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“My Husband Hates It”: 85 Of The Most Impressive And Creative Examples Of Upcycling (New Pics)
Reduce, reuse, recycle. We’ve heard it time and time again, but reducing and recycling tend to come more naturally than reusing for many people. So if you’re wondering what to do with the 15 empty Mason jars in your cupboard or that random fabric that you found at a thrift store, you’ve come to the right place, pandas.
We visited the Upcycling subreddit and compiled a list of the community’s most brilliant creations below. These photos really prove that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so we hope that they inspire you to start transforming your own belongings! Enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote the pics that impress you the most.
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#1
$2 Thrift IKEA Duvet Cover Into A Dress
Glen Ellyn 3 months ago
I happen to own that exact duvet cover. I reallly like what she did with it.
RELATED:
#2
Here's A Set Of Wings I Made From An Old Fence I Replaced
#3
I Take Plastic Shipping /Bale Straps From Hardware Store Waste, And Make Sturdy, Functional Fashionable Baskets (My Cats Also Love Them At Every Stage)
#4
First Jacket Of The Fall
I found a pretty cool table cloth recently and wasn’t sure what to do with it until I woke up one morning and it was kinda chilly. That’s when it hit me. I need to make a jacket. So ofcourse I got right to it. I’ve only made a handful of jackets so I was a tad nervous but I caught a groove and this is how it came out. This jacket cost me under ten dollars to make but did take some time and strategy. Cutting the fabric was the most annoying bc it was a little slippery.
Sara Frazer 3 months ago
Love the shiny/iridescent quality! 💚 And green is my favorite color, you look marvelous!
#5
Hi! I Just Started Making Plushies From Old Sweatshirts (Upcycling), For My Mental Health
Sara Frazer 3 months ago
where is the shop -also, that's such a good idea, sooo many times I've been in thrift stores and seen shirts/hoodies that are decent but not worth wearing
#6
The Sweater Got A Little Snagged, So Sew A Little Cat On It
#7
Every Year, Deer Shed Their Antlers To Grow New Ones. I Make Hairpins Out Of These Fallen Antlers
Sara Frazer 3 months ago
Whoa, gorgeous 😍 and humane because no animal is harmed for the material; deer shed their antlers naturally every year! Brilliant!
#8
After Years Of Collecting Pull Tabs I Finally Found A Use For Them!
#9
I Painted These Ornaments Using Salvaged, Burnt Out Light Bulbs! Enjoy!
#10
Old Lace Curtain To Button Up Shirt
Glen Ellyn 3 months ago
I had similar curtains that I could no longer use, but I don't have this skill. However, I donated mine to a local charity.
#11
I Made A Sun Catcher Using My Empty Insulin Vials
#12
My Largest Scrap Yarn Project
#13
I’m Obsessed With Making Koi From Cans
#14
Some Vintage Jeans I Upcycled. Hope Someone Likes Them!
#15
Upcycled An Old Cabinet To Dollhouse
Glen Ellyn 3 months ago
What a great idea. It looks like it used to be a VCR tape cabinet. We had one that looked very similar to this one.
#16
Made My Daughter A Maggie Simpson Star Suit
Made from second hand cotton and thrifted bed sheets! Pattern made by me!
#17
My Sister And I Started Crocheting Bags With Recycled Cotton Yarn As A Hobby. Now It’s A Small Upcycling Business!
We design each pattern ourselves, inspired by traditional Ukrainian ornaments. Upcycling can be beautiful and meaningful.
#18
I Do Hand Embroidery 2 Cranes On My Old Uniqlo Sweater. What Do You Think? Thank You!
#19
Antique TV Turned Into A Cozy Dog Bed!
Glen Ellyn 3 months ago
I see. You're calling me "antique." 😜 I grew up with TVs similar to this that were situated in a piece of furniture so that it looked at home in the room. I much prefer that over TVs nowadays that have no style - they're just a black slab. Okay, so I'll admit to "vintage," but please don't call me antique! 😉
#20
Headphones + Neck Tie
Auntriarch 3 months ago
I was wondering what I could do when my favourite hairband gets tatty!
#21
I Love Avocados And I Carve Avocado Pits Creating Jewelry And Figurines
#22
What Did I Do With Curtain Panels With Rips, Scuffs, Tears, Or Stains? I Made A New Dress, And I Feel Immaculate
#23
Made A Bunch Of Things From Some Damaged Jeans I Was Given :)
#24
In My First Year Of Sewing And Decided To Try A Floral Theme For These Designs!
Picked up some old blankets and sheets for these and I love how they turned out!
#25
Cocktail Glass Made From A Mountain Valley Water Bottle
#26
I Doubt I’ll Ever See Upcycling Done More Creatively
#28
I Made This From Some Glass I Found At The Beach
#29
Made This Cutie From A Ripped Quilted Pillow Case!
#30
Made Lots Of Art; Finally Became The Art
Sara Frazer 3 months ago
Wow, dedication! I need length for maneuverability when I'm drawing, but then again I have short stocky hobbit fingers...
#31
Key Hanger With Old Chess Set!
#32
I Sewed Some Roses On My Black High Tops. Thoughts?
#33
Found These Arch Shelves On The Side Of The Road— Decided To Upgrade Our Kitchen
#34
I Made A Christmas Tree From Pistachio Shell, Cardamom And Cork
#35
Bread Clip Fridge Magnets!
#36
Got A New Dishwasher. Turned The Bottom Rack Of The Old One Into An Organizer For Canvas And Paintbrushes
trollingergirl 3 months ago
Great repurposing! Thinking.... Upcycling is a creative upgrade: old materials are transformed into a new product of higher value.Repurposing means using an object for a completely new function, without necessarily upgrading or modifying the raw material itself.Both concepts extend the lifespan of materials and reduce waste, but they approach it differently.
