Have you ever heard of upcycling?

It’s perfectly embodied by the phrase “turning trash into treasure.”

Look no further than Pinterest to get an idea of just how incredible the infinite possibilities are when it comes to this appealing way of reducing your waste.

Upcycling is essentially the creative reuse of waste, unwanted materials, and byproducts to repurpose them into something that could “spark joy” (shoutout to Marie Kondo for making us appreciate anything and everything).

You are increasing the value of something by repurposing it into something more useful or beautiful.

I never thought about it until I was reading this awesome Upcycling website called Upcycle That, but consider this- while recycling is about breaking something down to reuse it, upcycling is about enhancing the value of something and building it up through reuse.

Any waste can be turned into a resource.

Doesn’t that sound like the solution to a lot of problems? It’s called a circular economy, and it’s a beautiful thing.

Upcycle That breaks the approach into two main categories- “use this” and “make that”.

Make this

This approach is for when you know what you need (or want to buy-let’s be honest), and you can scrounge around to find things you already have or can obtain second-hand to make that object.

I used to buy so many candles – I mean, scented candles- need I say more?- but they’re really expensive and I could have just been making my own. So, that’s what I did.

Making candles is so fun, and you can make them in almost anything. Repurpose a glass container, an old mug or teacup, or even a wine bottle (I’m still working on the cutting process, but the end result is so satisfying) into a candle.

Buy the wax and wicks in bulk, and have fun choosing from the containers you find around the house. You can even upcycle old coffee grounds to scent your candle (it kind of makes it look like a cookies and cream candle.

Check out other upcycling ideas like mirror frames, furniture, and decorations here. 

Use that

This is when you have items or materials on hand that you would want to get rid of like jars, fabric, picture frames etc.

Instead of disposing of them, you can turn them into items you no longer want to get rid of.

Think about that sweater can’t bring yourself to say goodbye to but that you never wear. Instead of being tucked away in a closet, you could turn it into a lampshade, cushion cover or mittens. You can even use it to reupholster a stool.

Look at these cute string light decorations you can make from those egg cartons you were going to throw away!

Whether you’re looking to buy or get rid of something, chances are you can utilize upcycling to help you save money, reduce waste, and get creative.

It’s a lot easier to appreciate something that you made yourself, and with each new project, you start to wonder why you would have bought it in the first place.

Let me know if you have any cool upcycling ideas that you want to share. Enjoy buying less, wasting less, and using something that you made yourself.

Happy upcycling!

S.