Category Archives:upcycling

17
Dec

E-Waste Jewelry: Creative Upcycling

E Waste Jewelry

Artist Marcele Godoy creates striking jewelry from reclaimed e-waste.

E-waste is a huge environmental problem. When we toss out old electronics, they eventually decompose in ourlandfills, leaching toxins into the ground water and polluting the surrounding soil. E-waste recycling is a little bit better, but unfortunately not all discarded electronics get recycled.

Godoy makes a powerful statement about the problems with e-waste with his new upcycled jewelry line created from discarded computer cables, cords, plugs, and wires. Right now, the line is exclusively of necklaces, but he's planning to expand into other creations.

E Waste Jewelry

The line is simply called "elle," and the jewelry is a personal project. Godoy is a Chilean grad student studying here in the U.S., and he observes:

I am surprised by how quickly multiple objects are considered garbage and you can easily find them on the streets every day. I have collected objects many times to reuse them in projects or for personal use. This is because they are generally discarded for a better, a nicer or a newer one, and not because its useful life is over.

Rather than let those objects go to waste, he reclaims them and turns them into striking pieces of jewelry. How's that for craftivism?

You can view more photos of Godoy's jewelry on his website and check out some of his other beautiful design projects.

h/t: Moco Loco

Posted:   |   Categories: Clothes+Accessories, Craft Recycled, crafty reuse, creative reuse, DIY, e-waste, e-waste crafts, e-waste recycling, electronic waste, Living, upcycling
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26
Nov

Spotted: DIY Vase from a Glass Bottle

Hanging Air Plant Vase

How sweet is this hanging vase made from a reclaimed glass bottle?

You know that we're all about indoor plants, even if you're dealing with a small space. This hanging glass vase is a great way to get a little bit more plant life into your life without sacrificing an inch of valuable shelf or floor space.

You can't stick just any plant into this hanging vase. It's specifically for air plants. As someone who is a frequent killer-of-plants, I will say this for air plants: they are beautiful and delightfully hard to kill. You really just need to mist them with water occasionally to keep them happy. Air plants also don't need a lot of light to thrive. They're a perfect low-maintenance house plant!

This tutorial uses a vintage bottle, but you could also use a reclaimed glass bottle to make this hanging vase. Fancy ginger ales come in some very beautiful bottles, for example. They'd work great for this project!

craftRECYCLED logo

Caitlin of The Merrythought shared this awesome hanging vase tutorial over at Poppytalk, and I am in love with it! You only need a few simple materials for this project. I'm going to list them here along with one small substitution to make this project even greener!

  • Ceramic/Glass Drill Bit (I used a 3/16")
  • Spray bottle with water
  • Vintage Bottle
  • Jute
  • Leather Lace - leather isn't the most eco-conscious material, and you really don't need this to do the project. This is really just for looks, so you can use more jute, some reclaimed ribbon, or hemp twine instead.
  • Hot Glue Gun

Easy peasy, right? I bet that you have most of these materials in your stash right now. Head on over to Poppytalk to get the complete step-by-step!

I'd love to hear from you guys, too. Have you created any fun DIY vases or other upcycled planters? Tell me about what you're making in the comments!

Posted:   |   Categories: bottle crafts, Craft Recycled, crafty reuse, creative reuse, DIY, DIY vase, reuse, upcycling, vase
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21
Nov

Pallet Crafts: The Ultimate Graphical Guide

Pallet Crafts

You know that we love ideas for pallet crafts around here, and we're loving this graphical guide from Terry's Fabrics.

We've talked about pallet crafting before and even shared some amazing resources to help you start building with pallets. This graphic introduces you to some of the different sorts of pallets that you might run across and some projects for each difficulty level.

Of course, when you're crafting with pallets, you want to put safety first. That means examining your pallets to make sure that they are safe for crafting before you use them.

You also want to make sure that your pallet crafting is legitimate upcycling. Don't just snag a pallet from behind a store. If the store is planning to keep using it, you're not upcycling. Instead, head inside and just ask! Do they have any pallets that they're planning to discard? If so, you can take them off of their hands. They save money on disposal, you get free craft supplies. True upcycling is a win for everyone.

Right, but enough about that...you are here for some pallet craft goodness, right? Here's the graphical guide to pallet crafts (you can click to see a full-sized version):

The Ultimate Guide to Pallet Crafts

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by splorp

Posted:   |   Categories: crafting with wood pallets, DIY, pallet crafts, pallets, reuse, upcycling, wood pallet crafts
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12
Nov

5 Thanksgiving Crafts from Recycled Materials

Thanksgiving Crafts

Looking for some Thanksgiving crafts to get you into the holiday spirit? We've got you covered!

I think we sometimes lose sight of what Thanksgiving is really about. We get so stressed out planning our menu, making travel plans, and getting ready for house guests that we forget to slow down and give thanks for all of the wonderful things in our lives. I hope that these Thanksgiving crafts will be the handbrake you need to relax with friends or family, get your craft on, and share a little good, old-fashioned gratitude.

