Eliza Grace Makes
Website:
@elizagracemakes
@elizagracemakes
Festival set up
Paper wedding bouquet
Earrings
Biography
I primarily use second hand materials in an aim to be sustainable and reduce the waste that is created in the world. I create items with the buyer in mind, to bring joy to people's lives - I make paper flowers and decorated frames for their houses, earrings and headbands to make them feel good about themselves, greetings cards and pictures for them to give to loved ones. I believe being creative is a massive part of dealing with anxiety and depression, as expressing yourself and creating something is truly remarkable and healing.
inspiration
I find inspiration in the everyday and try to see the beauty in everything. I use materials that are often overlooked and turn them into something that can be treasured, worn or admired. Often, it's the original item I am using that directs how my crafting goes - when making earrings from an old broken necklace, it is the shape, colour, size and texture of the beads that helps me decide how to put them together. Likewise the colours on the page of a magazine or a map, they lead me to use them in a certain way. I want my work to inspire others to reconsider their use of items, and to also be creative with every day materials.
medium
The materials I use are mainly second hand, from charity shops to donations from family and friends, including lots of old maps, book and magazines, broken jewellery, ribbons and more. I can't resist buying old vases and frames to upcycle using comics or books. Maps and magazines are primarily used for making paper flowers and beads, as the colours they have give a unique effect.
All packaging I use is also second hand - bags made from magazines or cereal boxes, and parcel bags/boxes that I have saved.