In this weeks Creative Plastics Workshop, artist and designer Amelia Rowe, showed the participants how to make pompoms out of recycled film from inside VHS tapes!

Amelia took loads of tape out of a couple of old VHS’, and washed it in the washing machine before arriving, getting any chemicals off of the tape, that are used to hold the film onto it.

Participants then used a cup to get the shape of two circles onto a piece of cardboard, and drew a dot in the centre of the circle.  Then, after cutting out each cardboard circle and the centre of each circle, a slice was cut out of each one leaving two cardboard ‘C’ shapes.  The stretches of tape were then wrapped round the C shapes that were sandwiched together.  Once the tape came to an end, the rolled up tape was eased off of the C shapes, using a length of string that would form the inside of the pompom.  The piece of string was then tied tightly and cut neatly, forming the spherical pompom! The ends of the VHS tape were trimmed, make a neat, recycled pompom – perfect for a Halloween spider decoration!

Plastics such as carrier bags and crisp packets are hugely difficult for our local councils to recycle so Amelia is going to use them to share skills with participants in how to make items such as jewellery, woven baskets and wallets.

Classes will take place every Thursday at the Broomhill Art Flat from 3.30pm – 5.30pm – new members always welcome!

Come on the day to the Broomhill Art Flat (to gain entry, press number “12” on the keypad to be buzzed into Broomhill Court),
12 Broomhill Court, Ann Street, Greenock, PA15 4ET

These free workshops are suitable for all ages, but under 14s should be accompanied by an adult.