Canned Goods is a brand of upcycled jewelry located in Denver, Colorado. The brand’s creator tells us the story behind his home business.
For his Wedding Anniversary, Thomas had an idea for a gift that combined craftsmanship, upcycling and creativity: he made a pair of earrings and a bracelet for his wife entirely out of tin cans. Today his brand has multiple distributors and is part of the new wave of “fashion with purpose”.
Thomas Paul Althaus knew his creation could become a business when people started asking his wife about the pieces and showing interest in them. Canned Goods was officially born when a local store placed an order for 100 pieces. All the work happens in his garage and in the past 16 months, Thomas says to have sold around 1,300 units. He partners with retail distributors that focus on slow fashion and he also sells on Etsy.
Canned Goods also has the “Can Do Good” program, where one can of food is donated for every item sold, a model that several brands have embraced to integrate a social impact component to their business. So far, they have done this through MetroCaring, a Denver-based hunger relief program that also helps the beneficiaries access educational opportunities and become more self-sufficient. Thomas hopes to expand the scope of the program as business grows and start working with other organizations.
As for the future of Canned Goods, they have thought of upcycling other materials, but Thomas feels there is still a lot more that can be done with food cans:
“We’re constantly thinking of upcycling other materials, but we feel we haven’t even scratched the surface of what we can create out of tin food cans. We have sketchbooks filled with designs of jewelry for women, men and children as well as items to be used in and outside the home. Someday, maybe, we’ll move to another material.”
Thomas believes in following the example of big companies who are innovative, hungry and humble; which he considers a recipe for success.
I love it when people do a lot with little. Using basically trash to create a new source of income for his family is one of the best stories I have stumbled upon recently. With free raw materials and low overhead from working at home, Thomas teaches us a valuable lesson on how to start a business with little upfront risks.
Click here to see the video from the Denver local news.
My favorite CG pieces
Some-tin
Giveaway
The winners can choose from these Canned Goods items:
To enter, you can do any of the following:
– Follow Fashionhedge and Canned Goods on Instagram and comment on our most recent photo using #fashionhedgexcannedgoods.
– Follow Fashionhedge and Canned Goods on Facebook and comment on the most recent post using #fashionhedgexcannedgoods.
– Or simply enter your info:
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Minimum prize value of US$30.
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Open only for the US.
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Multiple entries will give you multiple chances to win!
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More than 1 winner will be selected.
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The winner will be notified via the entry method they used.