When things get worn out at home or your taste in style changes, it’s tempting to go on a little spending spree to help spruce up your living space. While sometimes purchasing new items is necessary, if you do have the ability to revamp them, this is worth considering. Not only does it save you money, but it’s also a more sustainable approach, so you’ll be doing something good for the environment. If you’re not sure what you can upcycle at home, here are some great examples.
Furniture
The most obvious thing you can upcycle at home is items of furniture. Worn-out cabinets can be refreshed by sanding them down and putting a new coat of paint or oil on them. You can do the same with dining tables and chairs or shelving units. If your couch cushions have seen better days, you can always get new fabric for more interesting covers that will make it look brand new. You can also reupholster other chairs and stalls for a quirkier look.
Jewelry
Have you ever lost one of your earrings? Or perhaps a bracelet or necklace has snapped? Sometimes you can take broken jewelry to be repaired by professionals, but for things like a missing earring, there isn’t much you can do. However, that doesn’t mean that all is lost; you can always turn that single, lonely earring into a pendant you can wear around your neck or as a charm for a bracelet. You could even take out the stone and turn it into a ring.
Clothing
Another thing that people often throw away without a second thought is old clothes. If you don’t want to keep certain items, donating them to a charity shop is a great thing to do. If you have a certain piece of clothing that you’re struggling to part with but it no longer suits your style or fits properly, you can always put your sewing skills to the test. Revamping old clothes by adding embellishments or patching up holes in a creative, stylish way is always an option. If not, why not turn some of your old t-shirts into a blanket? If you don’t have the skill to do this yourself, send your old t-shirts to Myt-shirtblanket.com, and they can do it for you.
Bottles and Jars
If you have leftover glass bottles and jars from food and drink products, you can do more with them than just throw them into the recycling bin. Some glass items are more interesting to look at, and you could use them as a vase for flowers on your windowsill or dining table. You could also get crafty and purchase special glass paints to make a plain jar more unique so you can store pens, pencils, or keys. This is also a great activity to do with kids on a rainy day!
Broken Ceramics
This is another one for the arts and crafts lovers out there. If you have a broken mug, tile, vase, or other ceramic items, you can smash it up a bit further and use the pieces to make a pretty mosaic. It could be used as a piece of artwork in your home or garden.
If you want to try and be more sustainable, consider upcycling these common household items before you trade them in for a new model.