FROM THE ARCHIVESunday, October 25, 2026
bricolage
bree-koh-LAHZH/ˌbɹi.koʊˈlɑʒ//noun
01 / MEANING
Making something from materials already at hand; a work made in that way.
In a sentence.
- 01
The set designer used bricolage to turn discarded wood into a cityscape.
- 02
Her desk was a bricolage of salvaged shelves and spare brackets.
Where it came from.
English borrowed bricolage from French, where it is formed from bricoler, ‘to do odd jobs or tinker.’
Explore the sourceWhy it’s interesting.
It gives a name to resourceful making, where the available pieces shape the result.