A school in the Western Cape were wowed by a duo who donned dance-ready attire made out of materials rarely seen on a runway, re-purposed shopping bags! Thanks to a talented upcycling fairy godmother, the pair went on to win an award.

Western Cape, South Africa (21 May 2025) — South Africa’s creativity continues to link arms with sustainable endeavours! Recently, Boland Landbouskool were treated to a fashion show in which shopping bags transformed into ball-ready looks thanks to an upcycling fairy godmother; rightfully stealing the runway.

At the Mr & Mrs Boland modelling event, a student-duo donned the paper bags we all know well with plastic bag accents; wowing the crowds and the internet in the process.

Couple Beate van Wyk and Jacques Brand may have been the models, but it was the craftsmanship of Hesmari van Deventer (AKA, the upcycling fairy godmother in this story) who brought the blazer vest and gown to life.

Hesmari’s work was so detailed, she even made sure to craft pleats and plastic ruffles for the dress!

The pair went on to win Mr and Mrs Creative for their unique looks that understoof the show’s theme ‘From Trash’ to the tee.

@heeemaw I’d even say they were better dressed than most celebrities @Checkers_Sixty60 @Checkers South Africa @Jacques Brand675 ♬ original sound – Checkers South Africa

This is the latest of numerous fashion-inspired craft projects that have used retired shopping bags, highlighting a keen interest toward repurposing items once thought to have a narrow use into fashion.

Recently, South African artist Ricollin Moodley (best known for his lipstick portraits) also flexed a different kind of creativity when he turned unassuming fabric shopping bags into fashion pieces, adorning them with artwork.

The bigger conversation here isn’t just about clever creativity; it’s about the shift in narrative that says ‘waste is a pathway to so much more when you think about products not linearly, but circularity-wise’.

Sources: Various (Linked Above)

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South African artist Ricollin Moodley, best known for his lipstick portraits, is flexing a new kind of creativity by turning unassuming shopping bags into fashion pieces!

South Africa (12 May 2025) — South African artist Ricollin Moodley has made a name for himself by using unconventional materials to create gorgeous artworks. Think lipstick portraits of our Springboks’ stars and Tyla like you’ve never seen her before. His innovative process has seen his works go viral, garner heaps of attention and make us all look at our beauty products a little differently. However, recently, Ricollin took to a different form of art that caught our attention, turning shopping bags into fire fashion pieces that fit for a trip to the gallery.

Because Ricollin is in no shortage of creativity, he not only upcycled the shopping bags into a T-shirt and pants combo but also added his artist’s mark to the former bags with a vibrant design.

For those who aren’t sure, upcycling is the process of transforming an item or product into another to extend or enhance its lifestyle and function!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ricollin Moodley (@ricollinart_official)

From Waste to the Wardrobe

Fashion continues to pop up from unassuming materials across South Africa in response to the pressing global waste woes. As circularity movements rise up in a bid to keep materials in the loop instead of the landfill, so do creative ways to change the function of recyclables.

Reusable fabric shopping bags were a big and important step introduced by grocery stores in response to the plastic problem and lowering their contribution to it. However, as anyone who has a drawer or cupboard full of them will know, the well-meaning bags also require discipline to be effective, lest you should get fed up and throw them all away in one shot.

Ricollin’s pieces follow in the footsteps of other creatives, including designer Ndiwavho Delroy Jim, as a way to make the absolute most of the materials, all whilst contributing to the sustainable fashion movement that’s helping so many of us reimagine our wardrobes for the betterment of the planet.

In the world of transforming plastic bags into accessories, social enterprise Re.Bag.Re.Use is doing the most and has recently added more recognition to its tally. Read more here. 

Sources: Ricollin Moodley; GTG

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Artists who love animals and want to see every shelter floof find its forever home, the Tshwane SPCA is looking for you! They’re looking for people willing to transform a wall in Waltloo into a backdrop of hope.

Tshwane, South Africa (06 May 2025) — There are few things quite as heartwarming as seeing a shelter dog and their new family posing for their first picture together. It’s the beginning of a new adventure, the end of months (and, in some cases, years) of waiting, and the beacon of hope that reminds us all how necessary adoptions are. And, since it’s such an important time for both the animal and their new human, it only makes sense that they should have a powerhouse backdrop. That’s why the Tshwane SPCA is searching for artists who love animals to create the ultimate “I’m going home” backdrop.

“This artwork will become the official backdrop for adoption photos—capturing the joyful moment our furry friends find their forever homes,” shares the Tshwane SPCA, adding further that the artist call is for the SPCA Waltloo branch.

