Ever heard of upcycling? I am absolutely fascinated by it. To me, upcycling pushes creativity to go even further outside of the box. Recycling is making sure that goods don’t end up in a landfill. Upcycling is giving an old item new purpose: it’s not thrown into a recycling bin or reused, it’s truly given new life. That’s what led me to create these whales! The reason I love upcycling so much, is because it is a combination of concepts and ideas what really fuel my heart: art, creativity, design, making + no waste, eco friendly, loving God’s creation.

I have a really hard time throwing things away, not because I have attachment issues but because I don’t like adding to the landfill, I want to give an item new purpose and keep it from piling up on the planet. Everyone has something that tugs on their heart more than other things, this is one of mine. It doesn’t mean ones better than another, in fact the differences are good because together we make a stronger heartbeat for the world! I want to be responsible as best I can when it comes to waste. I know that my one pair of jeans won’t shake the world, but if one small action is multiplied by a lot, then it becomes something big. So if I can do a small little thing to help, hopefully that small drop will one day turn into a big wave of good. That’s my goal. But for now, I have made these little whales out of my old denim jeans!

I enjoy sewing, whether it’s quilts, bags or stuffed toys. I have realized that even sewing can lead to a lot of waste. So I have started shredding my old fabric and quilt batting and using it to make these toy! I hope this inspires you to think differently of something old you have, and see if you can give it new life! It’s fun!