At 26 years old, April Gramolini is an inspiration. She recognized the need for more sustainable and earth friendly accessories and has made it a reality. April has been a vegetarian for 11 years and couldn’t handle seeing another leather wallet or belt. The chemicals used to tan such products are incredibly harmful to the environment, not to mention that an animal died for that belt.
Originally April, a native from Tiverton, RI started hand weaving wristlets and wallets with yarn found at thrift stores. But inspiration struck when her best friend gave her some Blue Mountain Coffee as a souvenir from a trip to Jamaica. Upon seeing the burlap bag that the coffee beans were packaged in she immediately thought “We cannot just throw this away!” She made that coffee bag into a satchel and went on a quest for more unique coffee bags to upcycle into different accessories. She discovered that she could buy these used jute coffee bags from local coffee roasters like Custom House Coffee in Middletown, RI. Each bag has its own wonderful story. Interesting printing on the bags includes the weight of the full bag, a description and origin of the beans, and sometimes a large, beautiful Rainforest Alliance Certified stamp. April lets the natural beauty of these bags shine through in her accessories. She skillfully designs handbags, wallets, and belts to accent the unique prints original to the bags. April loves making eco-friendly products using local upcycled materials. She enjoys repurposing and reshaping the materials into useful items. April says that “it’s a labor of love, so calming and rewarding”.
April’s World creations are incredibly durable, each item is a complete original… and the perfect gift for your coffee-addict friend or relative. Her handbags are fully lined and are equipped with two interior pockets and button closure. April’s merchandise can be found at Green Envy Eco-Boutique in the Brick Marketplace of Newport, RI. (401)619-1993 and online at www.aprilsworld.etsy.com
Originally April, a native from Tiverton, RI started hand weaving wristlets and wallets with yarn found at thrift stores. But inspiration struck when her best friend gave her some Blue Mountain Coffee as a souvenir from a trip to Jamaica. Upon seeing the burlap bag that the coffee beans were packaged in she immediately thought “We cannot just throw this away!” She made that coffee bag into a satchel and went on a quest for more unique coffee bags to upcycle into different accessories. She discovered that she could buy these used jute coffee bags from local coffee roasters like Custom House Coffee in Middletown, RI. Each bag has its own wonderful story. Interesting printing on the bags includes the weight of the full bag, a description and origin of the beans, and sometimes a large, beautiful Rainforest Alliance Certified stamp. April lets the natural beauty of these bags shine through in her accessories. She skillfully designs handbags, wallets, and belts to accent the unique prints original to the bags. April loves making eco-friendly products using local upcycled materials. She enjoys repurposing and reshaping the materials into useful items. April says that “it’s a labor of love, so calming and rewarding”.
April’s World creations are incredibly durable, each item is a complete original… and the perfect gift for your coffee-addict friend or relative. Her handbags are fully lined and are equipped with two interior pockets and button closure. April’s merchandise can be found at Green Envy Eco-Boutique in the Brick Marketplace of Newport, RI. (401)619-1993 and online at www.aprilsworld.etsy.com
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