Vote for Rayela Art in the Reuser's Guide to Green Living

Dog Food Bag, "Candy", by Rayela Art

NBC and Etsy are collaborating in a competition for the best ideas of using recycled and upcycled materials to create new products.  I want to win!  And, I have a good chance...  I think my dog food bags are pretty cool and without having too much of a bloated head, I must say that there are some pretty awful things being offered up in this race....  So, I may have a good chance.  The winner gets a paid vacation to Orlando, Florida.  Ho, hum...  That would be fun, but I am more interested in catching the eye of Martha Stewart, one of the jurors, and then maybe being able to direct her on over to TAFA.  

Here is the link.

Yes, you do have to sign up in order to vote, but you can also enter the sweepstakes where the winner gets a $500 spending spree on Etsy.  I would like that even more than a trip to Disneyworld! 

Vote for Rayela Art in the Reuser's Guide to Green Living

"Candy", Dog Food Bags Recycled into Wearable Art

"Candy", a Rayela Art Dogfood Bag

Yay!  I finished another dogfood bag!  Some people knit while they watch TV.  I fold hundreds of little pieces of paper and then interlock them together using a technique known as candywrapper folding.  The long strips are then sewn together with dental floss or fake gut.  I started doing this because I was intrigued with prison art that used soft cigarette packs to make purses and I wanted to so something with the big bags of dog food paper that I go through.  It just seems like a terrible waste!  I use the outer layer which has a protective surface.  The middle layer is usually a brown paper which I save for shipping things and then I do toss the inside layer which has a wax coating and had the contact with the dog food.

"Candy", Red Side (Woven purse by Rayela Art)

 "Candy", Purple Side (Woven purse by Rayela Art)

I am pleased with this purse.  If you notice from the photos above, one side is accented with red and the other with purple.  Vintage and salvaged buttons call out to the colored papers.  A magnetic clasp serves as a closure.  I am the only one that I know of who embellishes these purses with buttons and beads.  Pretty clever, eh?

Close-up of the buttons:

The handle is wide at the sides and narrow at the top:

The hardest part to sew together is the bottom.  I sew both from the inside of the purse and the outside to strengthen the purse, but that is not possible at the bottom:

The purse is available for purchase on Etsy:  Buy "Candy"

It's 360 green ones, free shipping anywhere in the world.

Although the purse is functional, treat it with care.  It is wearable art.  You can bet that if you use it, people will grab you and want to talk about it.  So, only take it to places where you want to be grabbed!

While you are in my shop, look at the other treasures that I have for sale.  You might as well take advantage of the free shipping and add more things to your cart!  (Not valid on the heavier items).

Interested in learning more about the technique?  I've posted tips and links to tutorials in my past posts here on this blog.  Click here.

"Candy", Dog Food Bags Recycled into Wearable Art

Doggie Love, a new Rayela Art dogfood paper bag

"Doggie Love" a candywrapper bag made with 
dogfood bags, by Rayela Art.

 This is the third bag or purse I have made upcycling with dogfood bags.  Until recently, I had four dogs, so I have plenty of these bags stored up, ready to transform into "art" (or craft or whatever...).  My love for these dogs has brought a lot of pain recently as one of them bit a utility man (who came into my yard without my permission...) and another has been diagnosed with lymphoma.  

Sheba bit the water man and then she bit the dust.

Sheba lost her life because of that bite and now lies planted under a little tree in my yard.  It's a horrible thing to put a healthy dog down!  She was six and had never bit anyone before.  But, she did have a kill instinct and had attacked two smaller dogs in the past and killed a cat.  99% of the time, she was a great little dog, smart, full of tricks, willing to please, and a funny girl with her own special antics.

Sheba was born in my apartment in Chicago.

Now there is Mitchie, my oldest, who was the gallery dog in Chicago.  Supposedly a boxer/lab mix according to the shelter he came from, we have had ten great years together.

Mitchie as an old dude in Kentucky.

Younger days at Dara Tribal Village.

Mitchie made the Sun Times in Chicago.  

He had a huge following of people 

who would stop in to see him.

These dogs, Sheba, Mitchie, along with Laila and Juba, are spoiled, well loved, and have been through a lot with me over the years.  Yes, I know they are "just" dogs, but, in my world they have a lot more empathy, humor and consideration than many of the people I see around me.  They give me affection and protection in an "iffy" neighborhood.  I'm sorry that the water man got bit.  Fortunately, I have renter's insurance and he will get a nice settlement from them.  But, that doesn't seem to be enough as he drags me through court, making an awful situation even worse.