Who Can Help?

Whether you’re a muralist who loves turning bare walls into something people (and in this case, pooches) will remember or love any excuse to tango with a painting project, the SPCA encourages you to reach out.

The call also extends to groups (businesses, communities, or volunteers), because everything’s better when we all work together.

You can get in touch with the team at pr@spcapta.org.za, and don’t forget to tag Good Things Guy in the photos once you’ve completed the work!

Sources: Tshwane SPCA 

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10 Young and emerging artists were given the opportunity to showcase their talent at Comic Con in Cape Town!

Cape Town, South Africa (05 May 2025) — The Emerging Artists Programme in Cape Town recently helped make several young artists’ dreams of getting to exhibit their work possible thanks to an opportunity to showcase at the recent Comic Con Cape Town 2025.

The City of Cape Town’s Community, Arts and Culture Development Department’s Emerging Artists Programme is a bridge into the art world for many under-resourced artists in the Mother City. It helps creatives sharpen their skills, gain exposure and vitally, learn how to make earn an income from their passion.

In the past, the programme has seen young artists showcase as part of gallery exhibitions and pop-up events.

However, in a different niche of art, one to do with page-turners, 10 young artists from communities across Cape Town were selected to partake in the ramp up for Comic Con before getting to debut their work at the event.

Being selected meant a series of workshops that would prepare them for their big exhibition at one of the most popular events of the year. This included fourteen days of training, four days of production and seven days of post-production resulted in exciting work unique to each creative and their individual styles.

The workshops helped the 10 artists create original work inspired by pop culture; weaving in notes of inspiration from their own history and communities.

Keep an eye out for the artists who were selected! They are:

• Clyde Shannon Gelderbloem – Multi-talented creative and entrepreneur

• Sihle Kakana – Digital abstract artist

• Athenkosi “Unami” Maqubela – Interdisciplinary artist

• Conway October – Multidisciplinary artist

• Kristin – Ink illustrator and graphic designer

• Phakamani Thembela – Shoe maker and designer

• Nsama Wisdom Chishimba – Character design and illustration

• Prismond Mokakola – Visual artist

• Raeez Hoosain – Visual artist and multi-media designer

• Xolisa Tamarana – Graphic designer and illustrator

Sources: Supplied 

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What began as an idea to create South Africa’s National Flower out of Lego pieces has turned into a whole Fynbos Flowers Lego set thanks to creative Christoff van Wyk. Now, Christoff’s idea has the chance to become an official set!

Cape Town, South Africa (22 April 2025) — Cape Town-based Christoff van Wyk recently spent some time bringing a bouquet of South Africa’s natural heritage to life, brick by brick. Now, the Fynbos Flowers Lego builds Christoff created have the chance to become an official set!

It all started when Christoff became enthralled with the idea of building our National Flower (the Protea) out of lego pieces. After the Protea found its roots in brick form, it wasn’t long until the other flowers followed.

In the Fynbos Flowers set are the Bot river Protea, the Splendid Pagoda, the Green Tree Pincushion, Button Bush, Chincherinchee, West Coast wild flowers (Gousblomme) and Erica Blenna.

The builds are something of a love letter to the West Coast and of course, South Africa’s unique biodiversity.

“Erica Blenna is a distinctive flower from my hometown; I often see Green Tree Pincushions on hikes on Table Mountain; and every spring the West Coast turns into a lush bed of wild flowers,” explains Christoff.

“Fynbos (fine bush) is a type of shrubland vegetation found in the Cape Floral Kingdom in South Africa, where I live. There are over 9000 Fynbos species, which deliver some of the most striking flowers in the world.”

Christoff has the chance to make the flowers an official set; which would be beyond cool for South Africans everywhere.

Per Christoff, 10,000 votes would help the project move higher up onto the toy company’s radar. Those who love the prototype can cast their vote here. This is just like the time when SA tried to help get prototypes of Table Mountain and the Bo-Kaap built too.

Sources: Fynbos People; Lego Ideas 

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If your social media pages have started to look like the aisles of a toy store (except the toys in question are action figures of your friends and co-workers), you’d be forgiven for wondering what the heck is going on. It’s another AI trend, friends, and you too can turn yourself into a Chat GPT action figure in a few, super simple steps.

Global (11 April 2025) — On today’s episode of ‘What Version of Me Can AI Create’, people are turning themselves into action figures and Barbie knock-offs. It’s the Chat GPT action figure trend, and you don’t need to be a tech whizz to make one yourself.

