You know those “upgrade” memes that are regularly popping up on Twitter?
Well, unless you have a house filled entirely with new items, odds are, there are countless opportunities to “upgrade” your unused things and give them life again.
Recommended Videos
While many understandably focus on recycling during Earth Day, “upcycling” can be just as valuable of a preservation tool. Upcycling is finding a new and improved use for an older product that is lying around the house, which can save money and space in the trash can.
Here are five suggestions of items to upcycle, according to the Green Valley News.
China/silverware
Oftentimes, china or silverware that is passed down for generations sits in a cabinet and is hardly ever used. But there is reason to blow the dust off such heirlooms and put them to use in a different way.
Tea cup candles are simple to make, and tea cups can also serve as an elegant holder for small plants. Old spoons and forks can also be pounded flat and turned into wind chimes.
Old furniture
Have an old chest that is just lying around but not being used to put clothes in? Try giving it a fresh coat of paint and converting it into a storage area for plants out on a front porch, backyard deck or wherever else you’d like.
Glass
In addition to spoons and forks, colored bottles or strings of glass beads can also be used as wind chimes that are appealing to the eye and make soothing sounds.
If equipped with a kiln, old glass bottles can be morphed into items such as cheese or snack boards.
Tin cans
Usually a popular item to recycle, these can be upcycled and turned into a variety of other things, including lanterns in the backyard.
They can be used as lanterns by themselves or as a group by stringing them along a rope.
Old wood
By using old pieces of barn wood or other wood with a weathered quality, existing doors can be updated with accents or decorations to enhance the appearance. Older wood can also be used to make beams or mantels that can be used for decorative items.
Do you have any items that you have upcycled? Let us know in the comments below.