budget, to reuse materials that are easily found in nature, junk drawers, and broken jewelry. They can continue to please us, and won't end up in the landfill. My inspiration is children's art. Simple, unstructured, and colorful.
I make one of a kind apparel and accessories from recycled fabrics and clothing including vintage saris and vintage fabrics and clothing.
My artwork is a collection of whimsical birdhouses and 2D silhouetted playful art. All pieces are made with old fence board, rusty hardware, recycled paint and bits of leather and tin. All my recycled elements are used functionally as rooftops or bases for the birdhouses or silhouettes. I finish them off by adorning them with lovely finds and using them as perches or added texture in my artwork.
We are a guild of 10 members who make wooden items, primarily using the lathe. Our turnings are bowls, boxes, platters, toys, mirrors, hair sticks, and other similar items. The vast majority of the raw wood we use is sourced from local trees that have been removed due to development, storm damage, or disease. We are a resource for folks who want something more to become of the wood, due to the necessity to remove a tree, than mulch or landfill material.
Pack 358 creates fire starters made with dryer lint and old wax candles, marshmallow/hot dog sticks made from old forks and badminton rackets, along with other camping related items. The kids learn about conservation and being thrifty. We find our recycled materials from leftovers and thrift stores.
I use recycled wood to make clocks, switch plates, coasters, earrings. I also make night lights with recycled plastic and greeting cards from recycled paper. I use the materials for backing of each particular item. I get the wood from a recycled wood from Salvaged Works in Portland. The plastic I get from different sources. The paper mill store is where I get my recycled paper. I feel recycled material helps enhance my art work as well as being good for the environment.
I make sculptural pollinator boxes for solitary nesting bees such as the Mason Bee. The cavities in the box provides nesting sites for female bees to occupy and lay their eggs. This gives a necessary habitat for a dwindling bee population while helping to promote a healthy natural ecosystem and adorning your garden with a unique sculptural delight. They are built using entirely reclaimed wood and equipped with four to six inch long removable straws, allowing for nesting sites to be cleaned or replaced each season.
I design jewelry and accessories made from repurposed metals, scrap leather, and anything that inspires me to create one of a kind wearable art. The upcycled materials come to me in various ways. I am given broken jewelry pieces to repurpose, leather scraps that would otherwise be thrown away, and pieces of scrap metal, to create something new. I am always on the lookout for materials that inspire me to give new life to and enjoy the goodwill bins.
I create steampunk inspired dolls and working clocks and 3-D collages utilizing found treasures. I’ve been creating art from recycled artifacts since I was a wee child.
I create housewares made from used wine barrels. I started working with barrels to create candle holders for gifts. Initially I started with the candle holders and lazy Susans. As time moved on I started to imagine what else could be created with these unique shapes.
Betsy Soifer of Recycle with Soifer creates whimsical creatures made from mixed recycled metal to mimic animals. Bugs have ceramic or glass abdomens bolted to their metal bodies.
I make clothing and textiles using 100% post consumer items. I completely deconstruct each item, create a repurposed fabric and construct sweatshirts, dresses, shorts, skirts, jar jackets, scarves, gloves, etc. I glean items from thrift stores, as-Is bins and donations from my community.
I make cards and artwork from remnants, soap wrappers, stray game pieces, textile scraps and the occasional squashed hat. Besides regular household materials (ie: soap wrappers, cereal boxes, etc.), I find materials in thrift stores and free boxes at garage sales.
Repurposed Wood Studio makes hand carved utensils and art pieces from cast off wood scraps from firewood to cabinet/flooring cutoff ends. Various styles of rolling pins, spoons, rice paddles, wok stirs, cheese boards, bowls, scoops, krumkake rollers, lefse turners, and wall and table art attempt to find the natural life inside the rough wood exteriors. Often the wood is encouraged to “move” —reform itself after carving to its own unique expression.
Molly Bowman and Kathleen Chamberlin of Ruby Solei Studio are a mother-daughter duo. Kathleen creates colorful hand-painted earrings made on recycled cardboard cereal boxes whose contents have been eaten! Molly brings to life home decor utilizing broken or discarded fence / trim boards as a backdrop.
I make children’s clothing using repurposed vintage linens—sheets, table cloths, curtains. I have also recently started making women’s sleep shorts and aprons.
We make tropical inspired Tiki sculptures and outdoor furniture made out of recycled metal. As a society, we are collectors of things. New things push out old things, which in turn creates so much trash. Through creative eyes we can take some of these discarded things and make them interesting or beautiful in ways that they were never intended, or imagined for.
