If you’ve never heard the buzzword ‘upcycle,’ you’ve probably been off to the moon. The creative reuse trend is about transforming products that otherwise end up in the trash.
Why? Because it is a great way to reuse materials and reduce our footprint. Plus, it’s fun, and if you’re still not convinced, below we have plenty of evidence of people using their skills and ingenuity to give old stuff a new life.
From a handcrafted tote bag made from plastic bags to an old grill transformed into a cute herb garden, nothing seems impossible for these handy people. Scroll down, upvote your favorite remade objects, and share your upcycling ideas in the comments below! (H/T)
01. This Kind Man Is Recycling Old Camp Coolers To Make Warm Kitty Shelters For Winter! How Cool Is This?!
02. The School Security Guard Decided To Save The Discarded Benches And Gave Them A Second Life
03. I Take Plastic Shipping /Bale Straps From Hardware Store Waste, And Make Sturdy, Functional & Fashionable Baskets! (My Cats Also Love Them At Every Stage)
Every year we dump a massive 2.12 billion tons of waste. This astonishing amount of waste is partly because 99 percent of the stuff we buy is trashed within six months. If all this waste were put on trucks, they would go around the world 24 times.
Luckily, more and more people are now becoming aware of the damage of the waste they produce and their footprint on their planet by consuming it daily. Sustainable consumption is a way to do more and better with less, meaning that we give old products a whole new life.
To learn more about the now-trending practice of upcycling, we talked to Lina Survila, an editor-in-chief of Abstract Stylist magazine. “Upcycling is a reuse of no longer desirable items. It can be something that has lost its function or spark joy anymore,” Lina explained this buzzword.
04. Pulled Out Of A Trash Heap. It Was One Part Of A Military File Cabinet. Added Some Legs, And Bingo, Bango! Thorough Cleaning, Paint, And A Little Shining Up, Followed By Wrapping It In Wood From My Scrap Pile.
05. This Rug Used To Be A Bunch Of Ugly T-Shirts
06. I Convinced My Friend Not To Throw Away His Old Fencing And Let Me Build Him Garden Boxes. How Do You Think They Came Out?
“Creative upcycling is becoming increasingly popular as people are looking for new ways to express their creativity and stay original,” she said, adding that “the sustainability aspect is a strong motivator to give items a second life.”
When asked whether people are becoming more aware of producing less waste daily, Lina assured us this is the case. “People are talking more about conscious lifestyle choices than they used to.”
Let’s talk about the most significant impact of producing waste. We need to realize that “big changes, especially in the fashion industry, should come from big brands making their supply chain more clean and transparent.” So the companies that produce vast amounts of stuff, like the famous fast fashion brands, are the ones to blame. But it’s not all up to them.
07. Earrings Who Lost Their Mates Turned Into A Charm Bracelet
08. I Turned An Old Microwave Cart Into A Rolling LEGO Stand For My Daughters For Christmas
09. Upcycled 3 Old T-Shirts Into 1 New One
“The more we upcycle, the more we choose not to buy something new. It’s like making dinner from scraps—you use something most people would throw away, and you save money,” Lina said. She also believes in a conscious lifestyle that is affordable for all and not reserved for people with higher incomes.
“I upcycle paper boxes, bags, glass bottles, and old textiles. You can upcycle virtually anything, from clothes and accessories to household objects. For example, you can upcycle your old bed linen to small kitchen napkins or towels. Also, use boxes as containers for storage, and build compartments in your closet from them,” the editor concluded.
10. Turned An Old Fan With A Bad Motor Into A Lamp
11. I Made Some Shorts, A Bucket Hat, And A Bag, All From One Old Jacket
12. A Rose For My Partner On Our Anniversary, Made From Recycled Cutlery
13. My Vintage TV Barn Find Turned Into My New Bar Cart
14. Turned An Old Office Credenza Into A New TV Stand
15. The Drink Tray I Got From A Cafe Is A Reused Milk Carton
16. Made A Fairy Succulent Garden Patio Area With A Broken Pot
17. I Repurposed My Old Grill Into A Small Herb Garden! I Hope All The Seeds Grow Soon
18. Handpainted Them. I love How These Turned Out!
19. I Picked Up A Used Cardigan That Turned Out To Look Much Better In The Picture Than In Person, So I Turned It Back To Yarn And Crocheted The Yarn Into A Cat Bed (I Didn’t Use A Pattern)
20. IKEA Backpack
21. A Neighbor Was Giving Away This Kid Size Chest Of Drawers For Free, So I Snagged It And Made It Into A Quarantine Bar
22. Sweater Not Won Since 1996 And A Zipper From An Old Bag = Wool Overall For My Kid
23. Turned A Thrifted Blanket Into These Ridiculous Sweats
24. Unused Bags, It’s Time To Do Some Handicraft
25. I Read That A Lot Of Donated Clothes End Up In Landfills Anyway, So I Started Saving Our Old Fabrics/Textiles That Didn’t Seem Nice Enough For Resale—I finally Used Them To Make This Pet Bed!
26. A Raincoat For My Dog Made Out Of A Broken Promotional Umbrella (She’s Not Impress)
27. Teacup Birdfeeders Made By Me
28. Made A Bag For My Mom’s Yarn From Old Window Screen
29. Repurposed An Old Cable Spool Into A Table For My Zero Waste Store
30. My Old Favorite Jeans Turned Into A Pen Roll
31. Denim Friends From Old Jeans
32. I Got This Pillowcase At A Local Thrift Store For 50 Cents! I flipped It Into A Cute Purse!
33. A Knit A Sweater Made Entirely Of Old / Scrap Yarns I Had Lying Around
34. Repurposed A Diaper Box + Some Contact Paper Into A Little Bookcase For My Son
35. My Mom Made This Pig Planter
36. Ultimate Upcycling! Abandoned Car To Airbnb!
37. I Bought A Men’s Shirt For $3 And Turned It Into A Twin Set!
38. I Turned An Old Dresser Into A Microwave Stand!
39. Update! TV With Cats (And You Can See The Chandelier I Made From An Old Vase)
40. Turned An Old Mannequin Hand And Gold Metal Tray Into A Light! (Not My Idea Originally, I Saw Some Similar Online)
41. From Ruined Jeans To An Area Rug
42. Upcycled An Old Candle Lid
43. IKEA Bags Into Windbreaker
44. Old Handmade Writing Desk Turned Into A Changing Table For The New Nursery
45. Upcycled Bicycle Wheel
46. Something I Made From Old Bicycle Parts And Christmas Lights
47. I Turned Old Perfume Bottles Into Room Diffusers
48. I Turned My Friend’s Old Dress Shirt Into A Crop Top With A Matching Mask And Scrunchie!
49. I Took Two Old Shirts And Made Two New Ones!
50. Upcycled A Thrifted Suit By Painting On It! It Took Me About 30 Hours, But I Love The Result
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