50 Times People Showed How They Remade Things Instead Of Throwing Them Away And The Internet Applauded Them
If you've never heard the buzzword ‘upcycle,’ you’ve probably been off to the moon. The trend of creative reuse is all about transforming products that would otherwise end up in the trash.
Why? Because it’s is a great way to reuse materials and reduce our footprint. Plus, it’s fun and if you're still not convinced, below we have plenty of evidence of people using their skills and ingenuity to give old stuff a new life.
From a handcrafted tote bag made from a bunch of plastic bags to an old grill transformed into a cute herb garden, nothing seems impossible for these handy people. Scroll down, upvote your fave remade objects, and be sure to share your own upcycling ideas in the comments below!
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This Kind Man Is Recycling Old Camp Coolers To Make Warm Kitty Shelters For Winter! How Cool Is This?!
The School Security Guard Decided To Save The Discarded Benches And Gave Them A Second Life
I Take Plastic Shipping /Bale Straps From Hardware Store Waste, And Make Sturdy, Functional & Fashionable Baskets! (My Cats Also Love Them At Every Stage)
Wow, how do some people come up with these ideas. Great way to recycle those plastic strips.
agree - lets get the people who do that to teach more to be imaginative.
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You’re not gonna need much of it, but if you ever accidentally tear off the top bit of a vertical blind, you could place a strip of this stuff at the top edge, secure it with some matching duct tape or something more aesthetic, if you have it (mine blinds are white, and I used white duct tape). It’s really strong and fibrous, so the repair will hold up well.
Fantastic, love this, some people are very creative, wish I were, if enough material, you could sell them !!!
They look awesome and my cat would love to be carried around in one of them.
That's awesome! As someone who sees them all the time at her work place, it makes me happy to see someone using them! I hate having to throw them out and it sucks. :(
Because cat (and because it's a good idea that turned out great)
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Not only a great use of plastic that could otherwise go to waste but also a beautiful piece of craft. Just lovely
This has been happening at least for the last decade in #Ethiopia. We have a traditional purse called 'Zembil' which makes use of these straps of plastic.
https://cardeacabinets.com/custom-hardwood-countertops-in-santa-monica/ The finest hand made furniture in Santa Monica California The finest hand made furniture in Santa Monica California Great one! I love this!
Every year we dump a massive 2.12 billion tons of waste. If all this waste was put on trucks, they would go around the world 24 times. This stunning amount of waste is partly because 99 percent of the stuff we buy is trashed within 6 months.
Luckily, more and more people are now becoming aware of the damage of the waste they produce and the footprint they leave on their planet by consuming stuff on a daily basis. Sustainable consumption is a way to do more and better with less, meaning that we give old products a whole new life.
To find out more about the now-trending practice of upcycling, we talked to Lina Survila, an editor-in-chief of Abstract Stylist magazine. “Upcycling is a re-use of no longer desirable items. It can be something that has lost its function or simply doesn't spark joy anymore,” Lina explained this buzzword.
Pulled Out Of A Trash Heap. It Was One Part Of A Military File Cabinet. Thorough Cleaning, Paint And A Little Shining Up Followed By Wrapping It In Wood From My Scrap Pile. Added Some Legs And Bingo Bango!
This Rug Used To Be A Bunch Of Ugly T-Shirts
Rug braiding is sooooo easy too! The hardest part is just the monotony of cutting enough strips of material. The braiding then stitching together is a breeze.
I Convinced My Friend To Not Throw Away His Old Fencing And Let Me Build Him Garden Boxes. How Do You Think They Came Out?
I think that your friend would've regretted otherwise. What wood ya know?
“Creative upcycling is becoming more and more popular as people are looking for new ways to express their creativity and stay original,” she said and added that “the sustainability aspect is a strong motivator to give items a second life.”
When asked whether people are becoming more aware about producing less waste in their daily lives, Lina assured us that this is definitely the case. “People are definitely talking more about conscious lifestyle choices than they used to.”
But it’s not all up to them. If we talk about the greatest impact in producing waste, we need to realize that “big changes, especially in the fashion industry, should come from big brands making their supply chain more clean and transparent.” So the companies that produce huge amounts of stuff, like the famous fast fashion brands, are really the ones to blame.
