I think upcycling might be one of my favorite things to do when it comes to DIY projects. I love taking something that most people would see as trash and completely revamping it into something everyone sees as treasure.
And while upcycling might come easy to some, that’s not the case for everyone. But I’ve rounded up some easy hacks that’ll have you on your way to upcycling everything in no time!
1. We all have a stash of plastic bags somewhere in our kitchens — don’t you lie to me!
Turns out that plastic bags can be upcycled into a yarn-like texture called “plarn.” Which means you can use it in all sorts of projects where you’d normally use yarn!
Projects like this basket, which you can use for all sorts of things around the house.
While Instructables user, jessyrafink , made this basket, you could make all sorts of cool things and feel good about recycling something bad for the environment, too!
2. This next hack shows that you should totally never throw any of your clothes out because you never know when you might use them.
Similar to plarn, you can turn your old t-shirts into a material similar to yarn and use them in all sorts of projects. This project also recycles a hula hoop into a loom to create a rug.
An old hula hoop can be hacked to create all sorts of cool woven projects, whether you use t-shirts for it or not.
I love the bright colors and fun woven textures that A Piece Of Rainbow created for this project.
3. A good hack is one that doesn’t take much to do.
Like when you take something ordinary, like a shower caddy, and make one or two changes so that it serves a completely different purpose, or solves another issue you have.
For someone who loves to garden and take care of plants, this shower-caddy-turned-vertical-planter hack does just that.
I never have enough room for all my plant babies! Dazzle While Frazzled has totally solved my problem.
4. Another super simple crafty hack for upcycling is to use temporary tattoos on surfaces other than your skin.
If you want to add some funky designs to something but don’t want to paint them, then this hack will save you so much time.
Print your favorite design out onto temporary tattoo paper and use it on surfaces just as you would on your skin.
The result is actually really beautiful and stands the test of time. I love this idea from A Kailo Chic Life !
5. I’m telling you, never throw out a Pringles can, because you are able to use them for a ridiculous number of things.
With a little bit of paper and a magnet, you can totally transform your can in minutes.
And then you’ve got a super sleek pen holder for your fridge!
Or you could totally use this on your desk too, the options are endless really. Thanks to Kara S. for sharing this project on Hometalk.
6. I honestly would never have thought you could do anything with a cake pan other than make cakes.
Maybe I’m not as crafty as I thought I was.
But, I definitely love this hack — a lot.
With a few pieces of wood, you can get some extra storage in under an hour. Plus, it looks just like something you’d buy at the store. Amanda C. nailed it with this hack!
7. I’ve been making papier-mâché for as long as I can remember, but never quite like this.
You can actually use your empty egg cartons to create a really nice consistency for larger projects.
Homeology used it to create this really cool, industrial-looking lampshade.
It actually looks a lot like they used concrete instead! Now I want to go home and try using egg cartons instead of paper in my papier-mâché mix.
8. If you’re new to upcycling, one of the things you definitely need to get your hands on is chalk paint.
That stuff is like a godsend when it comes to overhauling your projects.
Alana even used her chalk paint to give her couch an overhaul.
I’ve done this on wood, metal, and glass, but never on furniture! Turns out you can hack anything if you want to badly enough.
9. Toilet paper rolls are actually a godsend when it comes upcycling different things for your home.
From holding cords to DIY projects, you can do a whole lot with these instead of throwing them in the bin.
Maura White used a bunch of toilet paper rolls and some paper flowers to create a beautiful wreath.
It’s pretty hard to believe this pretty thing is made out of toilet paper rolls, huh?
10. Tin cans are definitely another one of my favorite things to grab from the recycling bin to overhaul.
They make great pencil holders and storage cups, but drill a few holes in them and you’ve got an adorable planter.
This pallet board is the perfect place to showcase all of your planter cans!
Rob & Courtney added a variety of flowers, but I think I’d probably put a bunch of different herbs in mine.
11. I absolutely love this next upcycling hack!
If you’ve got some wood laying around, instead of painting it or staining it, try using something from your kitchen instead.
Dreams Factory used a mixture of food coloring and découpage glue to create their own colored stain!
I have some store-bought colored stain at home, and honestly, the end result using this mixture looks just as good.
12. There are so many simple DIYs and hacks you can do with those toy dinosaurs from the dollar store.
If you’ve got kids, you might even have a bunch that have seen better days laying around your house already.
With a little bit of spray paint, you can use them for a whole bunch of things!
From little air plant pots to toilet paper roll holders, the options are endless. I love that Paper & Stitch turned one into a necklace!
13. Save your wine corks for this fun upcycle project!
They make for the cutest fridge magnets! You just need to cut out the middle of the cork, throw in some soil, a succulent, and voila! Instant cute.
14. Who knew Parmesan cheese lids fit perfectly on mason jars?
This is a great way to keep bugs out of your drink while hanging by the pool in the summer!
15. This is so simple, yet so smart. I don’t know how I never thought of it!
I can never find which cord goes to what device, and I eat a lot of bread, so this is great.
16. You can make a trendy hanging planter right from your medicine cabinet!
So don’t toss your lotion empties, because they can make for an Instagram-worthy planter.
17. Crutches actually make for a super retro looking bookshelf.
I mean, I hope none of you have ever had to use them, but if you just so happen to have a couple lying around and don’t need them, give this a try!
18. How cute is this bird feeder?
This is such a great idea! It doubles as a little birdhouse and feeder.
Every bird from the neighborhood will want to chill here, for sure!
19. If you’re someone like me who somehow manages to kill succulents, simply paint rocks to look like them!
They’ll last forever and ever, and you don’t have to worry about over or under watering them!
