Jacket made of hundreds of crisp packets created by Yeadon woman

But, for this upcycle crafter from Yeadon, getting a “crisp” new outfit has a different meaning.

Bernadette Shackleton, 52, has salt-and-shaken up her wardrobe after spending three months turning hundreds of crisp packets into an eco ‘packet-jacket’, and has made it through to the semi-finals of a national hobby competition.

Eventbrite’s Hobby Hero competition launched in May to find Britain’s greatest hobbyist and help them share their pastime with others.

Bernadette, a child support worker and mother to 19-year-old son Ed, loves recycling from rubbish, and finds beauty in the tiniest detail. Having started collecting used crisp packets to recycle them, she began her ambitious upcycling project during lockdown with her friend Heidi. After three months, countless hours and hundreds upon hundreds of crisp packets, Bernadette’s ‘packet-jacket’ could now see her crowned the competition winner.

“I love giving a new lease of life to something that has been thrown away,” she said. “When I go to the tip, it breaks my heart that so many things of value have been discarded as landfill. A crisp packet takes seven years to degrade so I’m glad we’ve found a new use for them.

“My packet-jacket started out as a silly pastime to keep me busy in lockdown. I never expected it to look so amazing or get me in the semi-finals of this competition. Even my son says it looks amazing, which is high praise indeed!”

Bernadette had to wash and dry hundreds of crisp packets, cut them into tiny pieces and layer and stick them to a thin jacket. The detail and craftmanship is so fine that people can’t tell what material the jacket is made from.

She said: “A fashion designer friend of mine is hoping to help us get the jacket to London Fashion Week. It would be amazing to get it noticed. It really does look striking.

“For Heidi and I, it’s been a labour of love. We would put the music on, clear the table and spend hours on our intricate design. It’s been really therapeutic and enjoyable. I can’t wait to start on our next design.”

If Bernadette succeeds in the competition, she will receive a £5,000 prize – £2,500 in cash and £2,500 worth of support from Eventbrite’s experts to help share her passion with others. The Hobby Hero initiative is supported by wellbeing expert Prof Cary Cooper, who advocates using hobbies to boost mental health.

Prof Cooper said: “Hobbies can boost your wellbeing because whether you’re knitting, running, hula hooping, abseiling or baking, they offer a great way to take your mind from the stresses of the world and work, take you away from the screen and let you do something positive, creative and fulfilling.

“Enjoying a hobby with someone else or in groups is even more beneficial because it provides motivation and social connection. After two years of social isolation, it’s a joy to see people connecting through hobbies that bring them pleasure and, depending on what you do, improve physical fitness, memory or mood. I recommend taking up a new hobby to many people.”

Eventbrite’s Sebastian Boppert says: “The entries we received ranged from the more traditional to the weird and wonderful. We received lots of craft entries, but few as original and creative as Bernadette’s crisp packet art. You can tell from the photos how much dedication it took. We also love that her hobby is a sustainable pastime. I wish her all the best as one of our semi-finalists.

“Our final Hobby Hero winner will be someone with enthusiasm and dedication, who wants to share it with others – and maybe even earn some money with it. A strong entry like Bernadette’s certainly fits the bill.”

Semi-finalists have been chosen from various regions in the UK to reach the national final, and a panel of judges will announce the winner at the end of July.