BuzZ December :: not MADE IN CHINA :: Recap

December 08, 2009 Filed Under: Events 0 Comments

Last week AIGA Charlotte members met to boycott outsourcing and foreign manufacturers. Well kinda. After we wiped the sleep out of our eyes and consumed a healthy dose of caffeine, discussions about what to make this gift-giving season ensued for over an hour. Holiday DIY (design it yourself) was the topic du jour. And if you’re strapped for cash, looking for a creative outlet, or on a mission to make a smaller carbon footprint (because those tiny coal shoes didn’t work), then this Buzz is for you. Topics ranged from places to find handmade inspiration in Charlotte, to web resources, and what to make for all those special (read as: materialistic) family members and friends. For those of you unable to make it, but still desperate for ideas, here’s a quick recap (please feel free to add additional ideas/resources in the comments section):

///RESEARCH///

Places to find Inspiration:
Paper Skyscraper (Dilworth)
Boulevard (NoDa)
Hong Kong (Plaza Mid)
Handpicked (Dilworth)
Boris & Natasha’s (Plaza Mid)
Envy (Plaza Mid)
City Art Works (Park/Woodlawn)
Paper Source (Phillips Place)

Websites for Inspiration:
Etsy.com (get inspiration, or buy someone else’s)
Flickr.com (images of inspiration)
Designspongeonline.com (pure DIY awesomeness)
Curbly.com (similar to designsponge)
Marthastewart.com (it’s a good thing)
Core77.com (recently released their gift list 77 under $77)
Burdastyle.com (sewing/fashion)
Instructables.com (from oragami, to skinning a hampster to make a literal mouse cover for your mighty mouse)
Cafepress.com (hats, mugs, shirts, etc)

Supplies:
Michael’s Craft Stores
Hancock Fabrics
Mary Jo’s Cloth Store (Best fabric store around... In Gastonia)
Binders Art Supply
Cheap Joes Art Supply
Ikea (lots of simple housewares that can be adorned)
Sleepy Poet (huge antique mall on South Blvd)

///GIFTS///

For Men:
Recycled Beercase notebooks
Design a menu for a meal you’ll cook
Design a clever Gift Card holder
CD mixes with labels and unique packaging

For Women:
Jewelry (etsy is a great place to find inspiration)
Correspondence kit (design personalized stationery, address labels, and envelopes)
Canvas tote bag w/ iron on design (you can find blank bags at Michael's)
Coasters (cork, leather, fabric, glass, chipboard, etc)
Cork trivets with a personalized stamp or drawn on design
Oven mit ($1 at Ikea, doodle something on it)

For Kids:
Illustrate a children’s book (Blurb.com makes good looking DIY books)
Illustrate a coloring book
Sketch book
Stickers
Make your own temporary tattoos (w/ water slide tattoo paper for inkjet printers)
Flipbook (convert movie clips into a flipbook- http://www.flipclips.com/)

For Baby:
Onsies with iron on transfers (monograms or funny sayings “I only cry when ugly people hold me”)
Design an Alphabet Poster or book (you could even create a typeface)

For Everyone:
Design your own chocolate bars (Totallychocolate.com)
Luggage tags (out of reused materials and clear contact paper, or laminate)
Magnets or buttons (http://buttonhousebuttons.com/... make your own buttons... Cheap!)
Calendars
Greeting Cards
Matchbooks

Wrapping paper:
Stamp or draw on craft paper
Recycled paper (news/Creative Loafing, magazines)
Shopping bags
Old clothing
A reusable container

Written by: Nikki Mueller