 "Doggie Love", side view.

I finished "Doggie Love" shortly before the pain started with Sheba and Mitchie, so it is tied in my mind to this difficult time.  This technique is widely known as the "candywrapper technique".  It involves cutting small rectangles of paper and folding them then interlocking them together into long lines.  Those are then sewn to each other.

 "Doggy Love" detail, by Rayela Art.

 I like to incorporate beads and findings into these bags, altering the surface and adding texture.  So far, I am the only one that I know of who does this to these bags.  On this one, I used African coconut discs, Ethiopian copper and soapstone beads.

 

This was the first project where I also incorporated fabric.  I wanted the piece to stand upright, like a vessel, so I made a fabric bottom for it.  Normally, the sides are sewn to each other at the bottom into a traditional purse shape.  There are many other ideas I want to play with to take this technique to new levels.  The folding is time consuming, but a perfect activity when I don't want to think.  I can sit and watch a movie and fold away.  You wouldn't believe how much paper a vessel like this takes!  There are probably eight or nine large dog food bags folded up into this piece, paper that would have otherwise ended up in a land fill.

Yes, my heart is heavy with the loss of my two dogs.  But, Juba and Laila will still be with me, so I will have many more bags to use up in the future!  By the way, Laila is Juba and Sheba's mom.  I found her all torn up in Chicago, pregnant.  

Juba and Laila, daughter and mother.  (??!!!???)

National Geographic had a great article, a couple of years ago, where they examined the relationship between dogs and humans.  Because we have lived so closely together for thousands of years, we have developed a symbiotic relationship.  Dogs will look ahead to where you are pointing, while wolves don't get it.  They just stare at the finger.  If you pet a dog, it lowers both your blood pressure and theirs!  Most dogs can learn 150 words.  Smart ones can learn 300.  I will always have dogs in my life.  But, I don't think I will go for four again.  One thing I learned was that it is really hard to control a pack, especially in an urban environment.  I miss Sheba, still counting out four treats, and I know I will cry when the time comes to say good-bye to Mitchie.  They definitely do not live long enough!  I am grateful for the time we have had, for the inspiration they give me, and for all the good memories I have of them.

Bye-bye, Mitchie and Sheba!

Click here for more posts on the other bags I have made and for information on the candywrapper weaving technique. 

Oh!  You want "Doggie Love"?  It's yours for $360.  20% off if you buy it before I list it on Etsy...

 Mitchie, Juba, Laila, Sheba and me...

.

Doggie Love, a new Rayela Art dogfood paper bag

Snow: The Dogfood Purse (Candywrapper Weaving Technique)

Snow, by Rayela Art, $340
a candy wrapper purse using dog food bags
7.5" high (without strap) x 11" wide

This is my second purse using the candy wrapper technique. The first one, shown below, was made out of wallpaper samples. Click on it to see my first article where the technique is explained and where links to other sites with more info can be found.

Wallpaper Purse

Each square starts out a strip which has been folded and interlocked into another one. If you look closely, you will see a dog's eye peeking out at you:


I start out by cutting the strips on a mat. I used a rotary cutter to try to go through the task more quickly. For both purses, I cut strips measuring 4.5"x 2". It's unbelievable how many strips you have to have to make a purse. I kind of lost count, but am estimating that Snow, the dog food purse, used up six of the biggest paper bags, four medium ones and two small ones. It may have been more.


I estimate I used at least 500 pieces for snow. Once I had a big stack of them cut up, I separated them into color content, not easy to do on bags that have a lot of images and text.


The strips are then folded. I fold down the middle to get a crease, open it up again and then both sides down to the middle again, ending up with a long skinny piece.

That gets folded in half once again:

Then each end is folded once more to the middle. These are the links. If you really want to learn how to do it. Go back to the beginning of the article and follow the wallpaper link to the first one I did.

The links fit into each other, forming long, zig zag strip. The strips eventually get sewn together. It was much easier working with the dog food paper then with the wallpaper. The wallpaper was really too thick, although the effect was gorgeous. This paper has a slick coating on it and made it very easy to link one into the other. I also think this coating will help protect the purse over time. This example shows how color choices can impact the look of the strip:


Taking care in color combinations keeps the design from becoming too chaotic.



