Queen of Upcycling

Before upcycling even became a recognised phenomenon, my Mum was already at the forefront of it. Every time I visit my parents, she shows me new projects where she combined old clothes into new ones, or made jewellery out of random materials that are not traditionally "beading supplies". I had already forgotten that she asked my permission to use old jumpers of mine that I had forgotten were still around anyway. Well, she took two old baggy woollen jumpers I wore in the 1990s and made a really nice dress out of them, further pimping it with white yarn:

Here's a shot of the dress without "the model":

...and here's a close-up:

I am pretty impressed with the outcome and love the fit as well. She reasoned that probably not even charities would be delighted about a donation of bobbly jumpers and it was better to cut them up and make something out of it that actually gets worn, if only at home.
Speaking of DIY-jewellery. Mum recently started putting used oxygen tubes (my Dad has a chronic respiratory condition and occasionally needs some oxygen) to good use, cutting them up and combining them with beads. The result is a lightweight and pretty stylish necklace:

I always feel a bit guilty when she shows me her new creations as it is a reminder of all MY many DIY projects that never go beyond the idea stage...