Crafting

Crafting

One possibility for generating income within Monwabisi Park is by developing the skill of crafts in the community. By researching ideas online and visiting stores that had items from informal settlements, we were able to come up with a lot of ideas for crafts that could be made in the community. Dianne Womersley was able to provide valuable insight on how well the community would respond to a craft initiative within the park.  According to her, a few years ago there was a movie filmed in Cape Town and people from the community were hired to make simple jewelery.  Eventually they stopped going in to the movie set for one reason or another. This brings up that motivation is an issue for some community members.

However, there is a man named Vincent who approached the Indlovu Project expressing his desire to work and sell crafts that he had made. One of the craft projects found through our research were bowls and place-mats made from recycled magazines. Vincent was tasked by Dianne to practice making these crafts in hopes of eventually purchasing an order from him for the community centre.  A few days later, Vincent returned and an order of 20 place-mats was given to him from the Indlovu Project. As a team we wanted to speak with him in order to talk about small business opportunities, but we were unable to do so.

Online Craft Guides

Zimkhita, James and Kayla attempting to make a bowl out of recycled paper

Zimkhita, James and Kayla attempting to make a bowl out of recycled paper

Our team researched a few ideas for crafts that could be made in Monwabisi Park. If people within in the community can learn to make crafts from recycled materials, there is very little overhead cost, and the goods can be sold to visitors of the Indlovu Project. Our team found several tutorials online for different crafts, but they are not very African in style so they may need to be changed to make them more appealing to visitors. We hope that these guides will at the very least provide inspiration for more developed crafts.

Paper Bead Bracelets and Necklaces

This tutorial explains how to make beads out of recycled magazine paper. The beads look very professional and are not very difficult to make (Make a Recycled Bead Bracelet, 2009). Find this craft at: http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-RECYCLED-PAPER-BEAD-Bracelet/

Soda Can Stars

These stars could be made into a mobile, pin or magnet. Perhaps they could be painted or decorated in a fun, African style (How to Make Silver and Gold Tin Stars, 2007). Find this craft at: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=213719.0

Soda Can Decorated Box

This is another craft that reuses soda can metal. Here, the author makes a small box for holding jewellery or other items. This could probably be painted to look more attractive. The general idea and way of going about tinwork with soda cans may also be inspiring for other projects (Drink Can Tinwork, 2009). Find this craft at: http://www.atomicshrimp.com/st/content/drink_can_tinwork

Junk Mail Artwork

This video tutorial goes through a quick and easy artwork idea of using strips of old newspaper or magazines. This craft also has a lot of potential for expansion, given different color combinations and shape cut-outs (Drieu, 2008). Find this at: http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/01/create_junk_mail_art_craft_vid.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954

Other Craft Ideas

Another craft idea is to make bowls or other objects out of folded pieces of magazines wrapped in concentric circles. Di Womersley bought a bowl like this in England that is currently in the volunteer housing at the Indlovu Project. Our team used this as a guide to attempt to make out own bowl. The only supplies needed are old magazine pages, scissors and glue.

It may be valuable to bring individuals skilled in crafts to come into the community and hold workshops. Community members could learn new skills they could use to make their own crafts which can be sold in the community centre shop and perhaps on display in the new guest house. Items like plates, blankets and artwork used in the guest house could be made by community members and guests could have the option of purchasing the same items used in their rooms.