The Dannevirke woman making jewellery out of old cutlery

Charlotte Kelly: Each ring has a unique design. Photo / Supplied

Charlotte Kelly reckons it was her need to find "something to do" that started her off making rings.

That has turned into a business which seems to be doing quite well for itself - the milestone of 100 rings sold has now been reached.

And that's not just in Dannevirke.

"I have sold rings all across New Zealand and Australia."

It was as she was getting lunch one day that the 19-year-old saw some cutlery in the drawer.

"I realised that one of them had a nice pattern. I didn't have any jewellery so I thought it would just make a nice ring."

It took her a bit of practice to get it right, although at first she didn't have the right tools.

"After I made my first couple of rings they looked a bit shocking because I didn't know what I was doing. Then I kind of just taught myself by watching YouTube videos."

As she got better at it, her friends began asking her about the rings and wanted her to make some for them.

She launched the business, Archaic Designs, in February this year.

Kelly said she buys the cutlery at op shops.

"I buy ones that have interesting patterns that I think people would like. I get quite a lot of questions from people working there - they ask why I'm buying so many spoons, then I have to explain to them."

Charlotte had seen jewellery on Pinterest that was trendy and more along the lines of what people her age were interested in, but felt it wouldn't last very long.

A lot of jewellery made out of gold or silver was also very expensive.

While her rings were made from mostly stainless steel it was good quality, so it would last a while.

Plus, it wasn't as expensive.

"You can get cool-looking unique rings for an affordable price."

Charlotte Kelly with some of the rings she has made.

Kelly said before she started the business she was rather shy.

"I never bothered to put myself out there," she said.

Having the business has helped her grow in confidence. She has also started taking an online business course through the Open Polytech.

Kelly would like to branch out with new ideas on how to use recycled materials to keep up with the current movement in sustainability.

"I have noticed that everyone's kind of trying to strive and do their best, being sustainable, being conscious of where their products are coming from."

She said she was proud of what she had accomplished.

"I hope I am able to continue doing what I love while being as sustainable as I can and inspire others to do the same."

Archaic Designs can be found on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/0ArchaicDesigns0 and Instagram.