Earrings Who Lost Their Mates Turned Into A Charm Bracelet
I Turned An Old Microwave Cart Into A Rolling LEGO Stand For My Daughters For Christmas
Upcycled 3 Old T-Shirts Into 1 New One
“The more we upcycle, the more we choose not to buy something new. It's like making dinner from scraps—you use something most people would throw away, and you save money,” Lina said. She’s also a believer in a conscious lifestyle that’s something to be affordable for all and not reserved for the people with higher incomes.
You can upcycle virtually anything, from clothes and accessories to household objects. “I upcycle paper boxes and bags, glass bottles, and old textiles. For example, you can upcycle your old bed linen to small kitchen napkins or towels. Also, use boxes as containers for storage, build compartments in your closet from them,” the editor concluded.
Turned An Old Fan With A Bad Motor Into A Lamp
Made Some Shorts, A Bucket Hat And A Bag All From One Old Jacket
A Rose For My Partner On Our Anniversary, Made From Recycled Cutlery
My Vintage TV Barn Find Turned Into My New Bar Cart
Turned An Old Office Credenza Into A New TV Stand
The Drink Tray I Got From A Cafe Is A Reused Milk Carton
Made A Fairy Succulent Garden Patio Area With A Broken Pot
I Repurpoused My Old Grill Into A Small Herb Garden! I Hope All The Seeds Grow Soon
Handpainted Them. Love How These Turned Out!
Picked Up A Used Cardigan That Turned Out To Look Much Better In The Picture Than In Person, So I Turned It Back To Yarn And Crocheted The Yarn Into A Cat Bed (I Didn't Use A Pattern)
IKEA Backpack
Those blue bags (the material) are almost indestructible... that backpack will last as long as the seams etc. do.
A Neighbor Was Giving Away This Kid Size Chest Of Drawers For Free, So I Snagged It And Made It Into A Quarantine Bar
Swater Not Won Since 1996 And A Zipper From An Old Bag = Wool Overall For My Kid
Turned A Thrifted Blanket Into These Ridiculous Sweats
Unused Bags, It's Time To Do Some Handicraft
I Read That A Lot Of Donated Clothes End Up In Landfills Anyway, So Started Saving Our Old Fabrics/Textiles That Didn’t Seem Nice Enough For Resale. Finally Used Them To Make This Pet Bed!
A Raincoat For My Dog Made Out Of A Broken Promotional Umbrella (She’s Not Impress)
Teacup Birdfeeders Made By Me
Made A Bag For My Mom's Yarn From Old Window Screen
Repurposed An Old Cable Spool Into A Table For My Zero Waste Store
My Old Favourite Jeans Turned Into A Pen Roll
Denim Friends From Old Jeans
Got This Pillowcase At A Local Thrift Store For 50 Cents! Flipped It Into A Cute Purse!
Twice a year our local furniture store gives me their fabric upholstery swatches. Some are leather and I make purses with them. I used a lot of the fabric ones to make stuffed bunnies for kids at Easter.
A Knit A Sweater Made Entirely Of Old /Scrap Yarns I Had Lying Around
Repurposed A Diaper Box + Some Contact Paper Into A Little Bookcase For My Son
My Mom Made This Pig Planter
Ultimate Upcycling! Abandoned Car To Airbnb!
Bought A Men's Shirt For $3 And Turned It Into A Twin Set!
I Turned An Old Dresser Into A Microwave Stand!
Update! TV With Cats (And You Can See The Chandelier I Made From An Old Vase)
Turned An Old Mannequin Hand And Gold Metal Tray Into A Light! (Not My Idea Originally, I Saw Some Similar Online)
From Ruined Jeans To An Area Rug
Upcycled An Old Candle Lid
IKEA Bags Into Windbreaker
Old Handmade Writing Desk Turned Into A Changing Table For The New Nursery
Upcycled Bicycle Wheel
Something I Made From Old Bicycle Parts And Christmas Lights
I Turned Old Perfume Bottles Into Room Diffusers
I Turned My Friend's Old Dress Shirt Into A Crop Top With A Matching Mask And Scrunchie!
Took Two Old Shirts And Made Two New Ones!
Upcycled A Thrifted Suit By Painting On It ! It Took Me About 30 Hours, But I Love The Result
Note: this post originally had 59 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
It's amazing but it also makes me feel useless... how can people have so many skills?