I make functional and decorative items out of scrap metal. I find materials at scrap yards, barn sales, construction leftovers, gifts from people who see my work.
I create paper jewelry that is one-of-a-kind design from used greeting cards, used calendars, left over pretty wrapping papers and tissue paper, and the tags from any merchandise for paper jewelry. River rock are hand picked myself at the bank of the North Santiam river. I use acrylic paint and tiny bead accents some time on them. They are varnished for finishing to protect weather.
I make recycled/upcycled clothing from fully dismantled unwanted old clothing. Most of the garments are a true one size fits all. Among the one size items are wrap skirts, adjustable jackets and tops. I also make tops, jackets and fashions that are not a one size but I alter for free any item to any size.
I build repurposed industrial sculpture art, lamps, furniture, from antique iron & wood. My materials are sourced from antique reclaimed barn wood, farm and industrial iron from sales & auctions, scrap yards, etc.
As a visual storyteller I create mixed-media art entirely from found materials that combines anthropology, history and art in celebration of life, Beauty, freedom and joy. I cull 80% of my materials from sidewalks and city streets in my travels. The rest is donated or found in thrift stores.
I make beautiful one-of-a-kind, upcycled, recycled, vintage antique watch parts jewelry. It is made only with vintage/antique watch, pocket watch, and clock parts. It is mixed media jewelry— wearable art.
I make metal art for the home and garden. Three examples of my art: 1) I use old square nails, lag screws, drill bits, nuts, car hoods and card body metal and pachinko balls or ball bearings to make a variety of different sizes and designs of dragonflies. 2) I use expired steel Co2 and Oxygen bottles to make bells and gongs. The artistic side of them comes from the one of a kind welded designs on the outsides and or hand braided and formed hangers on the tops. 3) I use discarded rebar pieces and other scrap steel from industrial construction sites to make trellises that are sturdy, artistic and will last decades in the garden.
I use reclaimed wood and metal to make functional rustic home decor (mostly signs, wall hangings and yard art). I use various hand and power tools to transform the reclaimed wood into pieces of art. I hand pick wood bursting with character and rustic appeal. I can’t stand the thought of these materials ending up in the landfill. It gives me great joy to create unique reclaimed art to be enjoyed and appreciated by its new owner. Most of my materials are from old fences, barns and other finds.
I make blown garden art decorations from recycled glass using recycled glass reduces glass that is sent to the landfill. Making a new glass requires a lot of energy and creates a lot of industrial pollution. One of the first steps in glass recycling is to crush glass and make “cullets.” Making recycled glass art from cullets consumes 40% less energy. My garden art is blown from recycled stained window glass that I bought a couple years ago from Spectrum Glass Company in Woodinville, WA
Sunnymirth creates handmade one-of-a-kind whimsical animals & creatures, unique totes & bags, and personal & home accessories from recycled textiles and leather. I redesign and sew cast off /scrapped textiles into handmade soft sculptures, totes & bags, and accessories. I collect materials from charitable thrift stores and friends/ family. Additionally, I use scrap from an industrial manufacturer, a local awning company and wool mill.
I reimagine the possibilities of gathered fabric to create high quality, unique hats and accessories. I use color and texture to construct a classic, timeless look. I gather sweaters and other clothing from resale shops, wash, dry, sort, cut and sew into my patterns and designs.
I make recycled jewelry from antique watch movements, glass buttons, and paper ephemera. I also make robot sculptures and assemblage art from various found objects. Every item I design, whether jewelry, home decor, and everything in between, is made from recyclable materials whenever possible. I gather my materials from a host of sources including salvage yards, thrift stores, Habitat for Humanity, and often items found in alleyways and near dumpsters.
We make whimsical art for the home and garden such as trellis, animals and panels etc from recycled metal. Our art utilizes old small appliances, metal scraps and any item we find made from metal.
Using recycled metals, tins beads and other found objects I create jewelry. After 10 years, I now have people giving me old stuff to use in my work. I also go dumpster diving at the recycled metal store... good will trash cans, etc. I am always on the look out for recycled items.
We create metal yard art. We use recycled metals from different sources. We use recycled metal materials, scraps, garden tools, etc, that people may see as trash. Everything still has some life left in it, no matter how big or small. We can even make custom pieces from your leftovers! Thrift stores, leftovers, garage sales. Yard art can be made from just about anything.
Married team who creates each component of our work. We make all of our beads, which are glass beads from recycled glass. Most of our metal work, including plates, chain, cuffs, earrings, pendants comes from recycled metals (copper, sterling silver, and bronze) that we hand form. We also make our stamping and chasing tools from old tool steel, such as wrenches, bolts and metal files.
