Old magazines became art at Sustainable UF’s first Green-It-Yourself event of the year Monday evening in Weil Hall.
The event was conducted as a workshop: Interns provided pre-cut cardboard frames, magazines and other supplies and taught about 20 participants to fashion the materials into art projects.
“The whole purpose of this event is to use materials that you already have laying around and to have fun and create projects that you and your friends can enjoy,” said Joy Fahz, a Sustainable UF intern.
The 20-year-old UF management senior co-hosted the event with two other Sustainable UF interns.
The organization provides interns with an opportunity to run and promote Green-It-Yourself events, said Laurel Nesbit, a graduate assistant at the Office of Sustainability. They are tasked with creating unique ideas that encourage sustainability awareness.
“We give the interns a lot of freedom,” she said.
Intern Laura McCann said she reuses objects she finds all the time. She said she’s currently decorating a mirror left behind by a previous tenant and finds inspiration for projects on the Internet.
“Any time we have any inkling of an idea, we go on Pinterest,” the 21-year-old UF environmental science senior said. “There’s always instructions.”
Attendees crafted bookmarks, coasters and picture frames from the provided materials.
Hollyn Hartog, a 19-year-old UF exploratory engineering freshman, said she values Sustainable UF’s initiatives on campus.
“They raise advocacy about waste produced and encourage people to get crafty,” she said.
Dana Roberson, a 20-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology sophomore, made a coaster at the event.
“It’s cool because it makes sustainability fun,” she said.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 2/25/2014 under the headline “Students craft using recycled materials at Sustainable UF event"]
