Stylish recycling

Several weeks ago when we visited Murphy, Tenn. Murphy is a bustling small town with plenty of quaint shops and restaurants just over the Georgia/North Carolina border and just south of Andrews, North Carolina where we were visiting with family.

We saw plenty of antiques, fine art displays and handcrafts but I was amazed when I saw a new way to recycle old clothing items no longer in style. It is one of the best ideas I have seen of late and something that made me say, "I think I could do that!"

The craft is fashioning old men's ties into woven ladder back chair seats. My favorite was the blue-hued one above.

I also loved this one done in browns.

And this colorful one reminds me of a crazy quilt.

I don't really don't know exactly how they achieved this method. I am guessing that the ties are cut into strips and sewn, then strips are placed on the seat top and fastened to the wood underneath the seat. Then strips are woven across the other way and fastened tightly to the wood. I would think that a wooden lathing could be used to hold the strips more securely. It would obviously have to be strong enough to hold without coming loose when someone sat on the chair seat. A quick search gave me more than one way to do this. I am sure this would make a wonderful replacement for an old worn out chair. It would also make a wonderful seat for a child's room.

I am saving my husbands old ties and looking for yard sale ties. An ugly tie might be just be the perfect color for this craft.