I came across the idea of weaving newspaper on an Instructable a short while back, and it seemed like a material which had some potential that needed exploring. There were very few products online which used the material. My first thought was that there was probably a good reason for that. I decided to test it out. Rather arbitrarily, I decided that the initial test product should be a basic clutch. 

Being newspaper, the material is extremely vulnerable to water, which makes smaller applications most appropriate (things that would generally be carried inside other bags and whatnot). Newspaper can be found basically anywhere (at a delightfully low material cost), and the fabric lining is made right here in South Africa, meaning the bulk of the product is made entirely locally. The newspaper could be replaced with virtually any disposable sheet material. Think plastic bags, billboards, cement bags, etc. This is something I’ll explore later on.

If commercial interest were to develop, it would be made by people with basic skills, cheaply and affordably — helping the local economic, social, and natural environments. 

My favourite part is how the woven newspaper presents the ultimate in contextually sensitive design, because the product is literally covered in the happenings of the locale where the bag was made.

It’s designed to last just as long as typical bags like this would be used before being abandoned in favour of the latest fashion item, and it would be priced to reflect its disposability. Also, you wouldn’t need to throw the bag away once the outer material is all worn out, everything could be reused to make another bag.

Thank you!