How to Upcycle (or Recycle) and the Art of DIY

I never throw anything away…well, almost never.

When you’re basement becomes the holding area for all the things you know you are going to use just as soon as you figure out what to make with it, you know you have a problem. Or is it an opportunity?

Honestly, clutter stresses me out. I don’t keep clutter. However, I do hold on to items that still have a potential use because I want the chance to find that item a purpose before it wastes away at the dump.

I get jazzed when I can give an old item a new purpose. Technically, I guess that is upcycling…or maybe recycling. Whatever you call it, there is no feeling like making something creative from items you got for free or cheap.

So, what’s holding you back from getting jazzed about DIY? Maybe you think you’re not crafty. Maybe you’re working on a tight budget. Maybe you’re afraid to use power tools. Trust me. None of these things are obstacles.

4 Things You Need for a Good Upcycle

1. A willingness to see things a little differently.
2. A willingness to hold on to items you might readily throw in the trash.
3. The internet. No seriously. I find so much inspiration from post by other makers and DIYers.
4. A little tenacity. You will make a plan to repurpose an object, and that plan will change. No worries. Adapt and move on.

Trial and Error Is a Part of Any Upcycle

Don’t believe me? Then let’s check out this example. I found a beat up suitcase in my grandparent’s basement. (You can easily find one at a yard sale or second hand store too.) I didn’t really need a suitcase that’s so small. I don’t travel light if I don’t have to. What was I going to do with it?

 

So, I journeyed to my local hardware store. First, I went to the garden department thinking that I could get a plant stand to serve as legs. No go. The stand were all too wide. Then, I went to the wood section thinking that a railing or a table leg would work as some kind of base. Nope. Then, I saw the dow rods. So many different diameters! I chose a 2-in diameter dow rod and was able to make table legs. End result–end table for the living room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s the result. A suitcase bound for the trash, two 2-in diameter dow rods, and some leftover house paint I had in the basement. That’s all it took.

You have a crafter inside you. You don’t need a workshop or an interior designer. You just need to rethink and make it happen.