Last Looks at Kaleidoscope + Vote for August’s Theme!
All month long we’ve been playing with symmetry, reflection, and bursts of color 🌈. For those of you who tried with us, thank you for joining the kaleidoscope fun! Whether you stitched, dyed, cut, folded, or just marveled at the projects, the creativity has been a joy to see.
If you’ve been meaning to share something, now’s your moment! You have until midnight July 31st to post any kaleidoscope-themed project (finished or not!) and be entered to win a $25 gift code to Remnants. No catch—just post here, and you’re entered.
Let’s get into it →
My Last Kaleidoscope Attempt (for now!)
This week, I grabbed a piece of wood from the supply swap and let a spark of inspiration (poppies) guide me. I didn’t overthink it. I just started drawing shapes, letting the symmetry take over. It turned into one of those rare, flowy projects where time disappears and creativity just... opens up. Even if you didn’t participate in this month’s theme, I highly recommend giving a kaleidoscope project a try. It’s the kind of making that meets you where you are.
🎨 Need Last-Minute Project Ideas?
Here’s a kaleidoscope-inspired idea you can still try before the day ends:
📸Photograph Kaleidoscope Patterns in the Wild
Not all kaleidoscope projects require glue or scissors. Sometimes it's just about shifting your perspective.
Take inspiration from community member Adam Stanzak, who snapped a stunning photo of Olafur Eliasson’s One-way Colour Tunnel at SFMOMA. This vibrant installation turns light and reflection into a living kaleidoscope. Try it yourself: go on a visual scavenger hunt for symmetrical shapes, bold patterns, or mirrored surfaces in the world around you, and capture the kaleidoscope magic with your camera.
✍️ Or you could write a kaleidoscope inspired piece!
This work by Bella R (Nov 2018) inspired us to consider writing as a medium again.
Kaleidoscope
You
Intriguing sparkles
As I peer in,
Curious;
Earnest to learn more
About you.
I yearn
To admire you
Through a kaleidoscope,
Watch the crystals crash perfectly
The beautiful imperfections blend
Into unique shapes
Of you.
I so desire
To fit us both
Into a kaleidoscope,
Watch us collide like fate
And fuse
Into breathtaking art
Reflecting each other
As the kaleidoscope of life
Endlessly turns.
Uncertain
It is,
But one day perhaps
I pray
It'll freeze,
Everlasting
Where our feelings meet.
“But Molly, that’s not an upcycle…”
That’s ok! Just create with us. We just encourage you to source materials sustainably when you can.
🎁Don’t forget, post Kaleidoscope project and you could win!
One lucky participant will receive a $25 free goods code to spend on the Peo Vee collection on Remnants—our curated shop of creative reuse supplies! (Shipping not included.)
🗳️ Vote for August’s Theme
A new month means a new prompt! Help us decide what August’s project theme should be by voting in the community poll. Your votes steer the direction of our creative journey—and we’ve got some fun options lined up and we’ve already got one project in the lead…
🛍 New on Remnants
Our Christmas in July drop has been a hit—and we’re still adding more vintage holiday goodies as we speak. Turns out, you all really love festive fabric (good news: we’ve got plenty to go around).
We promise we’ll stop talking about Christmas in July... once July is actually over. Until then, don’t sleep on this collection. Santa’s watching. 🎅✨
🆕 New Arrivals
If you’re not quite in the holiday spirit, we won’t hold it against you. There’s still a sleigh-load of non-festive treasures waiting for you.
Peo Vee Events
Our Next Virtual Craft Cafe
Join us as we come together each month to get crafty in a casual virtual setting. Share your upcycle projects, and meet other creatives who share your passions.
✨ RSVP →
📝 New in the Blog
Discovering Huck Embroidery: The Swedish Stitching Tradition
Sometimes a craft sneaks up on you.
That’s what happened when I came across a few vintage embroidery kits tucked into a box of supplies: some linen towels, embroidery floss in bold colors, and a few unopened kits marked “Beautiful Swedish Embroidery.” I had never heard of Huck embroidery before, but something about the designs caught my eye: neat, rhythmic lines of geometric stitching that looked almost woven into the fabric.
Keep your scissors sharp, your scraps organized (ish), and your creativity flowing.
💛
- Molly
We're mission-driven to gather a community of upcyclers dedicated to reducing waste, sharing resources, sparking ideas, and bringing reuse to the forefront of our daily lives. But we can’t do it alone.