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5 Thanksgiving Crafts

1. Create Simple Gratitude Decor

This is a project that you and the kids can work on together. Grab some stencils, upcycled paper, and a thrift store picture frame to create some sweet, Thanksgiving crafts to decorate your walls.

2. Hand Print Turkey Shirt

Older kids can help out with this wearable craft project, and they can learn about reverse applique while they do!

3. Grateful Bunting

Got some old jeans that are past their wear? Like, four pairs of old jeans? Use the back pockets to create some very sweet bunting to show you holiday gratitude.

4. Pine Cones of Gratitude

Head to the park with your kids to collect pine cones for this upcycled craft project. You can also use reclaimed paper, like security envelopes, in place of construction paper for more upcycled goodness!

5. Bottle Place Card Holders

Do you have a Frappuccino addiction? Dig those empties out of the recycle bin and turn them into beautiful place cards that double as keepsakes! I think this projcet would also look lovely if you used half-pint Mason jars or even an eclectic mix of glass jars from the recycle bin, don't you?

Do you have any fun Thanksgiving crafts in the works? I'd love to hear about what you're making in the comments!

Image Credit: photo by Bonnie Getchell

Posted:   |   Categories: Craft Recycled, crafting with kids, crafts for kids, DIY, holiday crafts, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving craft projects, Thanksgiving crafts, upcycling
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12
Sep

Spotted: Plastic Bottlecap Rainbow Mural

mural made of plastic bottlecaps

'When the Beach Met the Bay' uses plastic bottlecaps to make a statement about plastic pollution.

Did you know that even in areas that accept plastic bottles for recycling, the bottlecap often isn't recyclable?

Isn't that crazy? That means for billions of plastic bottles, there are non-recyclable plastic caps clogging the waste stream, making recycling plants less efficient as they dig them out, and eventually filling up our landfills. If you want to find out if your area accepts plastic bottlecaps for recycling, contact your local waste management department. Some places will take the bottles with the caps on, others require that you remove the caps, and some just plain can't recycle plastic bottlecaps.

Of course, the best way to avoid this problem is to skip plastic bottles all together, but somehow those suckers tend to creep in, don't they? Artist Lisa Be decided to raise awareness about the problem of plastic bottlecaps by transforming all of that trash into a beautiful rainbow mural.

The project  - called "When the Beach Met the Bay" - came out of Project Vortex, a New York group of artists looking to shine a light on plastic pollution. It's on display in Long Beach, NY and incorporates 24,000 plastic bottlecaps that kids collected just on Long Beach.

Yep - they were able to gather 24,000 plastic bottlecaps on one single beach. I think that alone speaks volumes about the plastic pollution problem, don't you?

Image via Public Art Fund

Posted:   |   Categories: Art, craftivism, Innovation, Lisa Be, plastic bottlecap, plastic bottlecap mural, plastic bottlecaps, plastic pollution, upcycling
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12
Sep

Spotted: Plastic Bottlecap Rainbow Mural

mural made of plastic bottlecaps

'When the Beach Met the Bay' uses plastic bottlecaps to make a statement about plastic pollution.

Did you know that even in areas that accept plastic bottles for recycling, the bottlecap often isn't recyclable?

Isn't that crazy? That means for billions of plastic bottles, there are non-recyclable plastic caps clogging the waste stream, making recycling plants less efficient as they dig them out, and eventually filling up our landfills. If you want to find out if your area accepts plastic bottlecaps for recycling, contact your local waste management department. Some places will take the bottles with the caps on, others require that you remove the caps, and some just plain can't recycle plastic bottlecaps.

Of course, the best way to avoid this problem is to skip plastic bottles all together, but somehow those suckers tend to creep in, don't they? Artist Lisa Be decided to raise awareness about the problem of plastic bottlecaps by transforming all of that trash into a beautiful rainbow mural.

The project  - called "When the Beach Met the Bay" - came out of Project Vortex, a New York group of artists looking to shine a light on plastic pollution. It's on display in Long Beach, NY and incorporates 24,000 plastic bottlecaps that kids collected just on Long Beach.

Yep - they were able to gather 24,000 plastic bottlecaps on one single beach. I think that alone speaks volumes about the plastic pollution problem, don't you?

Image via Public Art Fund

Posted:   |   Categories: Art, craftivism, Innovation, Lisa Be, plastic bottlecap, plastic bottlecap mural, plastic bottlecaps, plastic pollution, upcycling
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05
Jul

4 Upcycled Pallet Projects

succulent pallet table

Did you find a wood pallet that could use a little DIY love? Check out our upcycled pallet projects to turn them into something cute and usable!

Wood pallets are ubiquitous in the shipping industry, but they often don't get used many times before they're put out to pasture. It's a shame to let all of that wood go to the landfill! Luckily, there are lots of super awesome ways that you can upcycle old pallets.

If you see a stack of pallets outside of a shop, make sure you ask before you nab one. Businesses do reuse them, and if you take one that's still in use for shipping you're not really doing your best upcycling work, right? The idea is to get the most use out of these things as possible, and if you snag it before they're done with it, that means they have to buy a new one.

