The decision to throw away your pre-loved stuff is a difficult one – especially for those of us with a habit for hoarding. When something loses its shine or comes to the end of its lifecycle, the temptation is to get rid and start again. But thanks to the miraculous upcycling movement, our tired doodads and whatchamacallits are finding new life with a little elbow grease and a healthy sense of creativity. If you’re ready to reduce, reuse and reincarnate, it’s time to try these cool upcycling projects for your home.
Cool Home Upcycling Project Ideas
Upcycling Wine Bottles
Your old empties are the sort of throwaways you’d be forgiven for classifying as waste. They’ve served their singular purpose and, in their original state, are no longer of any apparent value to anyone. But the beauty of upcycling is finding new potential in the most seemingly useless things – and empty bottles are just one of the many ways to upcycle your home to full effect.
Ever dreamed of drinking straight from the wine bottle without condemnation? Upcycling makes this dream a reality. Old wine bottles can be transformed into nice, sturdy tumblers. Then the wine bottle tops can be used over your candles as in the photo above. And giving your empty beer bottles a makeover creates a set of delightfully odd bud vases reinvented and ready to use.
Upcycling Cutlery
Falling out of love with your old cutlery can be an emotional time – especially since, at first sight, forks and spoons have little to offer outside the kitchen. But upcycling offers the chance to explore objects in new and exciting ways – so the question is, can we salvage the spoons? You bet.
Taking your knives and forks to the garden might sound like nonsense, but with some clever engraving, you can convert your cutlery into rustic garden markers – adding a touch of homemade loveliness to your potted plants. Or better yet, get inventive and try out a spectacularly odd spoon chandelier guaranteed to bring a healthy sense of quirk to any home.
Upcycling Boxes
There’s no doubt old boxes are versatile – offering infinite storage solutions for any number of household objects. But if you’ve got more boxes than you’ve got stuff, these once-useful boxes can quickly become a burden rather than a blessing. But by thinking outside of the packing box, you can upcycle your way to ornamental bliss.
Stylish storage bins can be costly to buy new – especially when your old packing boxes are perfectly capable of doing the job. With a bit of an aesthetic overhaul, you can breathe new life into old boxes and use your upcycled boxes as functional focal points. And don’t forget to reuse shoe boxes – they make gorgeous wall-mounted shelves if you’re prepared to lovely them up.
Upcycling Jars
Jars are a staple of the upcycling world, offering boundless potential in the way of functionality and fashion. Usable as a variety of handy containers or as striking ornaments, mason jars in particular are one of the most recyclable objects on Earth – and you better believe their potential extends far beyond holding jam. You can upcycle mason jars into diy soap dispensers or diy vases and more.
For every room of the house, there’s a way that pre-loved jars can make it better. Looking to magic up your mantelpiece? Snowglobe. Fancy mastering mixology? Cocktail shaker. Need to pot a plant? Terrarium. Want to let in the light? Candle holder. The sky’s the limit.
Upcycling Books
Avid readers are no stranger to a little light book hoarding – which is more than understandable considering the nostalgia and sentimentality of a once-loved piece of literature. There’s an irresistible temptation to cling on to books we’ve read into infirmity – and thanks to inventive upcyclers across the globe, we no longer have to choose between re-reading and getting rid.
Fashionistas rejoice – your old books might’ve been over-read but they can still turn heads. A little crafting competence and some imagination can transform an old book into a secret hiding place. And if you were thinking more home decor, the options are virtually endless. Why not try repurposing a classic novel as a nifty succulent planter, or recycle its pages for a striking wall feature?
More Project Restyle Upcycling Ideas For The Home:
You can upcycle an old tin can a make a flower vase!
I hope you enjoy these upcycling projects! Happy upcycling! I would love to hear your favorite upcycling ideas- one that I mentioned or didn’t mention- in the comment area!
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Lori Popkewitz Alper says
I love the wine bottle idea. Clever! Maybe a silly question, but how did you cut the bottles?
Scarlet says
It is not too hard to cut the bottles and if you follow the link to the tumblers, they give you a detailed step by step tutorial on how to do it with string, heat and cooling!