Vuigmakers

From bike tires and bottle caps to belts and jewellery

Vuigmakers work with two main waste streams, bike tires and bottle caps, which they transform into belts and jewlery respectively. They are based in their cosy “Blauwe Loods” at GOUDasfalt which is definitely worth a visit as they are busy making it a circular hotspot in Gouda.
Worn bicycle tires and bottle caps turned into belts and earrings by Vuigmakers | Waste Alchemists Worn bicycle tires and bottle caps turned into belts and earrings by Vuigmakers | Waste Alchemists
Portrait of Julie and Feiko, the makers behind Vuigmakers, in their workshop | Waste Alchemists

About Vuigmakers

About the makers: Meet the duo behind Vuigmakers: Julie and Feiko. Their story began in a hammock in France, where Feiko suddenly thought: “I need a hobby! Something for my hands instead of my head.” What started as a small experiment slowly grew into Vuigmakers. Today, they live a cool double life: during the week, Julie works at a community centre and Feiko designs street furniture you’ve probably walked past without knowing… and on weekends, they switch fully into waste alchemist mode in their awesome vintage workshop.
Play Video
Tires saved
0
Anually about … million tires are thrown away
Badass belts made
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Robust, full of character and stylish with a statement
Jewelry pieces made
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from crowncaps. Great to wear at that next party!
Worn bicycle tires and bottle caps turned into belts and earrings by Vuigmakers | Waste Alchemists

About the waste

With over 22 million bicycles in the Netherlands, worn tyres are everywhere and nearly all of them are incinerated because they consist of materials fused together. Meanwhile, bottle caps pile up behind bars and breweries, light, golden or colourful, and mostly ignored. Vuigmakers stepped into this invisible waste stream and thought “Why throw it away when it still has so much character left?”

About the process

As there are two different waste sources, there also are two different stories. It starts with Feiko raiding the waste bin of their partner bike shops like it’s a goldmine, and Julie swinging by breweries to collect buckets of caps leftover from the last weeks. Back in the Blauwe Loods, tyres get sliced open, flipped inside out, and then, wait for it, “ripen” for months like some kind of sophisticated vine before they’re washed, scrubbed, and shaped into belts. Meanwhile, Julie already cleans the bottle caps, hammers them flat in rhythmic bursts that echo through the workshop, slowly turning these shiny leftovers into beautiful creations with an attitude.
Cutting, flattening and preparing bike tires and bottle caps in the Vuigmakers workshop | Waste Alchemists
Belts made from bicycle tires and earrings made from bottle caps by Vuigmakers | Waste Alchemists

About their products

Vuigmakers’ creations are simple in the best way: vegan belts made from bike tyres, earrings hammered from bottle caps, and a growing set of small accessories made to be worn, gifted, used, and talked about. They intentionally keep their product range small, charming, and handmade because the act of making is the heart of their story.

Our approach? Not rapid, but steady growth!

“Our biggest challenge was not to grow too quickly. Growing bigger means outsourcing our making… but we want to keep working with our hands, not become managers. And the best moment is when somebody coming by sees has little spark of understanding that you can make beautiful things from waste” Julie
Vuigmakers workshop where the founders work on a weekends | Waste Alchemists

Products they alchemised

Belts from Bike Tires by Vuigmakers | Waste Alchemists 5

Women’s Waste belt

from Bike Tires

Vuigmakers

From €29,00

Belts from Bike Tires by Vuigmakers | Waste Alchemists 2

Special Tire belt

from Bike Tires

Vuigmakers

From €39,00

Belts from Bike Tires by Vuigmakers | Waste Alchemists 1

Tough Tire belt

from Bike Tires

Vuigmakers

 42,00

Belts from Bike Tires by Vuigmakers | Waste Alchemists 4

UpCycle Tire belt

from Bike Tires

Vuigmakers

 42,00

Belts from Bike Tires by Vuigmakers | Waste Alchemists 6

Classic Tire belt

from Bike Tires

Vuigmakers

 39,00

Keychain_vuigmakers

Keychain

from Fire Hoses

Vuigmakers

 15,00

Vuigmakers_beerrrings5

Earrings

from Bottle Caps

Vuigmakers

 25,00

Vuigmakers_beerrrings1

Earrings

from Bottle Caps

Vuigmakers

 22,50

Vuigmakers_beerrrings3

Earrings

from Bottle Caps

Vuigmakers

 25,00

crowncapjewelry_Vuigmakers

Earrings

from Bottle Caps

Vuigmakers

 22,50

Their upcoming events

Make your own belt from bike tires

Turn an old bike tire into a belt you are proud to wear. Hands-on, playful, at a unique location. Learn about upcycling, circularity, and leave with a story around your waist.

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