London-based designer Julia Lohmann thinks dried strips of seaweed could replace leather, paper and plastic to make everyday objects like these laser-cut kelp lampshades. Seaweed could be used as a substitute for leather, parchment and even some kinds of plastics, the designer argued. “I’ve made a veneer that works really well, so it could be a substitute for hardwood,” she said.

http://www.dezeen.com/2012/10/16/kelp-lampshades-by-julia-lohmann/