Using upcycled metals & various salvaged materials, I weld, bolt or wire pieces together to create abstract, functional & whimsical designs. my artwork may be free-standing, hung on the wall or staked.
I work with vintage and antique pocket watches, wristwatches, and clocks to create imaginative, one-of-a-kind necklaces, earrings, and hair combs. My materials come from many places: Craigslist Free, old watch shops, thrift stores, as well as leftovers from friends, family, and clients. Recycling (being resourceful) is a continual source of inspiration to me... it's literally what provides me with the visions I work to create in my jewelry studio! Nothing beats working with the gorgeous, ingenious, historic original watch materials!
I design upcycled, repurposed jewelry out of various materials including old vacuum tubes, car fuses, silverware, game pieces and more. I also make comic book coasters from old comic books and tiles. With upcycled, repurposed jewelry, your accessories can be as unique and original as you are.
My art is made from scrap metal and other found things. I source the metal from work, scrapyards and anywhere I find it.
I make functional fused glassware from 100% reclaimed glass. My pieces include candle holders, vases, bowls, plates, soap dishes and more. Each piece is unique, food-safe and dishwasher-safe.
Transistor Sister makes jewelry using a wide variety of electronic components. From vintage and obsolete circuit boards to surplus parts that are too cool looking to let lie in dusty backroom bins, our jewelry is a celebration of electronic ingenuity and intricate beauty. It’s also historic, fun and definitively geek chic.
I create fine art mosaics using recycled bottle glass, stained glass, pottery, jewelry, and found objects that inspire me. I am best known for my bottle windows which are made with vintage windows taken out of old houses and adorned with bottle bottoms, candy dish lids, candleholders, coasters and other recycled glass.
Jim and Ali Miller of Trial By Metal are a father-daughter duo. They describe a change in their relationship when they are welding or taking a blowtorch to metal because their minds meld with a central purpose.
I turn wood bowls and trays from recycled wood. I do not turn solid blocks of wood. My bowls are all either segmented octagon eight cord sections, or dodecahedron twelve chord sections glued to a flat solid base. Center sections of solid block are turned to scrap. My method conserves natural resources. Let me show you how this is done.
I have a love of vintage glass and combine pieces into yard art (totems, bird baths, bird feeders, flowers, etc.). I shop thrift stores, garage and estate sales. I love unique glass patterns/pieces and do my best to rescue them and artistically recreate glass pieces for the yard and/or home.
Kyle Susan of Visionary Voltage makes upcycled and repurposed lamps and lighting. His dad always had a passion for collecting and repurposing things. After he passed away Kyle started going through his treasures. Being an electrician for over 30 years, one day the idea came to Kyle that he would take his dad’s “junk” and make lamps out of them.
I make usable lamps made from pipe, gauges, and an assortment of articles for shades. I also make wall hanger sculptures from metal or wood. Finished product represents fire arms of the future. Finally, I make walking canes from assorted woods, topped with a variety of decorative metal ex. horse hames. My art is made from found objects, flea market finds, some thrift store items and a lot of dumpster diving.
I am a traditional folk artist. I design and create soft sculpture pieces. I then paint them using my interpretation of method used in the late 1800s called Poorman's China, to give my pieces a leather like finish. I repurpose vintage fabrics, linens and any kind of wood pieces in my creations. I also make small glass hanging pieces using recycled glass from a frame store.
I make colorful wind spinners using recycled bicycle wheels. I collect used bicycle wheels from local Portland bike shops and they serve as the center for my wind spinners. I use scrap from gutter and air conditioning work to cut the arms or petals for my spinners.
Kathy Marty of Windy Hill Weavers uses two antique floor looms to weave eco-friendly rugs from recycled Pendleton Mills wool selvage (the raw edges trimmed from Pendleton blankets) and cotton warp. Her rugs range from traditional, symmetrical designs to more contemporary, asymmetrical looks and from soft color combinations to bold color mixes.
I sandblast images onto bottles, found windows and other items to give them new life. Sometimes I add solar or battery powered lights to the bottles to add a special focus. Lately I have been making " Wrist Toasties" from discarded, accidentally felted sweaters and scrap fabrics. They warm the wrists while leaving the fingers free to create! And my son, who is 11, creates origami earrings (so tiny) and origami dioramas from magazine paper, bottles, and other throw away items.
Zombie Couture uses thrift store shirts and silk screens them with whimsical characters created by Kelly Keigwin. We also do some alteration and applique to used clothing. Zombie Couture also features 2D artwork made from reused wood, paper, records, paint cans, and other materials.
