According to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, households in England produced 22.6 million tonnes of waste in 2020, equivalent to almost 400kg per person.
With concerns rising over the environmental impact of so much waste, many people are looking to breathe life into unwanted goods, rather than buying them brand new.
“Upcycling” means giving old household items an extreme makeover, even transforming unloved clothes into something you want to wear.
It’s a great way to minimise the volume of wasted materials that you send to landfills each year – and of course, create some trendy, custom-made items for yourself in the process.
Read on at Live Enhanced to find out some savvy ways to upcycle items in your home.
Use buttons
source: pinterest.com
Take that box of old buttons that you don’t know how to use and make yourself a colourful wall display. Place them on the wall and trace out swirling, linear patterns that will make house guests praise your creativity.
First, draw your pattern on paper before transferring it onto the wall. Then, simply fix your buttons on the wall with a glue gun.
Customise mason jars
Mason jars are perfect for storing any small item that comes in handfuls. Yet sometimes you don’t want what’s inside to be on full display.
In such cases, you can easily use some wrapping paper, wallpaper, or any other fabric to line the inside. Just cut the required length and place it inside the jar – the contents will keep it in place.
Give old furniture a new look
source: turnstyleconsign.com
Don’t send your furniture to a landfill just because it has gone out of fashion. Give it a fresh coat of paint instead. With some imagination, you can transform structurally sound furniture from an eyesore into the hero piece of the room.
It’s best to give your item a little sanding before applying a light first coat. Give it a second coat after the first one has dried.
Frame baby items
Creating framed displays for your walls using old baby items is as simple as it is sweet. Take any flat-ish item – from clothes, finger paintings or anything else that pulls at your heartstrings – and put it in a frame to create a sentimental-yet-stylish decoration.
Reupholster chairs
source: pinterest.com
It may happen that you’ve found some new chairs online or at a car boot sale, but you don’t like the look of the fabric. There’s an easy solution – reupholster them. Remove the current cover and replace it with a new one.
Have fun
Sometimes upcycling can involve a bit of work and that’s okay. Just make sure that you have fun in the process. That way, you’re more likely to keep doing it and make a larger impact in the long run.
