Fancy an upcycling project? We’ve put together 10 fantastic ideas that make the best use out of old stuff. Stylish, trendy, and much better for the planet. Which one will you try first?
1. Paint Tin Ice Bucket
Many of us keep old paint tins – just in case – but if they are not stored correctly paint will go off. Keep tester pots to use for your touch-ups, donate the unwanted paint to family/ friends or a local re-use paint centre and upcycle the tin.
You’ll need to give the tin a good clean which can be tricky. Add some soil, sand or sawdust to you tin and mix it up with a piece of wood. The paint will stick to the material and clean off the sides of the tin. Finish with a good rinse with water and vinegar.
Finish the upcycle by painting the outside of the tin with some metal paint. Now your ice bucket is ready to use!
2. Statement Chest of Drawers
You can buy lots of cheap furniture from local charity shops or online selling sites. Often the price is right, but the style isn’t. Why not upcycle it instead?
Chest of drawers can be painted to give them a new life. Use chalk paint for a designer look. or go for white wash to achieve rustic charm. Clean, dry and sand the item first before applying a primer and your finishing coat. Complete the looks with a new drawer handle to give it that final upgrade.
3. Brick Planters
Turn old brick into planters! You can paint, or keep the brick with it’s beautiful ‘au natural’ look. Create a border or frame a path with your bricks and stuff compost into the holes. Pop in your plant seeds, or use bedding plants for a quicker finish!
4. Lampshade Bowl
Did you know you can transform an old fruit or salad bowl into a funky new pendant light?
Take your clean but unused bowl and give it a lick of paint to suit the interior of the destination room. We always like a warm paint choice for the insides to help bounce soft light around the room. Drill a hole in the bottom of the bowl so you thread through the light cord and secure with the light bulb.
A unique talking point for your new room.
5. Jumper Cushions
You can transform jumpers or shirts into cushions – a lovely keepsake or quirky style item. There are many patterns to find online – then sew up the sides and fill with stuffing. The shirt pockets are useful too for storing the remote!
A real one-off that won’t be found anywhere else.
6. Wine Cork Bottle Stoppers
Do not throw away your old corks! You can use them (or gift them) as upcycled wine bottle stoppers. You can use latex paint to spray paint them to your desired colour and add a small ornament glued to the end! Alternatively, small drawer knobs make a great statement – screw them into the cork to achieve a great decorative end.
7. T-Shirt Hanging Planters
Did you know the material from old t-shirt can be re-used for so many things! From dusters to wrapping paper… to hanging planters!
To achieve this upcycled look, cut your t-shirt into strips and plait into three individual sections. You can then knot them together in a lattice pattern which will support an old jam jar or plant pot. Pop your plant inside and then use a hook to hang from the ceiling or wall!
8. Window Frame to Hanging Frame
Old wooden window frames can also be upcycled. They are often discarded during a building project, but keep hold of them if you (or someone else you know) is getting rid of them! Paint or treat them as you would with any wood, then use it as an ornate frame for a picture; alternatively secure rows of string from left to right which will allow you to peg pictures, photos or drawings.
9. Tin Cans to Storage Cans
No need to throw away old food tin cans, there are so many options here!
Once clean and dry, re-style your tin can with paint or paper to give them a new designer edge. They are then ready to use as a decorate storage pot for kitchen cutlery, stationary or even new plant pots.
10. Wooden Box Shelves
Pallets, and wooden boxes have multiple uses! A great one is to fashion them into new storage spaces. Simple choose the size you need (or cut and reduce to fit) and screw into the wall.
You can use the bare wood to add some industry chic to your interior or use paint to bring a modern twist. We love an Ombre finish which can be easily achieved if you pick colours from the same row in a paint colour chart! Layer each paint colour next to each other to get this very on-style design trend.
What project are you working on at the moment? Let us know what else we can upcycle!
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