Before we share the simple tips to create your Chat GPT, it’s worth mentioning that not all AI trends have been created equally, and some most definitely require more consideration before creating yours than others.

Take the recent Studio Ghibli art trend, for example. Many got on board to create their animated selves, not knowing the context of the art itself.

Hayao Miyazaki, the founder of Studio Ghibli, was notorious for his meticulous, hand-drawn and watercolour artworks. These took thousands of hours to turn into films, and it was through the very human process of creating these works that Studio Ghibli became synonymous with such a unique kind of beauty. There’s a good argument that if Miyazaki (who openly shared his critical thoughts on AI in the art world) were still alive, he would’ve been beyond disappointed that something so dear to him and the human spirit had been reduced to a few clicks of a button.

Is turning yourself into a Chat GPT action figure any different? Well, for one, it’s all about whether you’re trying to replicate some other creative style that already exists, or whether you’re creating your own unique style, just with a little help from AI. Luckily for the world of dolls, there’s lots of room to be creative on your own terms (and, it’s not like Barbie’s no longer going to be able to sell physical dolls because the world made image versions of themselves as toys).

In fact, some people are using the trend for good, like the ‘Extinction Edition’, which you can read all about here. 

So You Want to Turn Yourself Into a Chat GPT Action Figure

First and foremost, you’re going to need access to Chat GPT. Some people say that you have to use the app, but we used the web version without hassle.

Next, you’ll need to let the AI know what you want to do. Prompt example: Please generate a realistic doll/action figure version of the subject in the images I’m going to send you. Please make them full figure, displayed in a clear, plastic box fit for a toy and include the name (insert your name) on the box. Please include the following accessories (insert physical items you tend to have on you often; a coffee, flowers, whatever you associate with your identity).

Then, upload your images and wait eagerly for the results!

You can alter the prompt details to your liking, and even create an action figure set for you and your partner or your best friend.

Remember, if you aren’t happy with the image, there’s always room to try again (though only for a limited time if you’re on the free version; after 4-5 attempts, some users were told they’d hit their image generating limits and could only try again the next day).

Happy prompting!

Sources: GTG

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Large-scale public art project to raise awareness about climate change

Cape Town, South Africa (26 March 2025) — Hundreds of life-sized animal puppets will be performing in cities from Central Africa to the northern tip of Norway to raise awareness about climate change.

Titled ‘The Herds’, this large-scale public art project will see the puppets performing with choreographers, artists, musicians and climate activists.

The puppets have been in the works since January 2024 and are being designed by Cape Town-based Ukwanda Puppetry and Design Collective. Ukwanda was founded in 2019 under the mentorship of the celebrated Handspring Puppet Company, which is best known for its productions of ‘Ubu and the Truth Commission’ and West End hit ‘War Horse’.

The project is supported by the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of the Western Cape.

Launching on 9 April, the performances will start in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The troupe of puppets will then migrate to major cities in Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, France, Denmark and finally end at the Arctic Circle in Norway.

Puppetry designer Craig Leo explains their goal was to create eco-friendly puppets in order to make it as sustainable as possible.

Cardboard is used for the skin, plywood for the skeletal structure and recycled tyre rubber for the joints. Over 10 animal species including zebras, gorillas, chimpanzees and vervet monkeys will be featured in the performances.

Leo explained that the puppets being built in Cape Town will not necessarily be the same ones to perform in each of the countries. The Ukwanda models will act as prototypes that will be reproduced as the production travels to different countries.

Leo says that they’ve had to create a digital guide for the assembly of each puppet. For example, they’ve designed the plywood skeleton to be laser cut and easily clipped together.

The pace at which they have to build and test the prototypes will be the most challenging aspect of this project, Leo says. “It’s unprecedented to make these many puppets in a year.” And on top of that, they have to teach people they’ve never met how to build the puppets.

‘The Herds’ is produced by The Walk Productions, the same team behind the iconic tall puppet representing a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl called Little Amal. This puppet travelled to 17 countries and met with over 2-million people since she started her journey in 2021.

Amir Nizar Zuabi, Artistic Director of The Walk Productions says that whilst working on the Little Amal project, many of the refugees they met were climate refugees. “They were not fleeing a war. They were fleeing famine and destruction of the natural environment. And their stories are vilified.”

Zuabi says climate destruction will cause massive waves of human migration, but we can already see this happening with animals “leaving habitats and disappearing from habitats,” he says.

