Dirt from Every State

Craft & Design

statedirt.png

Here’s a really attractively displayed project by H. Mathis:

Using Craigslist, I posed a listing in every state. Each had to be unique. The Craigslist post read that I was working on an art project. (oh man, do people love that) I explained that I created a dirt retrieval system to get the dirt back to me, postage paid. They simply had to go into their backyard, collect it, and throw it in the mail. Due to postage each kit cost me around 10 dollars. I ended up sending out over 100 kits to receive the 52 state total. I unexpectedly learned many many things from this collection. The massive differences in soil from each state, the stories told from each individual sending the dirt in, oh…and the dirt from Hawaii is cursed…

I would have liked to see the state dirt arranged in a topographical representation of the states’ landforms, but maybe that’s asking too much.

What will the next generation of Make: look like? We’re inviting you to shape the future by investing in Make:. By becoming an investor, you help decide what’s next. The future of Make: is in your hands. Learn More.

Becky Stern is a Content Creator at Autodesk/Instructables, and part time faculty at New York’s School of Visual Arts Products of Design grad program. Making and sharing are her two biggest passions, and she's created hundreds of free online DIY tutorials and videos, mostly about technology and its intersection with crafts. Find her @bekathwia on YouTube/Twitter/Instagram.

View more articles by Becky Stern
Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!

ADVERTISEMENT

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 16th iteration!

Prices Increase in....

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
FEEDBACK