When I was growing up, in the 1970s and 80s, it seemed like my mother was constantly re-using things to make new things that bore zero resemblance to the originals. Trash bags became Halloween costumes, old carpet samples became purses, Quaker oatmeal containers became change banks, pinhole cameras, dioramas...

She demanded creativity: When I was eight, I wanted He-Man and the Castle of Greyskull more than anything in the world, but once she saw the fortress I'd made out of plain, wooden building blocks, she said I clearly didn't need a store-bought toy. (I promptly destroyed my fortress out of spite, but the lesson stuck.)

In this short spot, an artist shows how you can turn a cardboard coffee holder into a fashion statement with stuff you'd otherwise throw away. I don't intend to make this particular item for myself, but I like the spirit of the project. And it makes me think I should call my mom and say thanks.