FITS AND STARTS: PILIPINAS HANDFAN

When I feel like I've had enough spending on various technology screens and would like to unwind, I always revert to creating personalised pieces. This is where my attention would be drawn more to gathering relevant stationery supplies, repurposed decorative rivets, and additional decorative accessories. 

Weeks ago, I started another analogue time project where I bravely transformed an old fan into an additional decorative wall piece. 

The above old fan was once something I kept and never bothered to pin on my “Wall of Fans”. I would say that I do not like it as it was too dull, uninspiring and lacked the vibrant spirit of my beloved birth country, Pilipinas. 

LEAF AND HORSE- DRAWN CARRIAGE 

I tore away the cloth from its guard and inner sticks (fan sticks) to give it a new lease of energy. Then, I cut out the only exciting image and embellished it with decorative buttons, upcycled stones, and painted tiny sticks. 

GUARD AND INNER STICKS (FAN STICKS) 

After removing the cloth (leaf), I was left with its original fan stick. I carefully pulled out, though it did damage in the process, its original pivot pin where I was left with loose individual sticks. Then, I painted each fan stick a few times with the colours available to me. Luckily, I had most of the colours, except the green, that depict the Philippine flag. 

PIVOT PIN AND HEAD 

When all the fan sticks were completely dry, I made a new pivot pin by straightening and twisting a paper clip. This served as a replacement where it holds fan sticks together at the base; it opened and closed smoothly. Then, spruced up its head with a heart button. 

WHITE COTTON STRING 

I evenly connected each fan stick with strands of white cotton string as a replacement for its original cloth (the leaf). The strings hold the fan sticks together in a smooth arc when the fan opens. I also glued the string as it entwined around each fan stick, and accented both ends of the strands with upcycled jewellery stones. 

PILIPINAS AND PESO SIGN

I reused the rest of its original cloth to handwrite “Pilipinas” and the “Peso” sign. Then I cut them out and assembled them (glued them together) with my Tboli-inspired remnant cloth. I intentionally frayed the edges of my remnant cloth to give a fringe-like appearance. 

I also added a white rose button to the "Peso" sign, whilst all letters of "Pilipinas" were carefully painted where each letter "i" decorated with a matching pinhead. 

Furthermore, I adorned a couple of rose buttons and a butterfly button above "Pilipinas", and decided to feature my own forgotten label. 

The handfan is no longer functional as it is now a decorative piece on my "Wall of Fans" where the artistry transformation veritably suits my personality. Hence, I am pleased as punch that I pursued personalising it even though it was not a straightforward analogue time project.