17 Upcycling Ideas Will Make You Think Twice About Throwing Old Items

These ideas could help you turn trash into new treasures.

May

• Published in Interesting
• April 7, 2024

0You can easily ditch old stuff and consider it as trash. But the good news is that you can repurpose, recycle, or donate it, giving it a new life and contributing positively to the environment and community.

Upcycling is all about giving discarded materials a new lease on life. Instead of throwing things away, people repair, refurbish, or repurpose them, transforming old items into something fresh and useful.

This effort started as a response to the growing problem of waste, but it has quickly turned into a joyful outlet for creativity. Whether it's turning old furniture into stylish decor or repurposing jars into storage containers, upcycling offers endless opportunities to keep things out of landfills and showcase our resourcefulness.

The new item's worth equals or exceeds that of the original item. Through upcycling, a product retains the integrity of the original item instead of being dismantled into raw materials.

Believe it or not, upcycling maintains a circular economy, where materials undergo continual reuse rather than becoming waste. This approach has been historically employed to minimize waste inexpensively and is now being integrated into various processes, broadening its scope and definition.

So, if you've got any old items here and there, don't throw them in the trash just yet! Here are some upcycling ideas to help you recreate those old items.

Bubble wrap turned into a pearl necklace. Unbelievable!

Melted plastic turned into pretty earrings.

Coins can be turned into rings.

Instructables has the step-by-step guide.

Handbags crafted using embroidery floss and soda can tabs.

Used water bottles turned into these comic strip bangles.

Oh! Rubbish! Blog has the steps to make them.

A medallion made using soda tab, resin, and gold flecks.

Washers already come with holes

So they can quickly be transformed into necklaces.

Bobby pins turned into colorful earrings using nail polish.

The Metric Child can teach you how to make them.

These earrings crafted from sliced wine corks can be personalized with your initials.

Your old gemstones, keys, and earrings can be transformed into decorative necklaces or brooches.

Make bracelets from cutlery if you have a bending device.

Instructables can teach you how.

Transform an old watch into a unique piece of jewelry by filling it with resin.

It's even glow in the dark. Resin Obsession has the tutorial.

Instant espresso pods can be turned into jewelry and a few other items.

Transform your old belts into leather cuffs.

Are you about to throw out that plastic takeout containers? How about turning them into upcycled Shrinky Dinks?

An old necktie can be upcycled cloth bangle. Just snip and sew, then voila!

Chasing 2 Monkeys can teach you how.

Make florets out of soda cans, then place them on plain hairpins.

The florets can also be for necklaces and pendants. Instructables can teach you how.

After checking out that sweet spoon bracelet and those funky bobby pin earrings, are you now seriously thinking about getting yourself a flatware-bending machine? Upcycling is just too cool to ignore!

What about you? If you have friends or kids who are into these creative projects, maybe you can even team up and work on them together.

May