Initially, Abigail Gilfedder was not confident anyone would.
But in the end, she decided to roll the dice and give it a go as part of her school’s Young Enterprise Scheme.
The Bayfield High School 18-year-old said she wanted to find a way to make classy, but sustainable and affordable earrings.
“I have a huge collection — like over 100 pairs of earrings — but a lot of them are from businesses that have very bad business practices that I didn’t realise at first.
“I felt buyer’s guilt because of that.”
So, when she saw an old wooden pallet about to be thrown out at school, the penny dropped for her.
“I managed to rescue and recycle it.
“It was just an old wooden pallet that was going to be chucked out, and I saw it as a way to upcycle.
“There’s plenty of them around, so materials are always in plentiful supply, which makes it so much more affordable.”
Abigail said she made the earrings herself, using a laser cutter.
Using the laser meant she was able to create customised earrings at very low cost.
“It kind of sounds like a laser cutter wouldn’t be very good for the environment, but it’s actually a lot better than people would think.
“It has no byproducts, there’s no wastage, and it keeps everything precise.
“And any material I have left over can go straight back into the environment because it’s natural.”
She said it took less than a minute to create one set of earrings, and she could make thousands of them out of just one wood pallet.
The best part about it was that it did not feel like work for her.
“It’s fun. I love making jewellery.
“And it’s super easy as well. All it is, is attaching a hook and a jump ring. Simple as.”
She was one of about a dozen Otago secondary school students at the Young Enterprise Scheme Market Day in Dunedin’s Wall Street Mall at the weekend, trying to sell their innovative products to the public.
The young entrepreneurs had a wide range of products, ranging from DIY phone cases and handcrafted leather balm to original paintings, tea towels, and unique seasonings.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