I covered the purse with white buttons and I think I am the first person to use embellishments in this way on these purses. At least, I had never seen anyone else add to them with the exception of zippers or closures. The added texture makes the bag for me.


I am going to add a magnetic closure for the flap. I just haven't had the time to go face Mall Land yet. It will fit in the empty area below:


This not just a purse. It is wearable art, a piece that will start up a conversation wherever you go. I love making something beautiful out of garbage, but even though it is functional, it should be treated with care. I've reinforced edges with super glue, but if it gets banged around a lot, the purse will get damaged.


In my mind's eye, this will go to someone who loves dogs. But, who knows? I just know it will be someone who appreciates the countless hours it took to make. I started out keeping track and then lost the paper I was recording. I'm estimating around 60 of them. Lots of movies...


When people see this technique, they say, "Oh, I used to do that when I was a kid!" I keep thinking, "Whew, that'a a lot of candy!" I first saw these bags through outsider art publications. Prisoners use cigarette wrappers to make purses and even large sculptures. I've now seen easier versions made by fair trade groups and even mainstream outlets. In my book, anything that reuses what is headed for the trash is great!

Snow: The Dogfood Purse (Candywrapper Weaving Technique)

Wallpaper Purse: Candywrapper Weaving Technique

I made this!!!

Dimensions: 11" wide x 7" high x 2" deep, strap 12"

Metric: 28 x 17 x 5 cm, strap 30 cm

I worked at Home Depot for awhile and while I was there, they got rid of their wallpaper department. They were going to throw away their sample books, so I asked and got as many as I could carry. It's gorgeous, thick paper- a shame to throw away. I debated for awhile what to do with them, then remembered these folk art purses I had seen made out of soft pack cigarette wrappers, mostly made by prisoners. I had always wanted one, but they are usually a fortune, so I decided to try my hand at it.

I had no idea how they were constructed, but after some research online, I found a couple of blogs that had helpful instructions:

Wrapper Purses has detailed photos on how to fold and construct rows of woven paper which are then sewn together into a purse. She used potato chip bags. Candy wrappers are also a popular choice. Here is one of her rows and her finished purse:


Mylinda's instructions were very helpful, but there are some tricks you learn as you do it that are hard to describe online. If you want to try this technique yourself, her blog is the place to start.


The Purse Project also had helpful information. Barb Lawrence, of San Diego, has the following great drawing that shows the folding process clearly:

She also lists several organizations and businesses marketing purses made using this technique and has some great photos of purse examples. Between these two blogs, you should be able to make your own purse.

Like all good things, making a purse like this takes time and lots of it! I'm estimating mine took about 40 hours. But, there was a learning curve there, too. It's a mindless operation for the most part, a good way to keep my hands occupied when I was too mentally fatigued to do something that needed some thinking. I sat in the kitchen folding and folding while I listened to a book on tape.

The wallpaper worked well in the sense that it folded easily, was sturdy, didn't crack and was pliable. The problem is the thickness. Although I think the purse resulted in a gorgeous product, it's not the best functional piece in terms of weight.



I have not seen any other examples that used beads. For my piece, the beads added texture, depth and really finished it off. The white ones are carved ostrich egg shell and the dark ones are coconut shell, both from Africa. They are held in place by clear glass seed beads.



Inside of purse:


Back:

I had it listed on Etsy for a bit for $250. But, I took it to my monthly fiber art meeting and my friend, Pam, fell in love with it. She is a long arm quilter, so we traded for a quilting job that I needed completed. I would like to try a couple more variations on this technique, now that I know how to do it.

One of our group members also suggested that flat wall pieces could be made using color to make an image, rather like a cross stitch pattern. That would be an interesting experiment!


Note: This post has been the most searched of all the ones I've written. I'm now working on my second purse, made out of dog food paper bags. It's coming along nicely, but taking forever! The paper is much easier to work with than the wallpaper as it is thinner and has the coating on it which makes it slick. I will post an article on it when it is finished.

This wallpaper purse ended up as an exchange for a quilting project I needed done. If you are interested in one of these, they will be in the $300 range.

Update November 2008: See my dogfood purse, "Snow":

How about you? Have you made any? Leave a comment with your progress or questions!

Wallpaper Purse: Candywrapper Weaving Technique