Striking upcycled art
delightful to wear or share
Sustainable jewelry, accessories and unique art pieces, they were coffee pods they are now so much more.
Why coffee pods
Why go into the trouble of transforming coffee pods into statement eco-fashion pieces? The answer is why not, upcycling is the alchemy of things a proof that second chances do exist.
Did you know that Millions of coffee pods are disposed every single day, not only in Australia but also around the world? Did you know that they would take hundreds of years to break down into the soil if that’s where they end up? They are convenient and tiny little things, yet, too many of them are used, and may stay around for a long, long time.
The coffee pods that are recycled in Beads ‘n Pods are collected from offices and homes around Perth. They are carefully emptied, coffee grounds go back to earth into the garden, compost or worm farm. And those colorful aluminium coffee pods are then, meticulously washed and cleaned ready to be repurposed.
beads 'n pods
Hello, my name is Natalia Rodrigo and I’m the set of busy hands and creative wits behind Beads ‘n Pods, Chief Upcycling Designer in this sustainable fashion enterprise, among many other titles/roles that I hold for other areas in my life.
Before Beads ‘n Pods came to be, I wasn’t aware of the big impact coffee capsules have in our environment and I had no idea those capsules would spark an urge for recycling, challenging creativity and imagination to find a way to give them a second chance.
How did it all come about? Well, one day my neighbor handed me some cleaned, coffee pods she had used. “They are to pretty to bin” she said. It was close to Christmas time, so along with my two daughters we set off to have some crafty fun making festive season decorations. It felt good, exciting even, to be able to create carefully using something that would otherwise be disposed carelessly.
The more I learned about the coffee pods, the more concerned I was and wanted to do something about it. One thing lead to the other and a crafty hobby turned into a sustainable artisan practice and then to carefully designed pieces of art. Was it an utopia to go out there and share not only the magic of upcycling but also the message of sustainability? I now know it wasn’t and it was worth the effort and persistence that went into developing the set of skills.
By now I have participated in a wearable art showcase, Art Exhibitions in Art Galleries and Community groups as well showcasing a collection in Eco Fashion Week Australia in 2018 in Western Australia and Sustainable Couture 2019 in Alice Springs as a sustainable designer! It’s been unreal to get as far as a runway (have a look here if you’d like to see some highlights).
Beads ‘n Pods is for me a pleasurable challenge to take action in this quest of creating stunning art from aluminium coffee pods, helping people find that special gift for themselves or their friends; something unique, something beautiful that has a story and a message within; aiming to make a difference in the world we live in, why not…
Furthermore, the joy of expressing myself through upcycling and creating art, encouraged me to complete an Advance Diploma in Art Therapy in 2018. Which has provided me with the opportunity to share the magic of the creative process with children, people with special abilities and cancer patients. The ripple effect of upcycling things applied to exploring the possibilities of people upcycling their lives.
Thank you for popping in, thank you for caring, thank you for being part of the change you’d like to see in the world we live in.
