Päivi’s incredible foil dress made from medication packages—“Knitting wool socks is too formulaic for me”
Helsinki-based craft enthusiast Päivi Leinikka was inspired to create her astonishing foil dress after seeing medication packages at the pharmacy where she once worked. “Tinkering like this is the best way to clear your mind: everything else fades away when you focus on the task at hand,” Päivi says.
What a stunning dress! How on earth did you come up with the idea to make a dress out of medication blister packs, Päivi?
“The idea came to be when I was employed at a pharmacy chain and occasionally doing hairstyling as a freelance entrepreneur. I’m especially fond of fantasy and dramatic hairstyles, so I was considering entering a hair competition. The theme was COVID. After seeing the metallic medication blister packs, the idea for this dress on my hair model immediately popped into my head. The pill sheets were beautifully shiny and had a rolled pattern on their surface.”
How did you make the dress in practice? What was the process like?
“When I do crafts, I never plan my pieces in advance; I simply start creating based on my own idea. This time too, I visualized the finished dress in my mind and followed that vision.
I stapled the sheets together and used different sizes of them. The material was stiff, but it would give as I shaped it. I assembled the dress on a mannequin, though from the beginning I pictured it on my go-to model Henna. I took measurements occasionally, but because of the material, the process wasn’t that precise—it was simple to add a few sheets if needed.”
How many blister packs did you need for the dress?
“I used about 1,200 of them, and I got them all from work.”
How long did it take to make the foil dress?
“I started the dress quickly, but unfortunately the competition was canceled due to COVID, leaving the unfinished piece in a corner of my living room for quite a while. Later, I decided to finish it anyway. Because I worked on it intermittently, it’s difficult to say exactly how many hours it took. On some days, I spent several hours on it because watching the dress come together was so rewarding. You could probably make a similar one in two or three weeks.”
How did you put the metal dress on your model? Can it actually be worn?
“It was surprisingly easy to dress my model in it because the foil held its shape well. The design was round and open so the model could slip into it from above, and there was a corset-style lace-up at the back.
Because of the material, the dress turned out heavy, and the hem was enormous. That made it difficult to move around in, and it wasn’t suitable for wearing normally.”
What did you think when the dress was finished? And what did your coworkers and others think of it?
“I had so much fun making the foil dress, and it was fantastic to finally see it completed with complementary hair, makeup, and jewelry. My coworkers assumed I was just making earrings out of the foil—I doubt anyone expected something this grand! Even while it was unfinished for a long time, it still garnered a lot of admiration.
I never actually got to showcase it anywhere because transporting it would’ve been difficult. Sadly, I eventually had to recycle it since I didn’t have space for something so large in my home. Back then, I didn’t have a studio or shop—otherwise, I would have definitely displayed it in the window.”
Have you made anything similar before? And do you have any new creative plans?
“I’ve never made anything quite this large before, but I’ve always loved crafting. The actual material doesn’t matter much once your imagination starts flowing. I always have new ideas popping up—if only I had time to pursue them.
At the moment, I mostly focus on jewelry, especially earrings and decorative pieces. I run my own business and have a hair salon in Vallila, Helsinki, which also houses a vintage-oriented secondhand shop called Schick Salon & Lifestyle. So I craft both for my own enjoyment and to sell.
I don’t get excited about anything too structured, so sewing and knitting aren’t really my thing—although I greatly admire skilled sock knitters. I want to create as freely and creatively as possible. This kind of tinkering is a wonderful way to clear my mind: everything else fades away when I immerse myself in the process.
I’m currently putting the finishing touches on a new outfit, also made from recycled materials, and I hope this one actually gets some time in the spotlight. One day, I’d love to make a spectacular piece from natural materials!”
