Upcyling Ideas – New Uses For Household Items for Earth Day and Every Day

Save yourself time and money and stay home. Repurpose things around your home. These upcycling ideas give new life to what you might otherwise throw away. Check out these new uses for household items because Earth Day is every day.

 

Don’t Throw It Away – Clever Upcycling Ideas

There are so many ways you repurpose and reuse things around your home in new ways.  Almost all of these ideas use things that we might otherwise throw away. Before you throw something in the trashcan, read through this list and see if it could have a different purpose. These are some really smart upcycling ideas.

From Teapot to Centerpiece

Turn a teapot and teacups into a centerpiece – beautiful!

Old Books to Designer Decor

A popular designer trick is to use old books to “elevate” your decor.

Glass Bowl to Terrarium

Turn a glass bowl into a terrarium. Just add dirt, pebbles and a small plant. Mine has been going strong for several months now.

Cookie Sheet to Chore Chart

Make an adorable chore chart from an old cookie sheet.

Tea Cups to Herb Garden

I made these for a Mother’s Day gift a few years ago. Plant herbs inside old tea cups and mist them as needed for a lovely Tea Cup Herb Garden

 

 

Straw Purse Planter

Set some potted flowers inside an old purse. See how we made ours here – Make a Planter From a Purse

Old T-shirts to Necklaces

See how we took t-shirts and made a fashion statement with our DIY T-Shirt necklaces.

Old Tshirts to Wall Decor

See How to Turn Old t-Shirts Into Wall Art

Old Lamp to Nautical Decor

Turn an Old Lamp Into Nautical Decor with rope.

Ribbon to Bookmark

Make a helpful and lovely bookmark using old ribbon.

Homemade Heating Pad Using Flaxseeds

Get the instructions to make a comforting heating pad using flaxseeds.

 

Old Jars to Storage

See how easy it is to Reuse Glass Jars for Pretty Storage

Old Record to Retro Clock

Learn how to Make a Cool Retro Clock from an Old Vinyl Record

 

Plastic Plates and Cups to Bird Feeder

Make this Easy DIY Bird Feeder from Recycled Plates and Cups

 

 

Old Bottle to Nautical Vase

Turn an old bottle into a Nautical Theme Bottle Vase

 

Scraps of Wood to Heartwarming Decor

Let everyone know there’s no place like home when you make this DIY Letter Decor 

 

 

Picture Frame to DIY Erase Board

Make a DIY Erase Board from an old frame – so easy!

 

Picture Frame to Jewelry Organizer

See how to Make a DIY Jewelry Organizer from an Old Picture Frame

Brown Paper Bags To Dry Wet Shoes

There are so many different uses for brown paper bags. Keep a stash handy. My favorite is to use them to dry wet shoes on rainy days. Crumple up parts of the paper bags and stuff them into your wet shoes. They will absorb the moisture and help them dry faster.

Some people also like to use newspaper for this purpose, but a newspaper could leave ink marks on your shoes.

Label Cords With Bread Tags

Those square plastic bread tags are excellent at labeling cords. Just use a permanent marker to write the name of the electronic it belongs to and clip it to the cord. Easy!

Broken Pottery For Plants

Even broken pieces of pottery can be reused. Lay it on the bottom of your plant’s pot to elevate the roots. Be careful not to cover up the drainage hole. Put the broken pottery on the bottom before you add the dirt. Your plants will be able to access the water so much better now.

Dish Rack to File Folder

Take an unused dish rack and turn it into a file folder. The cutlery holder can become a pen and pencil holder. Spray paint it if you want to!

Paper Towel Holder to Store Bracelets

Repurpose a paper towel holder to stack your bracelets and you can see them at a glance.

Old Photo Frame to Decorative Tray

Add some pretty wrapping paper under the glass of an old photo frame to make a decorative tray.

Turn an Old Bread Box into a Charging Station

Drill holes in the back of an old bread box and you can conceal those ugly chargers plus have a home for your devices with their chargers.

Cheese Grater to Earring Holder

Clean and spray paint an old cheese grater and use it to display your earrings.

Pool Noodles to Fill Tall Boots

Cut old pool noodles to fit inside your tall boots and see them stand up tall. I have also done this with empty gift wrapping tubes.

Ice Cube Tray to Snack Station

Fill the compartments with raisings, blueberries, grapes, Goldfish Crackers and yummy snacks for the little ones.

Wastebasket to Wrapping Paper Storage

Use an old small wastebasket to store wrapping paper upright.

Mount a Wine Rack and Store Towels

Mount an old wine rack to a bathroom wall, roll up your towels and keep them handy.

Plastic Jugs As Scoops

With a few cuts, a plastic jug can turn into a DIY shovel. You can use this for pet food, gardening, or for a fun beach toy.

First, completely clean and dry your gallon or half-gallon jug. Then, poke two holes in it. One hole should be 2 inches below the handle, the other on the opposite side, about an inch lower.

Cut from one hole to the other to create an angeled opening. Throw away the bottom of the jug and smooth out any jagged edges.

Old Knobs Become Useful Hooks

Did you recently refinish some cabinets and replace the old knobs? Save them! You can use them as a decorative rack for your keys or scarves. It’s so easy.

To create a DIY scarf organizer, you first have to remove the flat screws from the back of the knob. At this point, you can either spray paint them or leave them as they are. Then, find something to attach the hooks to. A wood board or piece of molding work great. On your board, make some holes with a screwdriver and pointed screw that is the same size as the screw on the knob. Then, push the knobs’ falt screws through these holes.

Twist the knobs onto the wood and attach it to the screws. Then, just hang this up!

Upcycling Ideas Save You Money

These are my favorite clever upcycling ideas. Using things you already have lying around the house will save you money and help you live your best frugal life! There are so many more ideas than this. Let me know your favorite and it might appear on this list next.

More Frugal Living Tips

Are you on a quest to live better on less? I’m here to help! Here are some more fantastic ways to save money and still live your best life.

• Places to Recycle or Sell Old Gadgets

Save yourself time and money and stay home. Repurpose things around your home. These upcycling ideas give new life to what you might otherwise throw away.

 

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