For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term Upcycyling, it’s when you take an item that is no longer of use like an old holey sweater or a broken wooden pallet and you craft it into something shiny and new. You can turn an old sweater into leg warmers or a cat bed. That broken pallet can be morphed into a raised planter box or even bookshelves.

Here is a Most Excellent upcycle that was found on Craftster. Mieljolie was looking for inspiration for a piece to donate to a silent auction at an upcoming Steampunk event. Look at her creation!

It’s hard to believe it but this hat is made up of strips cut from a remnant of polar fleece and the metal tabs that you find on cans of soda. The technique is called tabistry and you use the strips to weave the tabs together. She changed the color of the polar fleece to make the stripes. The beer goggles are made from 2 (now empty obviously!) beer cans, some leather bits and studs for decorative effects.

Ingenious I say!

• Beer Goggles and Top Hat – Steampunk’d with Beer Cans Tabs!