“There’s loss of biodiversity, there’s loss and loss and loss and loss, and it’s all connected.” This is what inspired the concept around ‘The Herds’.

Zuabi says that many people have become numb and apathetic to climate change. With ‘The Herds’, they hope to evoke an emotional reaction in people. “I’m trying to make people look at their city differently,” he says.

More than 250 puppets will be built for ‘The Herds’ at various locations during their journey. They are expecting to journey 20,000km and perform in 25 towns and cities across 10 countries.

Siphokazi Mpofu, puppetry designer at Ukwanda, has been making puppets for over 10 years. She says that one of the most challenging things to control with these puppets is the legs. “You need to understand how the animals walk naturally,” she says.

The larger puppets, like the elephant and giraffe, require three people to control them. One person controls the head from the outside, while two people control the front and back legs from the inside. “It’s very challenging, and it needs focus… it needs to feel as if there’s one person controlling the entire puppet.”

Mpofu says they hope the puppets pique people’s curiosity while also raising awareness about the environment.

Sources: GroundUp

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Discarded padel balls are getting a chance at life off the court thanks to the upcycling initiative Amazeballs, which is reducing waste by turning the balls into creative products.

South Africa (07 March 2025) — It’s no secret that Padel has exploded in popularity. However, the exciting rise of a new activity that everyone from your neighbour to landlord has likely considered giving a gander also comes with a less than thrilling reality—a new waste problem. While most might not consider what happens when the lifecycle of a padel ball terminates, a new upcycling initiative dubbed Amazeballs has introduced itself to South Africa as a positive end-point.

On a mission to reduce waste left behind by the humble padel ball (which, at scale, is no small issue), Amazeballs has teamed up with creatives to give the balls another spin.

The Amazeballs team explain that there isn’t much longevity to life as a padel ball. Only lasting between two and four matches—the balls tend to lose their bounce; making them redundant as time goes on.

When we consider that millions and millions of these products are produced annually around the world, it becomes apparent that there is an unfathomably large problem at hand.

Like most types of waste, once these items can no longer be used for their intended purpose, they’re cast aside; destined for inundated landfills where they’ll sit for centuries.

However, as it is with other industries using upcycling as a means to solve waste problems creatively, Amazeballs is looking at the situation opportunistically.

With bins planted all over South Africa, Amazeballs collects discarded padel balls set to be upcycled into new products. Their team of local artists then decides on what the balls can be transformed into—whether furniture, art, or even playgrounds.

In a South Africa that simply can’t afford any more streams of waste, initiatives like this one are imperative to changing the way we consume. Not only does it help ease the waste burden, it also makes us a little more conscious to the power of what’s possible when we give a product a new life-path.

Sources: Various (Linked Above)

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The Tats4Tails event was once again a success thanks to all the people who got tattoos to support animals in need at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, raising over R90,000 in the process!

Cape Town, South Africa (21 February 2025) — Tattoos were in no shortage of meaning for the 85 people who made their ink matter the most as part of the latest Tats4Tails event! In an effort in which people got tattoos to support animals in need at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, Tats4Tails saw an inspired sum raised while those who sat for Tats got a permanent reminder of their love for animal well-being.

All kinds of tattoos were in circulation as part of the fundraiser as facilitated by Primal Culture Tattoo Studio—from ‘Let Them’ notions to whimsical art and animal-loving ink. Though they differed, their sentiments were drenched in love for lives beyond their own. And what better story to tell the next time someone asks what their tattoos mean?

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA shared that 23,621 strays and surrendered animals entered their shelter last year alone; meaning that there was a great need for support. Thanks to the R91,645 raised, hope is not in shortage. The team can rest a little easier knowing that there are provisions for a spectrum of their animals’ needs.

With immense gratitude, spokesperson Belinda Abraham reflected:

“Every tattoo, every donation, and every person who took part has helped us to give animals the shelter, medical treatment, and love they need while they wait for their forever homes.”

Special shoutouts were also given to those who have shown up for the animals in this way time and time again, namely Olga Potgieter and Warren Tomms, who have attended all six of the Tats4Tails events over the years!

Sources: Cape of Good Hope SPCA 

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For the thoughtful gifters, crafty creatives and sustainable choice-makers, here are four Valentine’s Day gift ideas that we’re pretty sure will make your loved one’s day!

South Africa (12 February 2025) — There are many, if not too many, options when it comes to Valentine’s Day gifts. Seemingly, everything now has a Valentine’s Day spin on it to the point where we’d hardly be surprised if dishwashing liquid went pink or red for the month of February.

