Around four years ago, I made myself a poncho from op shop towels. It’s been all over the motu with me as it’s comfy and big enough to get changed underneath!
Ages ago I wore it to Ladies’ Night at the Papatoetoe pools and was asked, “Where did you buy that?”. When I explained that it was handmade by me, that moment sparked custom orders, and suddenly reclaimed towel ponchos became a “thing”!
And now I’m known as the ‘Towel Lady’ at Central Flea…
They’re soft, warm, absorbent and every one is completely different. Each poncho starts with reclaimed towels and nearly every scrap gets used. The bigger leftovers become hats, the smaller ones turn into cleaning cloths and then, if there’s room in our worm farm, some of the scraps get given to Wiremu, Wendy, Wendolyn and their whānau! 🪱 This definitely helps with my landfill anxiety.
Want your own poncho, hat or cleaning cloth burrito? Find out when our next market is or see what you can buy online.
We also do commissions! Get in touch, give us your favourite towels and I can turn them into a poncho or hat. Each piece is handmade, comfy, colourful, and full of character — we love giving old towels a new life!
Wormans' Work 