"Paper Bloom" designed by Maria E.

My name is Maria and the charity I'm fundraising for is the American Mural project. After spending some time at the Outdoor Design & Build program at AMP, I wanted to help support the camp and donate money for materials for kids to build tree forts and sculptures, or something in between. 

The body of the dress is made from reusable shopping bags. The corset is made of newspapers rolled into tight circles, and the skirt is made of a variety of packing materials. The flowers on the dress are made from magazines. The accessories are also made from recycled materials. The purse is made from a Folgers container and has flowers made of magazine and newspaper clippings covering the brim.

We decided to use these materials not only because it was what we had on hand, but because of their effect on the environment. Paper makes up 26% of landfill waste, and 33% of municipal waste. Paper production can lead to deforestation. There have been around 19.5 million Hectares of forest cut down or burned globally just this year.  Every year, Americans reportedly throw away 100 billion plastic grocery bags. About only 1-3% of plastic bags are recycled every year.