What’s In: Upcycling Items Around the Home

A collage of upcycled items in a home.

With the dawn of a new era where numerous homeowners are testing their creativity and saving money, DIY projects and upcycling used items has become very popular. These are easy ways to make furniture or other household items out of materials that are already around your house or that you can find for cheap.

A upcycled wooden shelf with potted plants and a chair against a wall.
If you have a few old wooden ladders gathering dust in your garage, this next upcycle is a nifty way to repurpose them into extra storage. Decide how many shelves you need and cut between the rungs of the ladder accordingly. For extra stability, frame the shelving with some old wood and attach a smaller length of rope or string at the top of the unit for hanging.

Upcycling is more so just taking old items and refurbishing and reutilizing them in new ways, but depending on what you’re making you may need additional items not already found around your house. Either way you are sure to have a one-of-a-kind piece that you can be proud of just from up cycling items from around your home.

Have you realized that you use many beer bottles or glass soda bottles that are thrown into the recycling bin each week? Try reusing them to create a neat wall piece for your backyard, or as a median between your kitchen and living room.

An upcycled room featuring a vintage bus and stools.
Weathered trucks are ten a penny in scrapyards. With help from a blacksmith, the front of an old heavy goods vehicle can be transformed into a trendy bar – just add a wooden counter and embellish with metal spray paint for a vintage finish. Source: loveproperty.com

Depending on how big of a space you want to cover, you may need many bottles, but luckily that just requires drinking more soda. You can also see if local bars want to get rid of some of their bottles as well. Just make sure that all bottles you use are cleaned before creating your new items!

Wood and other such building material are also great for up cycling and creating things. You can make signs, shelves, baskets, pretty much you name it and you can probably make it. Then you can add your own flair with paint, cut outs, stencils, wire, etc.

Related:
Staging Your Home for a Successful Sale
An upcycled chair made out of a suitcase.
http://www.coxinhanerd.com.br/o-que-e-upcycling/
Three upcycled brass hooks with forks and spoons hanging on the wall.
http://www.redship.com/upcycle-turn-trash-treasures/
A pair of upcycled chairs in a grassy area.
Take your environmentally friendly credentials to the next level with these chairs that recycle old plastic bottles and turn them into a surprisingly comfortable outdoor seating area. Rain-proof and long-lasting, they’re ideal for a quick and easy summer project. Source: loveproperty.com
Upcycled fence made from wine bottles.
http://upcycledgardenstyle.blogspot.com/2013/03/upcycle-wine-bottles-into-wall.html
A upcycled wine rack made of wood with hanging wine glasses.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/120801884/spring-clearance-sale-ships-in-3-to-5?ref=exp_listing
An upcycled ladder with books on it hanging on a wall.
http://www.boredpanda.com/creative-reuse-upcycling-repurposing-ideas/
A wall of upcycled plastic bottles with plants growing on them.
USE PLASTIC BOTTLES AS GARDEN PLANTERS
A upcycled wooden desk with a globe hanging above it.
Upcycled World Globe – Easy DIY Pendant Light upcycled-wonders.com
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