Each year as the holiday season approaches, it becomes a bit more difficult to buy gifts for our loved ones. What many of us may not realize is that we can take our gift-giving spirit to next level by incorporating eco-friendly surprises.
If you are looking for a green gift that is sure to stand out, check out Pixelthis’ recycled clocks, which utilize old hardware materials that would have otherwise been thrown away. Shop owner Allan Young began taking apart old items and tinkering around until he created a clock from an old computer hard drive. After showing a few impressed fans, Young had the motivation he needed to work with other forgotten items like motherboards, bike parts, record players and much more.
Young says, “Every clock I make is an original with a history that we can only imagine. Every ding and dent tells a story. These clocks are not just time pieces, but storytellers.”
Young currently shows off “clock made from a recycled magnetic tape reel” ($27) on etsy.com. This recycled clock is made from a recycled magnetic tape reel combined with a new quartz clock mechanism and comes with its life-giving AA batteries. Purchasing recycled gifts at an affordable price makes any gift-giving season that much easier.
Higher-end models are also available for those who are looking to spend a little more on their holiday gifts. The “recycled bike wheel and tire clock” is composed of a recycled bike wheel and bike tire, recycled cassette gears, German quartz clock mechanisms and a hollow wall anchor and screw. The wheel mounts directly to the wall through the hub using the hollow wall anchor, which gives the viewer the illusion that it is floating off the wall. This optical illusion also comes with the necessary AA batteries for the price of $137.
Young reminds his costumers that because his clocks are made from recycled materials, there are minor imperfections such as scuffing, warping, corrosion, scratches and other imperfections.
“What I love most about this work is that it’s not work!” Young says. “I am not only being creative, but [also] helping the environment by recycling old junk that would likely end up in some landfill. Repurposing old stuff into cool new stuff is what my craft is all about.”