One Dozen Ways to Upcycle Photographs
. I love turning these old photos that I never look at into all-new decorations and utilitarian items, giving them new lives and incorporating those happy memories into even more parts of my home.
How do I reuse…?
Upcycle Photographs into Stickers: Three Methods That Really Work
Here are three easy methods for upcycling print photos (and book pages, wrapping paper… just about any paper works for this!) into stickers, along with the pros and cons of each method.
Log Cabin Quilt from Upcycled Denim… And It’s King-Sized!
I roasted while I sewed all that denim and flannel in the smack middle of June, but I’ll be so comfy this winter!
I’ve had this log cabin quilt sewn from upcycled denim in my mind’s eye for a few years, but it’s the embarrassing state of my fabric stash that finally prodded me into action.
Animal Rescues Need You To Donate These 20 Handmade Items
Animal rescues need YOU to do some crafting for good this summer!
Looking for something to make that will also make a difference?
Here are some handmade items that you can make and donate to your favorite animal rescue!
20 Cat Toys and Enrichment Items from Eco-Friendly Materials
Cat enrichment is so important to the physical and emotional well-being of your cats. Don’t let your tiny hunters suffer from boredom; instead, check out this list of my favorite cat enrichment items below, and make your best friend their new favorite toy!
DIY Cat Scratcher from Upcycled Cardboard Boxes
This upcycled cardboard cat scratcher is a great way to use up all your corrugated cardboard boxes. Cats love it, and it’s a useful donation to your local animal shelter.
20 Homemade Indoor Games
Homemade games add an extra-fun element to any indoor play. You can customize your homemade games to perfectly suit the interests and current abilities of your kids, and older kids can even help with their creation.
The Easiest Way to Clean Wax out of a Jar Candle
My go-to process for cleaning wax out of jar candles used to be tedious and time-consuming. But now I’ve successfully used the Power of Science to come up with THE quickest and easiest go-to process.
Heart-Shaped Cereal Box Notebook with Upcycled Papers
This Valentine’s Day, I’m giving my teenagers each this little gift created with their two favorite things in mind: sugar cereal and tiny notebooks!
Here’s how to make your own tiny heart-shaped notebooks with cereal box covers and upcycled papers!
18 Ideas for Making Altered Book Art
You’ve picked out an old book and prepped its pages–what’s the next step in creating an altered book that you’ll love?
Let your imagination be your guide!
18 Projects to Upcycle Tights
Fortunately, those stained, snagged, or simply outgrown tights don’t have to go into the wastestream! Here’s how to upcycle your old tights in a myriad of ways.
You Should Reclaim the Zippers from Your Old Pairs of Jeans
If you sew, and especially if you enjoy refashioning clothing or upcycling pieces to give them new lives, you should be reclaiming the zipper from every single pair of pants that wanders through your workshop.
DIY Cushion Cover from a Blanket
No matter what cushion you’ve got that needs a washable, reusable cover, I’m not going to judge you. Instead, I’m going to show you how to make that cover from any handy blanket that you’ve got in your stash.
DIY Dancer: Upcycled Hair Ties Made from Tights
If you, too, are beholden to a continually evolving set of brand-new tights all year, every year, this little hack won’t cure your heartbreak, but it might make you feel maybe 3% better, at least if you or someone you love also has hair that occasionally needs to be tied back.
Leaning into the Discomfort, Part Three: 20 Ways to Upcycle 2-Liter Plastic Bottles
It turns out that plastic 2-liter bottles are sturdy and versatile, perfect for upcycling into a variety of fun projects!
Leaning into the Discomfort, Part One: How to Upcycle a 2-Liter Bottle into a Planter
Somehow, until I made the effort to really think about how I could reuse plastic 2-liter bottles, it never occurred to me that a plastic 2-liter bottle is a nearly perfect planter. It’s cheap. It’s sturdy. It’s light. It’s easy to modify to fit a variety of needs.
