‘Tis the season when holiday wreaths decorate the doors of many island houses. But for some, there are no doors to make festive, let alone a home to welcome friends and relatives.
When 6-year-old Mirabelle Anderson told her mother Julia that a school friend was sleeping on friends’ couches because her mother lost her job and couldn’t pay the rent, the Anderson team took action.
The mother-daughter duo decided to raise both funds and awareness about affordable housing on Vashon by creating unique wreaths out of empty spray paint cans — turning trash into treasure — and donating 20 percent of the sales to Vashon HouseHold.
Julia, who calls herself a natural tinkerer, began collecting the used cans several years ago when she lived in Olympia. She said graffiti artists left behind their spent cans, inspiring her to reclaim the refuse.
“I decided to give the unsightly a second life,” she said. “Now I go to Olympia to collect cans from beautiful outside places that otherwise would be trashed.”
In her studio shed behind the Sugar Shack, Julia cuts the cans open to create ornate flowers, which she fastens into wreaths. Mirabelle is in charge of color and choosing the beads that Julia then wires onto the refashioned cans.
The idea to raise money for those in need is not new for the Andersons. Last year, Mirabelle raised $1,400 through a quilting project for the homeless in Portland. This year, helping the displaced took on a personal poignancy.
“Mirabelle was really concerned for her friend,” Julia said, “so we sought out Vashon HouseHold as the nonprofit we wanted to support as a family.”
She added that growing up on the island and now raising her family here is a huge part of her motivation to do something for the community.
The wreaths are available at Urban Bloom and at a pop-up sale from 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday at the Sugar Shack. Donations to support the project can be made at the fundraising site gofundme.com/vashonhomes4all.
Julia plans to continue making her spray can art, taking commissions and creating new pieces for the garden after the holidays. She and Mirabelle say they are committed to continue donating 20 percent of all future proceeds to Vashon HouseHold.
“Every kid deserves a safe and cozy bed to sleep in, Mom,” Mirabelle said to her mother. “In a place like this, everyone should be able to take care of each other.”
