The Eco-Crafter’s Cabinet

As someone who has been made to believe is a mini version of her mother, it’s surprising I’m no hoarder. We all know African mothers and how they can keep things for decades just for sentimental reasons.

I hate to see my space cluttered with many things so the moment something is not serving its purpose, it has to go. Alternatively my profession as an environmentalist continually reminds me of the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. In finding a balance between what I want, what my mom wants and what the environment needs, my crafty side got birthed.

Upcycing is a big deal in my life because it has prevented a lot wars from happening in my house. Every once in a while, I find my mom holding onto certain things which have no use anymore. And as a Gen Z minimalist and crafter, I try my best to make meaningful aesthetically pleasing projects from them. That way, my mom gets to have a different purpose for whatever she wanted to keep and most importantly, there’s no clutter. Mummy 1-1 Daughter.

My favourite upcyling project is a tractor I crocheted out of leftover yarns and cotton wool. My aunt who is a nurse brought some healthcare essentials some years ago. We used everything up except the cotton wool. We later realized it wasn’t in good shape anymore so we had to get rid of it. As usual, the environmentalist in me wasn’t going to let that happen.

I went for some of the cotton and gathered some leftover yarn to crochet something for my nephew. I thought hard and came up with a tractor because he loves tractors and wants to be an engineer in future. After I made the car, my mom was excited and she finally let go of the cotton and then I used them up for other projects too just like how I make use of my leftover yarns.

My sentimental upcycling projects are what I made from my grandma’s old cloth. My mom had been keeping this cloth for years and even though it was old and served her no purpose, she couldn’t let go because it was her mother’s favorite. For some reason, tables turned and suddenly, she wanted to discard the cloth.

I joined some leftover yarn together to make a scarf and by the time I was done, my cousins were on me to make them something from Grandma’s cloth. It made me so excited that we got to keep something grandma liked and at least, it was no more clutter.

I could go on and on but the truth behind these projects is that sometimes, it’s exhausting. But there is this satisfaction that comes after seeing myself make something beautiful out of leftovers. It makes me proud not just a crocheter but also as an environmentalist. You mean I get to protect the environment, be a creative and make my family and friends smile? Sign me up for life!