Creativity Lessons: Let’s not hurry to throw away old things

– A lot of people are in a hurry to get rid of the things that have served, and you give them a second chance – you either refresh and allow them to live or use it to create other items. What is it duty, attitude, hobby?

– I became interested in that about seven years ago. When my daughter was born and confronted with her illness, my parental leave took longer than I had planned. On the Internet – both Lithuanian and foreign language – in search of information about the disease, I unexpectedly saw a video of the updated old furniture. That’s how it turned: the more I watched, the more I wanted to get that information, and the images sailed one after the other. I wrote down every measure I saw, workflow, etc.

So far, I keep it a hobby, but I hope this activity will turn into my favorite job in the future. The man even found the cottage to have room for work, because there were a lot of accumulation of measures at home and waiting for his queue. Refresh furniture at home is uncomfortable. I do small handicrafts, updates at the table, but then I turn around with tools, and work is always lacking.

If I can create something necessary and beautiful, why not do it? You will not find the second one.

– Today, the Internet can become a teacher, but is there enough knowledge? Do not shake hands when someone fails?

– I have completed the furniture renovation courses, I studied with liquid metal and epoxy resin technology, but that is very little. I find most of the necessary information on the Internet, and then only the test path. I like to try myself most. I see what video and I try to play.

Only after watching foreign videos, one problem arises – it is impossible to find all the tools used in Lithuania. Then, seven years ago, I sent furniture paint and other tools from abroad because I wanted to do everything only as shown in the videos. I was afraid that I would fail. Now I have learned to be flexible, to give up something, to add something or change something accessible in Lithuania. I learned to choose what works and likes me.

Special: You will neither see nor be able to buy a second such furniture. / Photo by I. Bukytė-Mockienė’s personal archive

– Maybe more confidence now – not only do you follow the ideas you have seen, but you improvise yourself?

– There are many creative people who share their ideas on how to create one or another decoration, to renew the old way to become new or more used. Of course, it is a great inspiration and encouragement to improvise.

At some point during the festive period, the idea of ​​preparing outdoor decorations from the boards left at home came up. I asked the educators to accept it and, with approval, I started work. Everyone liked it. Then I received a request from the educators to create an ad board for the group. The heart was both happy and shivered at the same time. Then more work spilled: we transported Easter egg to kindergarten, cut out of the old cabinet door, and decorated Santa’s residence, and the theme « Winter Tale » decorations were created.

– Strokes the heart?

– Oh, how strokes! It is fun that my work is used to delight others. Even more fun is that I can create something beautiful using what should be transported to the waste collection site. For example, foam leaves can be thrown away, any beautiful dwarf or shrek comes out of it!

Composition: « I have renovated a few kitchen items, and now they are like a single set, » Indre introduces her work. / Photo by I. Bukytė-Mockienė’s personal archive

– You probably have no unused items?

– Probably. I once asked my grandmother if she had any old pots or bowls, so I got one such a very tired bowl. Even now, it is used to be used. When I moved into a new home, I renovated a few kitchen items, and now they are like a single set, most importantly, you didn’t have to throw away and buy new ones.

There are furniture that has already come to the third home to refurbish to suit the interior.

Many such updates were due to lack of gift ideas. The cousin gave birth to a daughter, and I put the gift in a renewed box, the rest of the flower bouquet. It is now a box of memories. Another updated box of flowers was handed over to the future bride through a bridesmaid with appropriate gifts. I really enjoy refurbishing the boxes and decorating.

– Do you sometimes have thoughts: what are I tired of, time, after all, it would be easier to buy a new item?

– I often think that it seems to be a meaningless time of time to others. Some even accept: How do you donate the item used here?! I reassure myself that I always renew every item responsibly, and if I can create something needed and beautiful, why not do it? You will not find the second one. There are furniture that has already come to the third home to refurbish to suit the interior. There are those who are still waiting for their turn.

Practical: Indre really likes to update boxes. They are useful for their creative hands for both things to put together, to decorate their home and to give. / Photo by I. Bukytė-Mockienė’s personal archive

– Would you share the subtleties of your work – what techniques do you use?

– It is difficult to say about techniques or methods. Rarely, my refurbished item or furniture is simply painted or painted in only one color. I have weakness (others probably call it a disadvantage or lack of taste) – I often add molding, textures, use stencils and aging tools, wax of various colors.

I really like colors, white is rarely in my work. True, I renovated a table with chairs to my friend, and I had to use it as well. I make it difficult to expand when doing smaller jobs, but I can’t do without molding and cracking varnish. I don’t even know where that desire to abuse an object … In my home and I was aging the walls, admittedly not all.