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Most of these projects take a bit of talent. I have wonderful Ideas when I get done it looks like a group of kindergarten destroyers were let loose. I must be wonderful to have talent - I congratulate all of them!
It takes practice, these are people who started out the same way & just focused on one thing, then practiced over & over til they improved. It's just like learning to play a musical instrument, or a sport - not one single person is perfect at anything when they are starting out. Pick one thing, keep working at it, and don't give up!
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I liked these a lot, was super jealous of some, and do wish that things like the bag made of strapping had a step by step how to attached. The idea that these people spent some time on something that made them happy is enough for me to be also happy. Whether not your taste or style, that you do not see value in the item or not, see value in the initiative and time spent and how good they felt.
A bunch of these are fun ideas, but the labeling is deceptive. "I got this for $3" leaves out the considerable amount of skill and 6 hours of your time that went into it.
This was a great article. All of these ideas are terrific. But one thing I don't understand is what is going on with all the negative comments. Didn't people ever learn about "if you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything"? There is so much nastiness in the comments I was shocked.
Can someone reccomend a YouTube channel where I can learn to stitch? For example making a top from a blanket or the person who made a child overall from the unused jumper. There are too many channels regarding that and I would prefer someone's recommendation.
My only issue is a pretty big one. The motivation to execute the project once the supplies are in hand.
Very crude compared to the other projects above, but this thing I made has proven to be darn useful since I don't have an AC.
Broken table fan found in the trash + old PC fan + a spare 12V connector + a bit of duct tape to seal the side gaps = a powerful, low-consumption and ultra-quiet table fan with LED light! eb3bc7741f...284495.jpg 
e291b42e44...64da78.jpg 
This post should be called Turning Old Tat into Different Old Tat
I really dislike the term "upcycling" because it's a stupid millennial buzz-word to describe the idea of fixing something or repurposing it instead of putting it in landfill. This is an idea is common sense and should be used by everyone, but the phrase is so often used for painting some old junk to make new junk. Saving all the old school benches? Fab. Putting a painted bicycle on the wall to use as a clothes rail? What??
Speaking of stupid millennial buzzwords ... "repurposing."
Load More Replies... It's amazing but it also makes me feel useless... how can people have so many skills?
Load More Replies... Most of these projects take a bit of talent. I have wonderful Ideas when I get done it looks like a group of kindergarten destroyers were let loose. I must be wonderful to have talent - I congratulate all of them!
It takes practice, these are people who started out the same way & just focused on one thing, then practiced over & over til they improved. It's just like learning to play a musical instrument, or a sport - not one single person is perfect at anything when they are starting out. Pick one thing, keep working at it, and don't give up!
Load More Replies... I liked these a lot, was super jealous of some, and do wish that things like the bag made of strapping had a step by step how to attached. The idea that these people spent some time on something that made them happy is enough for me to be also happy. Whether not your taste or style, that you do not see value in the item or not, see value in the initiative and time spent and how good they felt.
A bunch of these are fun ideas, but the labeling is deceptive. "I got this for $3" leaves out the considerable amount of skill and 6 hours of your time that went into it.
This was a great article. All of these ideas are terrific. But one thing I don't understand is what is going on with all the negative comments. Didn't people ever learn about "if you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything"? There is so much nastiness in the comments I was shocked.
Can someone reccomend a YouTube channel where I can learn to stitch? For example making a top from a blanket or the person who made a child overall from the unused jumper. There are too many channels regarding that and I would prefer someone's recommendation.
My only issue is a pretty big one. The motivation to execute the project once the supplies are in hand.
Very crude compared to the other projects above, but this thing I made has proven to be darn useful since I don't have an AC.
Broken table fan found in the trash + old PC fan + a spare 12V connector + a bit of duct tape to seal the side gaps = a powerful, low-consumption and ultra-quiet table fan with LED light! eb3bc7741f...284495.jpg e291b42e44...64da78.jpg
This post should be called Turning Old Tat into Different Old Tat
I really dislike the term "upcycling" because it's a stupid millennial buzz-word to describe the idea of fixing something or repurposing it instead of putting it in landfill. This is an idea is common sense and should be used by everyone, but the phrase is so often used for painting some old junk to make new junk. Saving all the old school benches? Fab. Putting a painted bicycle on the wall to use as a clothes rail? What??
Speaking of stupid millennial buzzwords ... "repurposing."
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