20 DIY Bird Feeders Made from Eco-Friendly Materials
Spring is a terrific time to freshen up your stash of bird feeders by crafting a few more from eco-friendly materials. The birds love them, you love them, and the environment loves them!
How to Remake Ugly Switch Plates and Outlet Covers with Paper
A little Mod Podge, a little polyurethane sealant, and my old plastic light switch plate and outlet cover are good as new, with some antique wallpaper street cred, too!
20 Ways to Repair or Refashion an Old Coat or Jacket
Good, aesthetically pleasing repair work gives your outerwear longevity, allowing even that fast fashion or thrifted piece a permanent place in your wardrobe.
How to Drill through Glass
Drilling through glass isn’t as hard as it looks, and it’s a specific skill that is honestly pretty amazing to have.
Two Dozen Eco-Friendly Rugs, Mats, and Floor Coverings to Make
Whether it’s a 20″x24″ bath mat for your kid’s bathroom, or a couch-sized pom pom rug for your family room, the power to make your new favorite floor covering is in your hands!
Zero Waste Upcycling: One Dozen Glass Bottle Bottom Crafts
Sure, you can toss that boring bottle bottom into the recycling bin… except there are SO MANY awesome ways to upcycle even glass bottle bottoms! Check out my list of my favorite projects that just happen to do really cool things with the least likely parts of glass bottles.
DIY Upcycled Glass Bottle Bottom Ring Holders
These glass bottle bottom ring holders are quick and easy to make, and don’t require any additional supplies other than several grits of sandpaper.
Two Dozen Ideas for Eco-Friendly Gift Packaging
Think outside the (brand-new, laminated cardboard, single-use) gift box when it comes to ideas for eco-friendly gift packaging. Upcycled papers, stash supplies, and cardboard from the recycling bin can all be of service to create gift packaging that’s unique and fits your personality way better than anything you can buy new.
Make an Easy Drawstring Gift Bag with This Free Pattern
A drawstring bag is a terrific go-to when you’re thinking about sustainable gift packaging. It’s customizable, re-usable, and easy to put to a huge number of alternate uses.
DIY Wall-Mounted Cardboard Box Shelves
The solution for displaying your favorite treasures is that cardboard box hanging out in your recycling bin!
20 Altered Playing Card Crafts
Whether you’ve got a deck of playing cards that are past their prime or just a partial deck of survivors, I’ve got plenty of ideas for upcycling them! Playing cards are one of my favorite craft supplies to alter, and once you find your perfect project among the tutorials below, I think you’re going to like altered playing card crafts just as much as I do!
The Upcycled Home: Eighteen Wicker Basket Makeovers
Don’t let a wicker basket’s unfortunate appearance blind you to how versatile it can be for containing and organizing your clutter in an attractive way. Read on for a selection of easy tutorials that remake, remodel, and otherwise transform any ugly wicker basket into the perfect home accessory.
Two Dozen Ways to Upcycle Socks That Have Lost Their Mates
Fortunately, that mate-less sock doesn’t have to live the rest of its life alone in my Socks Sans Partners basket, only to eventually be tossed out, years later, when I’ve finally admitted the truth to myself. There are SO many cute ways to upcycle orphaned socks.
20 Raised Garden Beds and Container Gardens for Every Space
I love how versatile raised beds and containers are for urban gardening.
Make Matching Serving Ware with Spray Paint and Dish Soap
What to do with serving ware that could go great together but is mismatched and also super ugly?
Spray paint it!
The Half-Dozen Best Quilt Blocks for Upcycled Denim
Upcycled denim quilts don’t have to be boring! Use upcycled denim to sew some of your favorite quilt blocks. It will take your recycled blue jeans quilt to the next level!
Off-the-Grid Cooking Hack: Make a Tin Can Stove
You can DIY cooking equipment every bit as good from two tin cans, a cardboard box, and candlewax.
20 Ways to Upcycle Broken Dishes
Instead of tossing it into the waste stream and feeling bad about yourself because of it, give that broken dish a second life by upcycling it into something fun, beautiful, and useful.