As many of us find ourselves overwhelmed by Valentine’s Day’s commerciality, the thoughtfulness that we might like to achieve when gifting can get lost.

So, for those of us who still love a personal touch, are trying to be more sustainable, or simply want to make a difference with love, here are four thoughtful Valentine’s Day gifts to consider!

A Homemade Bookmark

If you know your way around a sewing machine, this gift is an ideal option for the book lover in your life.

There are many ways to get creative when crafting a fabric bookmark. Some take a quilting-style approach, while others create book pockets to make sure you never lose your page. The great thing about this gift idea is that you can personalise it as much as you wish to—whether by forming a unique combination of your book lover’s favourite colours with scrap fabric or by using embroidery magic to mark their initials.

You can find some helpful tutorial videos here:

@shaleseatlante Scrap fabric sewing projects day 9: tea bag bookmark #sewingtiktok #sewingdiy #sewingtutorial ♬ Sunshine – WIRA

Upgrade a Glass Jar to Become a Vase

A fabulous way to reuse glass, turn your jars into vases for the flower lover!

Whether it’s a former coffee holder or a mason jar just waiting to be put to use, there are very few limits to what you can bring to life with a little glass paint or the effective use of a glue gun.

Check out these tutorials to get some inspiration!

@vitraaz Turn your empty jars into beautiful flower vases! #fypツ #tutorial #diy #viral #painting #glassjar #nescafe #nescafejar #coffee #paintingtutorial #howtopaint #lavender #flowers #flowerart #flowervase #recycle #upcycle #glassart #glasspainting #art #simplediy #craft #diycrafts #recycledart #recycledcrafts #localbusiness #ukbusiness #smallbusiness #gifts #flowerlovers ♬ Confidence (sped up version) – Ocean Alley

@cathrynlaurawood Did you know you can make your own vase from a glass coffee jar, skewers and wooden balls? I LOVE how this looks! What do you think? #homedecor #homedecordiy #homerenovation #crafttok ♬ Just a Cloud Away – Pharrell Williams

@sunartsncrafts Diy Sunflower Lamp . . . . #art #glasspainting #sunflower #artoftheday #artistsoftiktok #trend #virals #viralreelsfb #reelsvideo #fypシ゚ #artlovers #fyp #viralvideotiktok ##artistsoninstagram #artista #sunflowerpainting #Acrylic #acrylicartwork #artwork #fyp #aesthetics #diylamp #DIY ♬ Strangers – Kenya Grace

@sewbakemake Here’s how to make these adorable personalized bookmarks. There’s still time to make them as they only use scraps and take ten minutes to make! You’ll need three 4” squares for each one, and youll need to interface all of them. Fold on in half diagonally and press. Embroider with freemotion embroidery, then take the triangle and sandwich it between the other two squares, right sides together. Pin and sew with a 1/2” seam allowance all the way around, leaving a 2” gap. Trim the seams and clip the corners, then turn right side out and poke out the corners. Fold the seam allowance at the gap to the inside, press well, then topstitch 1/16” all the way around the close it up and give it a nice finishing touch. If you have questions about the embroidery, let me know in the comments and I’ll do a more in depth video on that! #diyxmasgift #sewing #sewingtutorial ♬ Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

Seeds for Their Own Veggie Garden

Almost everyone without allergies enjoys receiving flowers. But, for the green-thumbed love of your life, there’s a fabulous and simple way to give them the gift of getting to grow what they love: gifting them seedlings to create their own veggie garden!

Do some digging to figure out what their garden can accommodate, and figure out (subtly) their levels of expertise as not all veggies were created with equal growing simplicity.

Head off to your nursery and choose your veggie garden starter pack. Bonus points if you decide to gift them in a basket that the receiver can then use for harvesting.

Gift a Virtual Adoption

Maybe you’re in a relationship with someone who adores elephants or penguins, or perhaps you have a friend who is all about supporting good causes. Heck, you might even live with someone who wants nothing more than a dog but simply doesn’t have the space to own one.

The good news is that there is an abundance of virtual adoption options possible!

Heartlands Baby Sanctuary invites supporters to Adopt a Cot, while the Mdzananda Animal Clinic is giving dog lovers without dogs the chance to spoil a pooch in need.

As for wildlife, imagine how happy the wildlife enthusiasts in your life would be in knowing that your gift is supporting a species they adore.

You can find out more about virtual adoptions here!

Sources: GTG 

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