Reusing & Recycling

The Wiccan religion is appreciative of this precious planet we live on. Taking care of the environment is important to a witch and being resourcful is part of that. Below are some samples I've created using wrappers laying around my house. Instead of throwing them away into a landfill site, they have been use to experimenting with heat and machine embroidery.

Using parchament paper and an iron, I've produced some textured outcomes using food wrappers made from foil, plastics and cellophane.

My favourite outcome is the clear bag. The heat has caused the cellophane to crinkle and bubble, creating a warped appearance. This sample I want to develop further by adding colour and embroidery. The two snack packaging created a similar finish, although is not as clear due to the designs. The crisp packet is made from foil, there for it shrunk as well as crimpled. I had to be extra cautious when ironing the crisp packet as too much heat applied​ to foil can cause it to shrivel up really small.

The Galaxy wrapper however did not react to heat as it is made from paper. Certain areas were indented where fold lines where when heat applied to it but the effects were no where near as exciting as the other materials.

I am going to machine embroider over these samples to see what effects it may add.

To carry out these processes safely, I made sure my iron wasn't too hot it would burn and the plastics and release any toxic fumes. I turned my iron off after every sample and placed it away from my workspace upright so the hazard was safely stored whilst I prepared for the next sample.