Upcycling is the process of taking something old or discarded and turning it into something useful and often beautiful. It’s a sustainable option that reduces waste, saves money, and lets your creativity shine. Here’s an overview of upcycling and tips for how to get started.
What is Upcycling?
Upcycling involves taking an existing item that might otherwise be thrown away and finding a new use for it. For example, you could:
- Turn an old dresser into a bathroom sink vanity
- Make a light fixture out of scrap metal or pipes
- Convert a tired chair into a plant stand by adding a coat of bright paint
- Turn broken dishes and tiles into a mosaic tabletop
Upcycling helps keep items out of landfills and gives them renewed purpose. It’s eco-friendly, thrifty, and often results in one-of-a-kind creations.
How to Upcycle
- Gather supplies. Look around for items to upcycle. Old furniture, containers, fabrics, broken jewelry, and more can be reinvented. Raid garage sales, thrift stores, and your own home for potential materials.
- Get inspired. Browse upcycling books, magazines, and websites (see below) for ideas on what you can make out of different objects. Sometimes a new coat of paint is all a piece needs, other times you may fully disassemble and reimagine an item.
- Choose your project. Start small with something like a painted flower pot or photo display made from an old frame. For bigger projects, make sure you have the space, tools, and skills needed before diving in.
- Follow safety precautions. Use work gloves, eye protection, and other gear as needed when cutting, drilling, sanding, or disassembling items. Some materials may require a mask or working outdoors to avoid inhaling dust.
- Disassemble if necessary. Take apart any items that need full reconstruction. Save hardware like nails, screws, hinges, and handles for re-use.
- Get creative! Sand, prime, paint, stain, decoupage, collage, assemble, and add new hardware. Let the original item guide you, but don’t be afraid to reimagine it completely.
- Seal and protect your project. Add a sealant like polyurethane if needed to protect and waterproof your creation.
With some vision and elbow grease, you can give worn and forgotten items renewed purpose. Upcycling reduces the need for new materials and brings satisfying creativity into your home.
Online Resources for Learning Upcycling
- Upcycle That – This site offers hundreds of upcycling project tutorials, ideas, and tips. Categories range from furniture and home decor to kid’s crafts and fashion.
- The Spruce Crafts – This website has an extensive upcycling section with both beginner guides and advanced tutorials. You’ll find projects for repurposing clothes, furniture makeovers, and more.
- Pinterest – Search “upcycling” on Pinterest to find thousands of pins with upcycling ideas and instructions. You can browse by specific item or project type.
- Instructables – This community shares DIY tutorials for all kinds of projects, including upcycling ideas submitted by users. The site allows you to ask questions and connect with fellow upcyclers.
- Apartment Therapy – Check out the Upcycling tag of this popular interior design site for creative upcycling ideas from small decor upgrades to full furniture remakes.
Get Creative with Upcycling
Upcycling has become a popular craft for creatively-minded and eco-conscious individuals. It involves taking discarded materials and transforming them into useful, aesthetically pleasing items. With some inspiration from online DIY resources, anyone can get started with upcycling. Begin by browsing the many project ideas available on blogs, Pinterest, and YouTube. Start small to get comfortable with basic techniques like sanding, painting, and simple construction. Work your way up to more complex furniture renovations or home decor pieces as your skills grow. The benefit of upcycling lies in keeping useful items out of landfills and giving your creations renewed purpose. With a little effort, even worn-out furniture, containers, clothes and more can gain new life through upcycling.