Like Fried Rice or French Toast, this week’s selections are ‘still good, day-old leftovers’ that someone cleverly re-worked. And then later they were REsold at Queen B – how meta!
This mid-priced vintage suitcase was made sometime during the 1920-50s of sturdy composited wood hardboard covered in cloth. Its interior was lined in satin, its outer edges and handle reinforced with leather. It originally had a key. But at some point during its long life of service, this case started looking tired and someone decided to upcycled it with a stream scene hand-painted in acrylics. They must have used references as these are real fish – salmon, perch, etc. Whoever re-bought this case will have no trouble identifying it on the baggage claim carousel!
Continuing the fish theme, this paper mâché bowl is made from recycled sardine (AKA pilchard) labels from the Saldanha Bay Canning Company, founded in South Africa in 1905. Saldanha pilchards are one of South Africa’s favorite canned fish, so there are plenty of labels around. These bowls were made by women working for the non-profit Arts Center ‘Wola Nani’ in Cape Town, raising money for villages affected by HIV. Sadly, after 20 years they closed down, but we have this bowl to remember them by and Saldanha pilchards are still sold in the same can.
Next recycled paper craft is a trinket box hand-stitched together from laminated 1930s postcards. Back then collecting postcards (and sending them to EVERYONE) was what you did when traveling. (No cellphones available for texting selfies, so this was it.) The faded trademark of postcard company “An Artistic Card” is just visible inside the lid. Similar postcard boxes were made in Great Britain, but this one, with its combination of destination illustrations and photographs, came from closer to home; that’s the Oregon State Capitol building in the bottom.
Next are 2 upcycled woven chairs. On the first, the metal frame was recycled from a folding lawn chair. Originally fitted with plastic tubing or webbing, in its second life it has become an awesome hand-woven nylon rope tapestry kind of project. Of course there was quite a fad for making these in the hand-crafty 1960s & 70s. Groovy, man.
This second, newer, elegant rendition comes with matching footstool. Both wooden frames were woven first with black cording and then vintage men’s neckties. The ties have been left whole, from the underside you can make out a few pointed ends, and labels. A popular material for repurposing into pillows, vests, skirts or dresses, vintage neckties come in wool, nylon, silk, polyester, even leather, and in a dazzling array of patterns and colors. Most ties are cut on the bias (the weave of the fabric hanging diagonally in relation to the tie’s vertical length), which enhances the piece’s drapeability, but there is a subset of crochet and knit neckties for the more daring. Depending on the era and the wearer’s fashion sense, ties were skinny, average, or w-i-d-e. And of course estate sales are a great place to snag them in bulk for all your crafting!
Last we have 2 rustic lanterns. Like the other crafts here, there have been thousands made over the years and why not, the raw material is ubiquitous: they’re tin cans. These could hang up or sit on a table, and hold either candle or lightbulb. Making these required serious equipment, (an acetylene torch) and the skill to use it without burning down the house, but there are also directions for making them as punch art using a hammer and a beefy nail… maybe try that first!
https://www.instructables.com/Heirloom-Necktie-Chair/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnFH9fLz9uE
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QnwSbnZsxYo
Tuesday Treasures was started by our staff member, Jeanne Lusignan. Each week she will be featuring items that have been found at our estate sales. If you would like to submit a treasure for Jeanne to feature in a future installment of “Tuesday’s Treasures”, please follow the button below and send us an email! Please attach a few photos of your treasure in a beautiful setting as well as any details you have about your item such as manufacturer, use, age, region of origin. If you don’t know about the piece, that’s okay! We still might be able to research it for you! Don’t forget to tell us what makes this item such a treasure to you!