The back-to-school season means parents are being asked to restock school supplies, and others may be thinking about their own arts and craft needs with the turn to fall.

At the same time, how to create art sustainably is a growing concern. In addition to materials becoming more pricey during inflation and harder to get with global supply chain issues, artists may feel reluctant to put more stuff into the world, even if that stuff serves an important creative purpose. Many Artcraft participants whose work involves assemblage or sculpture therefore choose to incorporate items that have been previously used and/or discarded, materials that are easily collected in nature, or even those they grow and process themselves.

Examples in the photo above include jewelry by Terry Manz, who repurposes vintage and preloved beads; an assemblage sculpture by Marianne Campbell – an expert driftwood scavenger who adds elements such a pieces of old dog balls and beach glass; and a shell and bead hanging by avid sailor Alex Golder.

Other artists like Cathie Grindler and Lorraine Surcouf transform shells with paint, glue and decoupage. Liam Johnson creates his Gulf Island Cribbage boards from found wood rather than sacrificing any new trees. Cheyenne Goh of Tweed + Bananas uses the ends of upholstery fabric rolls to create small reusable sack bags, and turns old tweed jackets into stylish purses and messenger bags. Debbie Ritchie of Fenton Design transforms beach glass and stones into original, higher end jewelry.

Fibre artists such as Donna Cochran, Melanie Thompson and Judy Goodman incorporate found and repurposed materials into their woven baskets ranging from antler to rope to dried kelp, while Nicole Kelly uses old newspaper as her base material. Artcraft members working in food and apothecary streams who grow their own ingredients or source them through ethical wildcrafting include Lavender & Black, Sacred Mountain Lavender, Forest Heart Botanicals and Salt Spring Wild and Natural.

The following list of materials found in the Artcraft gallery in 2022 provides some ideas for substitutes in your own craft supply table.

• Oyster and mussel shells
• Beach glass and stones
• Deer bones and antlers
• Buttons and sewing notions
• Maps, charts, printed ephemera
• Driftwood and reclaimed hardwood planks
• Wood gleaned from naturally fallen trees (rare local species like Garry oak and arbutus)
• Unraveled mooring line and roll-end coir rope
• Deconstructed used tennis ball
• Wire from an underwire bra
• Upcycled beads, fabric, suit jackets and men’s ties
• Wildcrafted herbs and botanicals