Upcycling needn’t be difficult. By breathing new life into items you may find lying around at home or at the local flea market you can end up with something unique and practical. Not only is it immense fun watching as the change takes place but you will soon accrue some very useful DIY skills.
Some people confuse upcycling with recycling but the two are not the same; upcycling is when you rework items using simple materials such as paint, fabric or even Fablon sticky-backed vinyl. Here are a few of our simple upcycling project ideas. Use these for inspiration and then feel free to add some of your own.
Paint a wooden bench – do you have an old run-down wooden bench, maybe lying in the garden shed and looking the worse for wear? If it is the right size, how about bringing it indoors after giving it a new look? Because this is an easy project, it is a good way to start. All you need to do is sand down the bench, eradicating any rough areas and tighten up any screws or add nails to ensure its sturdiness. Now give it a lick of paint in a colour to suit you décor and you are ready to go. Great for kitchen hallway or even children’s playroom if you add some fun decals.
Turn a chest into a coffee table – for this you need a suitably sized chest with a nice flat top. If the top isn’t suitable, then seek out a nice piece of wood for the purpose. Clean them both down and now screw or glue the top onto the chest. It doesn’t matter if it overhangs a little as long as it looks good. Now find some suitable paint for the base. If the wood on top is good to look at, simply wax it down to show off the natural wood grain.
Reuse coffee jars or tins – do you ever get that feeling that the items you are going to recycle are just too good for the bin? Pick out some sturdy jars or tins of the right size and a suitable covering. Here Fablon comes into its own. Cover the base and lid. Add a chalkboard type label and use for storage. Consider making a series of three covered in contrasting vinyl and stand them side-by-side.
Wallpaper your waste-bin – this is a super way of making use of any left-over wallpaper you may have. Cut to size and use to decorate your kitchen bins or waste-paper baskets. If it needs to be waterproof, consider using sticky-backed vinyl instead. Match your covering to suit the room, adding a splash of colour.
Design your own coat rack – find a rectangular piece of wood that can be fixed to the wall. It needs to be the right size to take three or four coat hooks or pretty decorative cabinet knobs. Paint or varnish the wood and then add the hooks or knobs in a straight line, equally spaced. Once on the wall it makes a great receptacle for everyone’s discarded coats.
Get into the hang of upcycling and you will soon find yourself revamping all sorts of items. Not only will your home look super but you will have the pleasure of knowing that you have done it all yourself.
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