With many countries in Africa having officially gone into lockdown – including South Africa, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Senegal – it’s time for us all to bring our daily practices to a halt and settle into a new normal. Many entrepreneurs and businesses have already come up with ingenious ways to keep working online or have adapted their businesses models to the current situations, by ways of supporting medical institutions and other frontline workers.

Renowned fashion brand Prada, for example, is currently producing 80, 000 overalls and       110, 000 face masks for Italian medical personnel; H&M will also be making masks and other necessary equipment, and Zara will be contributing hospital gowns. A coalition of American fashion and textile brands – including Los Angeles Apparel, Fruit of the Loom and AST Sportswear Inc. – have teamed together with the federal government to make facemasks too.

Small fashion businesses, however, can only do so much in terms of producing masks, gowns and overalls at such a big scale. With no access to textiles and other materials needed to keep on designing and producing during this lockdown, many entrepreneurs and fashion businesses will find themselves with extra time on their hands and a whole lot of anxiety in their minds.

And, while there is no real way to combat this global pandemic other than to follow government rules and to #stayhome and stay safe, there are ways to keep yourself sane throughout this whole ordeal: by finding old clothes and accessories to upcycle into something new and fashionable. You may not be able to change the world right now, but you can make other changes happen right before your eyes – and that’s always therapeutic. Here are three fun upcycled fashion projects to keep you sane during lockdown!

Turn Crisp Packets into Pouches & Matching Jewelry

During the first week or so of lockdown, you’re going to be reaching for the comfort food – a lot. And that’s okay – we’re living in strange times right now, the uncertainty is gnawing at us, therefore we should allow ourselves to do and eat whatever makes us feel good right now. Fortunately, there are many fun ways to turn your old crisp packets into fashionably funky accessories that are bound to excite your friends once you all get to reunite. Who knows? You might even find yourself having so much fun with this product, you’ll create a whole range to sell online or upon re-opening your physical shop.

Two really great ways to upcycle crisp packets is by turning them into pouches and jewelry items such as bracelets, necklaces and earrings. While the jewelry mainly relies on folding techniques to come together, creating a crisp packet pouch will require sewing and a few extra materials you probably have laying around at home anyway. This is a fantastic way to work off the guilt of having consumed plastic-packaged junk food!

Crack an Egg & Get Cracking on Making Jewelry

Now that our morning routines are bound to change, we can start making time for leisurely breakfasts. Take your time in the mornings – there’s no need to rush. Pop some bread in the toaster, cut up some tomatoes, avocados or other fruits, and cook a few eggs. Not only will a hearty breakfast kickstart your day in the best possible way, it will also leave you with supplies to craft with, namely eggshells. As it turns out, we can turn eggshells into intricate, beautiful upcycled jewelry!

This project requires minimal materials, and the ones you do need, you’ll already have laying around at home. Sift through your jewelry box and find any pendants or chunky bracelets or find something you can use as a pendant – a piece of smooth wood or even a solid bottle top. Remove the eggshells and crush them into little pieces, making sure to get all the inside skin off and clean them properly. Use glue or mod podge to coat the surface you’ll be creating your eggshell mosaic on and start arranging the eggshells on it in whatever design you wish. Once you’re happy with the result, use alcohol-based paints or nail-varnish to colour your mosaic. If you’re using nail-varnish, you’ve got yourself a built-in varnish to tie it all together.  

Turn Your Shoes into a Statement with Blackboard Paint

Sure, your shoes are made for walking, but right now, that’s not what they’re going to be doing. At least, not much. So, while you’re not able to show off your cutest kicks and sexiest heels, prepare them for their premiere catwalk down the road when all this has blown offer, by painting them with blackboard paint. Go through your shoe closet and find a pair of heels or boots that are no longer trendy or rocking your boat. Clean them off properly and make sure they are dry, then use a paintbrush or a roller – depending on the shoe design – to paint them with blackboard paint.

This is a fun way to turn your shoes into a statement – simply use white or different coloured chalk to write uplifting messages or draw quirky little designs on them,  and you can rest assured that they will turn many heads once it’s safe to walk the streets again. You’re also guaranteed to brighten anyone’s day as you pass them – with a two-meter distance, of course – in the local supermarket aisle, and getting someone to smile during these tough times, is worth more than all the Manolo Blahniks money can buy.