Spare Parts: Clever Ways To Recycle The ‘Current’

By San Antonio Current Staff

The latest in our ongoing collaboration with creative reuse specialist Mary Elizabeth Cantú and the innovative elves of her organization Spare Parts follows the wallet-friendly theme of our inaugural Free Issue. Rising to the occasion with bells and whistles, Cantú and her crafty collaborators (Giovanna Carrola, Carla Berryman, Jeanne Cantu, Laura Carter, Chris Castillo, Elizabeth Cavazos and Eric Cavazos) folded, rolled, crumpled, stuffed, taped, glued and stapled up a storm of adaptable projects—all made from the pages of your (hopefully) favorite free alt-weekly. For more about Spare Parts and its contributions to arts education, visit sparepartstudio.org.

05/21/2014

Photos by Bryan Rindfuss

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Bryan Rindfuss

1. After stacking up two-page spreads, Cantú rolled them into long, cigar-like shapes fastened with tape.

Bryan Rindfuss

2. Putting her geometry skills into practice, Cantú used staples and more tape to build pyramids that can be used as building blocks for intriguing arrangements.

Bryan Rindfuss

3. Expertly folded by Eric Cavazos (instructions posted at forgreenies.com), these origami planters make for cute seedling pots or clever vehicles for plant cuttings.

Bryan Rindfuss

4. Crafted by Elizabeth Cavazos, these pillowy little accents are stuffed with shredded newspaper and held together with staples.

Bryan Rindfuss

5. If you’ve got a cooler way to reuse our May 16 cover, send it to us. Until then, Chris Castillo’s accordion-folded butterflies with pipe-cleaner antennae win top honors.

Bryan Rindfuss

6. That shoebox you’ve been hiding is ready to be reincarnated as this playful picture frame Cantú collaged with glue and pages from our calendar section.

Bryan Rindfuss

7. Cantú used state-of-the-art paper weaving technology to whip up this cost-effective placemat.

Bryan Rindfuss

8. Elizabeth Cavazos fashioned this dainty little bird with wadded-up Current pages covered in tape and finished off with a top coat of paper and glue.