#37
Yard Sale Window Into Frame For Wedding Photos
#38
Y'all Seemed Excited About My Antique TV When I Got It. I Finally Got Around To Finishing It!
#39
I Made A Teddy Bear Out Of My Old Jeans
#40
I Upcycled An Old Chest Of Drawers I Didn’t Really Like Anymore
#41
Thrifted Charity Shop Ornaments And Turned Them Into A Spooky Halloween Village
Nikki Sevven 3 months ago
My mother had a Christmas village. I always wanted a Halloween village instead.
#42
I Made A Jason Voorhees Mask From An Air Jordan 1
#44
Barbie Malibu Dream House To Bird House
#45
The Dog Jacket Is Officially For Sale. It Took Me Forever To Make And I’m Pumped About How It Turned Out
Robyn Hill 3 months ago
That’s really cool, but with all the copyright infringement on it, not legal to sell.
#46
Tunisian Crochet With Teabag Strings
#47
Turned Two Pairs Of Thrifted Pants That Didn’t Fit Into One Pair!
#48
I Upcycled A Painting Of Me As A Baby
#49
I Sewed Backpack From Jeans - The Strongest Eco-Fabric
#50
I Upcycle Clothes By Hand Drawing Illustrations On Them. How Do You Think This Piece Turned Out?
#51
A Pair Of $25 Nikes I Turned Into Something That Looks Like A Photoshop Flex
#52
Made A Few Ornaments From Some Scrap Bike Chain
#53
We Make Patchwork Jackets From Old Village Fabrics – Each Piece Tells A Different Story
Liliana Spiro 3 months ago
Looked this up: "It was created by the Turkish artisan couple Cihan Gülbudak and his family. This jacket is a unique upcycling project made entirely by hand from vintage village textiles, traditional market fabrics, and heirloom linens found in rural Turkey. Because each patch carries its own history and the pieces are sewn without a set pattern, every single jacket is one of a kind. Additionally, the garment is fully reversible, allowing it to be worn on both sides."
#54
Made This Dress From A Goodwill Bedsheet!
#55
My Co-Worker Makes What I Call “Junk Bugs” And I Told Her She Should Sell Them At Craft Shows. I Think They’re Really Cool
#56
I Made These Bags Out Of A Punctured Air Bed
It definitely wasn’t the easiest material to sew / embroider, but I wanted to challenge myself and see what I could make from it. Especially, as it was something I would have had to throw away.
I’ve been creating embroidery designs for a while now, and this was my way of experimenting with something completely different.
Sara Frazer 3 months ago
Doesn't even look like air mattress! Plus an added bonus is they're probably fairly waterproof
#57
I Saved An Old Chair Frame With The Power Of Macramé!!
MalayDragon 3 months ago
Had to google because i didn't know what Macramé was... Macramé is a versatile textile art that utilizes knotting techniques rather than weaving or knitting to create decorative and functional items like wall hangings, plant hangers, and jewelry. Crafted with raw materials like cotton cord, twine, hemp, or jute, this ancient craft relies on distinct knots to build intricate, textured patterns.
#58
Broom Fits The Sword Holder… It’s Beautiful… My Husband Hates It
#59
Jeans That I Don't Wear Have Been Put To Use Again This Time
#60
A Few Hand Painted Bags I Made Recently. Hope Someone Likes Them!
#62
Pieces I Have Upcycled That Were Part Of A Fashion Show In Mexico
#63
Upcycled Sheets Into Rugs
#64
Upcycled Into Shoeboxes ❤️
#66
Broken Charging Cords
Our son is autistic. He needed sound to fall asleep. At 17, still does. This means, over the years, we went through a lot of long charging cords, typically the braided exterior ones because we worried about fraying and electrocution.
I hated throwing them away and our son had an attachment to them too. He cried when we tried to throw a blue braided one that had been his favorite away.
So, we kept a Ziploc bag of them, never knowing what we might do with them. They were too stiff to knit or crochet with, not pliable enough for macrame.
I found some cotton cord at a thrift store recently. Again, no clue what I’d do with it. Then, while organizing yesterday, I found the bag of cords and inspiration struck.
My weaving work is far from perfect. I was remembering from a lesson I had when I still lived in northern Maine. Still, not bad. I gave it to my son. He has a memento of all those charging cords over the years. I’ll use the rest to make useful items.
#67
I Made Tiny Pants Keychains From Rare Denim Fabric. What Do Y'all Think?
#68
Don’t Toss Those Fabric Scraps – Transform Them Into Decorative Art
#69
Fairy Costume I Made For The Ren Faire Out Of Thrifted T-Shirts
#72
Made This Jacket From A Vintage Quilt From 1980s
#74
I Turned A Fellow Redditors Antique Silverware Into Rings And Keychains For Them
#75
Saved From The Landfill
#77
Made Monopoly Mirror Out Of Old Monopoly Board
#78
Not Sure If This Counts As Upcycling
#80
Painted A Broken Mirror
#83
Upcycled Plushies Into Weird Art!
#84
My Croc Charms Made From Broken Jewelry And Junk!
#85
Beads Made From Bottle Caps Turned Into Bracelets!
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Liliana Spiro 3 months ago
I'm astonished with the creativity displayed here. So many times that my mind went: you what now and with/from THAT?! Thanks Adelaide and Jonas ☀️
Moving Enigma 3 months ago
Terrible title, BP is descending into AI written clickbait titles these days, very sad.
Liliana Spiro 3 months ago
I'm astonished with the creativity displayed here. So many times that my mind went: you what now and with/from THAT?! Thanks Adelaide and Jonas ☀️
Moving Enigma 3 months ago
Terrible title, BP is descending into AI written clickbait titles these days, very sad.
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