Kisma Kreative
Kisma Kreative came into being in 2001, and its foundation is the philosophy of using found materials rather than purchasing the traditional materials. This makes my craft unusual and different, and means that Kisma has become a way for me to make a difference for the environment while still doing the work that I love. I have always been busy making something or other: beading, glass painting, paper crafts, and all sorts of obscure things in between. I use elements from all these crafts.
Kisma Kreative is me, I am the sole proprietor and I manufacture all the products, by hand, myself. This means that each item is carefully crafted and unique.

Turning Trash into Treasures

All Kisma Kreative items are hand-made, mostly using materials that would otherwise end up in the landfills. Wherever possible I substitute more traditional materials and craft accessories with regular household trash, developing new ways of working with these materials in order to create original and unique items. Most of the materials I use are collected by the Grahamstown community, who hate to waste anything. It is a challenge I relish, and I am sure that you will find the results inspiring. My aim is to bring recycling into everyday living by making it fun and fashionable. 

Among a wide variety of items available from Kisma Kreative you will find products made from old records, CDs and diskettes, juice boxes and snack wrappers, corks, computer keyboards and bottle tops, which are transformed into handbags and purses, clocks, jewellery, mobiles, magnets, bookmarks, gift boxes, lamp shades and much more.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like a wholesale list or if you have a specific design in mind.

Welcome to our Website!

Kisma & Co. bursts with the unique creativity of Grahamstown, South Africa. We sell unique gifts, original craft and other interesting things. Everything in our shop is handmade in Grahamstown and surrounding areas, and is therefore just a little bit different to anything you've ever seen before. Inspiration is free!

Some things you are sure to find when you browse through our special collection:

  • handbags, key racks and clocks made from LP records
  • handmade dolls and teddies
  • a selection of artisic greeting cards and postcards
  • Shwe Swhe book bags, handbags and drawstring backpacks
  • exquisite stained glass light-catchers, ornaments and other original trinkets
  • beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings
  • upcycled bags and pouches made from chip packets and chocolate wrappers

Browse our catalogue , or better yet, visit us at 118 High Street, Grahamstown, South Africa.

We are open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 1pm on Saturdays.

 

How Kisma & Co. came about

My name is Tracy and I am the proud owner, manager and dogsbody of Kisma & Co. For some time now I have operated my own business, Kisma Kreative (see side bar), creating handmade items from recyclable materials. Kisma Kreative ran a market – The Handmade Market – and the success of this market demonstrated the need for somewhere in Grahamstown where creative people could display and sell their work, and also that there were plenty of people who would be happy to support such a venture. This inspired me to open a shop stocked with local creative treasures, and so Kisma and Co. was born. At the end of 2011 a perfect venue suddenly became available, and many other things just fell into place, as if to say “This is meant to be”. I opened the doors of Kisma and Co. at the beginning of December 2011, and I haven’t looked back.                                                                  

Kisma and Co. simply bursts with the creativity of Grahamstown. It features my own work as Kisma Kreative, as well as a wide range of treasures hand-crafted by people who have been harbouring secret creative talents for everything from homemade sweet treats to handmade gifts and accessories, to works of fine art. Everything is made in Grahamstown and the surrounding areas. I think our work is always a little bit different because we are a small town and we don’t always have access to the big craft and supply shops. We often make a plan and use what we have at the time to create our unique items.   

For me the best part is that not only have we managed to create a unique shop but that the shop is becoming the centre of a community of creative people who share ideas, inspiration and materials. People often bring patterns, excess materials, upcyclable trash, tools, etc. for redistribution. I so often hear, “As long as someone can use it”. It’s almost as though each of us thought we were alone before, and now the shop has become a meeting place. I am proud to be a part of this community.  

See what we have to offer and order online                                  

Please browse through our catalogue, or pop into the shop if you’re in the area. I think you’ll find it to be an interesting and inspiring visit. Find us at the top of High Street, next to Mad Hatter's Coffee Shop and behind the Yellow House Resturant.

Please note that as each item is individually handmade, there may be slight variations in each finished product compared to the ones pictured on our website.

Share on Social Media

Home