Read all about it! Valerie’s amazing creations made with the E&S
It might look like a traditionally woven basket – but the truth is much more newsworthy.
In fact Valerie Morgan's beautifully crafted bags, baskets, hampers, holdalls – even her hat – are all made from copies of the Express & Star.
The mother-of-four cuts the pages into sections, rolls them into quills, then paints and varnishes them to make the end-products strong and durable.
She said: "I got the idea from a video and used Express & Stars because I live in Wolverhampton and it's my local newspaper.
"When I tell people they can't believe it. You can actually see the newsprint on some of the lighter coloured bags.
"I just love the idea of making things out of things that are used once and then thrown away. I love recycling and the idea of creating something beautiful out of it. Everything has its worth. There's a lot of potential in Wolverhampton."
The 52-year-old businesswoman, who home-schooled her children, started looking around for something to fill her time when her older children started to go off to college.
She began by making jams and marmalades which she still sells at pop-up shops at the Mander Centre and Wolverhampton Railway Station but two years ago branched out into weaving.
"As I got more independent, I wanted to be more creative. The weaving takes a long time but it's so relaxing. I'm also a Christian and the Bible talks about God restoring things, and that really speaks to me," she said.
Valerie's latest product is mobile phone holders woven out of Express & Star newspapers which she makes at the family home in Sandy Lane, Bushbury. She also sells her craftware through her House of Morgan Facebook page.