Upcycled Pallet Projects

1. DIY Succulent Table

If your pallet is made from untreated wood, you can turn it into a super sweet table with a built-in succulent planter!

2. Vertical Succulent Planter

Don't need a table but want to get in on the succulent-planting action? How about a vertical pallet planter for those beautiful succulents?

pallet desk

3. Make a Desk

Another great project for untreated wood pallets - make a desk using IKEA legs in just a few simple steps.

4. DIY Ottoman

This project is for folks who are on the handy side, and the results are totally beautiful. Turn a wood pallet into a classy tufted ottoman.

Posted:   |   Categories: crafting with wood pallets, DIY, DIY bird house, pallet crafts, pallets, reuse, upcycling, wood pallet crafts
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03
Jul

Spotted: DIY Fruit Basket Made from Grocery Bags

Paper Fruit Basket

These sweet fruit baskets are made from reclaimed paper grocery bags!

As much as I'd like to say that I always bring reusable bags to the store, sometimes I slip up. Other times, I bring one bag because I think I'm going to just grab a few essentials but end up with a cart full of groceries. Next time you have to take a single-use bag at the store, don't fret. Ask for paper, and head home to get crafty!

Do you remember doing old-school paper weaving when you were a kid? Crafter Lia Griffith uses that same technique to create these cute berry serving baskets. I love the simplicity of this project and that you probably have all of the materials that you need to create it right in your house!

Fruit Basket Tutorial

To make your own DIY fruit basket, you'll need:

  • an old grocery bag
  • ruler
  • pen or pencil
  • scissors
  • clothes pin
  • hot glue gun

Lia has a beautiful photo tutorial showing you how to weave this basket together. Click here to check it out!

Posted:   |   Categories: Craft Recycled, crafty reuse, creative reuse, DIY, DIY fruit basket, grocery bag crafts, paper crafts, reuse, upcycling
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27
Jun

July 4th Crafts to Reduce the Holiday Waste

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Independence Day is coming up next week here in the U.S. For a lot of us, that means backyard parties and all of the potential waste that comes with them.

From plastic utensils to single-use decorations, a July 4th shindig isn't always the best for the planet. You can cut back on a lot of waste just by changing how you set the table, like choosing proper dishes and utensils instead of single-use plastic and paper, but when it comes to decorations you might just want some themed decor.

That's where your crafty skills come in! We've rounded up some DIY projects that you can do this weekend to get your house Independence Day ready with none of the waste.

Lighting

Upcycled Wine Bottle Gas Lamp

Instead of Christmas lights or other electric lights, rustle up an empty blue glass bottle or two and create an upcycled gas lantern. For a little extra ambiance, make some votives for the table out of old candles from around the house.

Table Decor

sixpack caddy

If you're planning a 4th of July party, chances are you've picked up a six pack or two. Pull those bottles out and upcycle the cardboard caddy into a cute, thematic condiment holder. But you don't have to stop there! Instead of a crappy, disposable table cloth, whip up a simple table runner instead, using fabric from your stash. Just choose a few prints in patriotic colors, and you're ready to rock.

Hanging Decorations

upcycled bunting

Nothing says festive like some bunting! It's so much prettier than paper streamers, and you can use it year after year instead of tossing it at the end of the evening. Check out this upcycled bunting that you can make in 10 minutes!

Do you have any DIY plans for the 4th? I'd love to hear about what crafty things you guys have in the works!

Posted:   |   Categories: DIY, DIY party decorations, holiday decorations, holidays, Home+Decor, Independence Day, July 4th, July 4th crafts, Living, red white and blue, upcycled crafts, upcycling
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11
Jun

5 Upcycled DIY Jewelry Projects

DIY Statement Necklace

Does your stash of accessories need a little kick? Try out some of these DIY upcycled jewelry projects!

Doesn't the right necklace or pair of earrings just make any outfit feel extra special? The trouble with store-bought jewelry is that it's often produced in a sweatshop and shipped all over the world. That means a big dose of cruelty and a side of greenhouse gas emissions. No, thank you!

The good news is that it's simple and fun to make your own DIY jewelry from all kinds of materials, from magazine pages to beans. Yes, beans! Here are a few DIY jewelry ideas to get you started.

1. DIY Statement Necklace

The beautiful, bold statement necklace pictured above is made using beans instead of beads! Pretty awesome, right?

2. Gift Card Necklace

Who needs shells when you have used gift cards? You can turn that single-use plastic into a super adorable necklace!

nail polish key necklace

3. Nail Polish Key Necklace

Do you have a key with no lock to open? Instead of tossing it out, grab a bottle of nail polish and transform it into a hip necklace.

4. Magazine Page Bling

Grab an old magazine or some junk mail and use it to make a 1980s-inspired jewelry set.

5. Wine Cork Earrings

Is there any end to useful ways to repurpose wine corks? Slice them up, paint them, and create super sweet stud earrings.

Have you guys made any fun, upcycled jewelry lately? We'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Posted:   |   Categories: DIY, DIY jewelry, how to make jewelry, reuse, upcycled jewelry, upcycling
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