10 Great Upcycling Ideas You Need To Try

Upcycling is a great way to create new, unique furniture and help to save the planet! Here are ten great upcycling ideas you need to try ASAP!

1. Book Shelves

Anybody can build a bookcase – but what about bookshelves? Upcycle your old books by turning them into floating shelves. This is perfect for all book lovers and will give your room a vintage feel. Maybe go get some second-hand books to do this though – you don’t want to ruin your own collection!

2. Bedside Table Planter

This is a fun way to upcycle a worn piece of furniture. Take a bedside table or small set of drawers you don’t want anymore and paint it a bright funky colour. Varnish it to protect it from the elements and then place it in your garden. You can fill the drawers with draping plants and flowers, and you can even use it to place your glass on when you’re having a drink outside!

4. Dresser Kitchen Island

This is another good way to use an old set of drawers you no longer use. First, give the cabinet a lick of paint to match your kitchen. Once this is done, you can set the dresser up in the middle of your kitchen. This will give you a make-shift kitchen island for much less than you would pay for a real one. It also gives you a lot of extra storage in your kitchen!

5. Bicycle Wheel Clock

Almost everyone has a spare bike wheel kicking about in their garage that they have absolutely no use for. This upcycling trick will give that wheel a new lease of life. Admittedly, you will need to have some technical skills or access to a clockmaker – but it will be worth it in the end when you have a new unique clock to hang in your living room!

6. Tyre Planter

Just like bike wheels, everyone has an old tyre lying about somewhere – probably for a car your parents owned years ago. A tyre can make a fantastic garden planter, though, with just a little bit of upcycling. The best part is that tyres are already weather-resistant, so you don’t have to do anything to make it suitable for the garden. Just load in your favourite flowers and find a place for it on your patio!

7. Wallpapered Bookcase

Do you have a plain wooden bookcase in dire need of some spicing up? Decorate it with some wallpaper! Go down to your local hardware store and buy a roll of paper that you like. You can paste it around the inside of the shelves and make them look much more exciting. It will add some colour to your room too.

8. Teacup Candles

These make great decorations for your bedroom. If you have way too many cups or mugs, and most of us do, you can upcycle some by placing a candle inside them. Once it melts for the first time, the wax from the candle will spread into the cup and cement itself in place. Now you have your own teacup candle holders!

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9. Mason Jar Snow Globe

This is a fantastic idea if you are looking for a new art project. You can buy your own decorations or make your own. From there, you need to stick them into the jar using waterproof craft glue or epoxy. Then all you need is to fill the jar with water, pour in some glycerin, then mix in some glitter. It will create a snow globe that is perfect for every season!

9. Vinyl Record Bottle Holders

First of all, do not do this to your most treasured records. You will not be able to play them anymore. However, if you have some spare vinyl lying around, they will make great wine bottle holders! All you have to do is heat the lower half of the record so that it can be moulded. Once you’ve done this, simply find a way to fasten them to your kitchen wall. Now you have somewhere to keep your wine!

10. Colander Hanging Baskets

You might not have a spare colander in your kitchen, but you can pick up a few at the store for a lot less than you would pay for a hanging basket. You should be able to paint them with waterproof paint and make your garden look seriously funky! They will also stand out from all your neighbours and their traditional garden decorations.