recycled pop top handbags

when jimmy buffett blew out his flip flop and stepped on a pop top, i bet it never dawned on him to make a purse out of it.

look at these lacy modern handbags made of recycled aluminum soda can tabs. lined with nylon, they are painstakingly pieced together with crochet techniques by cia do lacre and as panteras do lacre, two brazilian craft cooperatives, which are located in economically depressed areas near brasilia. they are distributed by san francisco’s escama studio.

they remind me of those bendy pop top necklaces and bracelets i made a million years ago, back when the tabs came off the cans completely. except these are much more sophisticated.

the cooperatives help each female artist on staff build business knowledge, self esteem and craftmaking skills. each bag is signed by the artist.

see their website for more info and a nifty tutorial. belts and jewelry coming soon!

you can also purchase the bags at zanadia.