Timo Handmade Finds Modern Uses for Vintage Fabrics

"handmade fabric toy"Made mostly from used and vintage scraps of fabric, Timo Handmade’s new creations have a warm, old-world feel.

Fabric scraps can be used for lots of things, and we’ve seen designers refashion them in all kinds of ways – like use them to make repurposed fabric shoes, purses made from upholstery fabric samples, and even fabric scrap necklaces.  Israeli designer Timor Cohen, the brain and creator behind Timo Handmade, is no exception, and uses her collection of fabric scraps and knick knacks to create one-of-a-kind dolls, fabric books, blankets and handbags and rid the planet of a little more waste.  In using upcycled and repurposed materials that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill, TIMO’s creations eliminate waste and reduce the need for new materials to be created.

"vintage fabric dolls"Sustainability is part of the line’s objective, and Cohen writes that

“TIMO is part of the EcoDesign trend, standing up for the right consumption and the right manufacturing, alongside recycling, minimization of manufacturing waste and simplification of processes… The materials are mostly recycled, or scraps of designers’ fabrics.  Scraps of fabric piled up in the studio are used later as stuffing or as material for other products.”

"handmade fabric book"The materials may be secondhand, but the design is completely contemporary and chic.  TIMO’s fabric toys may be suited for children, but they are endowed with sophisticated design that will make adults smile as well.  Likewise, “the objects’ design is current and classic, but the methods of manufacture are traditional.”

With the fabric scrap collection from which TIMO’s products emerged, it is no wonder that they are so charming.  As Cohen describes the collection, it is filled with “a small case of multicolored threads I once inherited, a well-loved shirt, wrong sized, I couldn’t pass on for its magnificent texture… a handkerchief with grandpa’s initials… a romantic dress once found in a second hand shop abroad…”

If only all of us could find great uses for our own collections of scraps.

Check out more of TIMO’s creations at Timo Handmade.

Read more about other designs made from fabric scraps::
Neta in Wonderland (via Tel Aviv)
Zohar Yarom Rethinks the Furniture Fabric Sample
Ecco Ukka Weaves Love, Magic and Recycled Materials into Fabric Jewelry
Inbal Weisberg’s Upcycled Fabric Owls Are a Hoot

Images via: Timo Handmade

Karen Chernick
Karen Chernickhttps://www.greenprophet.com/
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

TRENDING

Which Occupational Therapy Activities Are Best for Toddlers’ Development?

There are plenty of art skills from Montessori schooling that are helpful in occupational therapy settings

Eco-Friendly Playgrounds: How Schools and Parks Are Reducing Their Environmental Footprint

One of the main concerns with using sustainable materials is that it won’t look like a modernized playground. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Many of these recycled, sustainable materials can be painted and purchased in fun and vibrant colors. You may just be surprised to see the possibilities. And upon first glance, many visitors may not even realize that the playground is eco-friendly in the first place.

How Eco-Friendly Playgrounds Are Reshaping Community Green Spaces

An eco-friendly playground goes a long way toward saving the city money. This is obviously also true for schools and churches that want to create new play spaces for the kids. The equipment can come in at a lower cost because the materials have been repurposed.

Toxins in tiny bodies: American children are carrying invisible chemical burden

Chemical exposures were highest among younger toddlers and racial/ethnic minorities, reflecting systemic environmental injustice. While some older chemicals like triclosan and certain phthalates are decreasing (likely due to public pressure and reformulations), new unregulated substitutes like DINCH and emerging pesticides are on the rise.

At risk for MS? Give baby and mom sun exposure

Getting sun and the association with MS.

Qatar’s climate hypocrisy rides the London Underground

Qatar remains a master of doublethink—burning gas by the megaton while selling “sustainability” to a world desperate for clean air. Wake up from your slumber people.

How Quality of Hire Shapes Modern Recruitment

A 2024 survey by Deloitte found that 76% of talent leaders now consider long-term retention and workforce contribution among their most important hiring success metrics—far surpassing time-to-fill or cost-per-hire. As the expectations for new hires deepen, companies must also confront the inherent challenges in redefining and accurately measuring hiring quality.

8 Team-Building Exercises to Start the Week Off 

Team building to change the world! The best renewable energy companies are ones that function.

Thank you, LinkedIn — and what your Jobs on the Rise report means for sustainable careers

While “green jobs” aren’t always labeled as such, many of the fastest-growing roles are directly enabling the energy transition, climate resilience, and lower-carbon systems: Number one on their list is Artificial Intelligence engineers. But what does that mean? Vibe coding Claude? 

Somali pirates steal oil tankers

The pirates often stage their heists out of Somalia, a lawless country, with a weak central government that is grappling with a violent Islamist insurgency. Using speedboats that swarm the targets, the machine-gun-toting pirates take control of merchant ships and then hold the vessels, crew and cargo for ransom.

Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López Turned Ocean Plastic Into Profitable Sunglasses

Few fashion accessories carry the environmental burden of sunglasses. Most frames are constructed from petroleum-based plastics and acrylic polymers that linger in landfills for centuries, shedding microplastics into soil and waterways long after they've been discarded. Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt López, president of the Spanish eyewear brand Hawkers, saw this problem differently than most industry executives.

Why Dr. Tony Jacob Sees Texas Business Egos as Warning Signs

Everything's bigger in Texas. Except business egos.  Dr. Tony Jacob figured...

Israel and America Sign Renewable Energy Cooperation Deal

Other announcements made at the conference include the Timna Renewable Energy Park, which will be a center for R&D, and the AORA Solar Thermal Module at Kibbutz Samar, the world's first commercial hybrid solar gas-turbine power plant that is already nearing completion. Solel Solar Systems announced it was beginning construction of a 50 MW solar field in Lebrija, Spain, and Brightsource Energy made a pre-conference announcement that it had inked the world's largest solar deal to date with Southern California Edison (SCE).

Related Articles

Popular Categories