50 Eco-Friendly and Chic Upcycling Projects for Your Home
Upcycling is the perfect way to add some personality to your home while being environmentally conscious. It’s a win-win! And the best part is, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get started. With just a little creativity and some basic supplies, you can transform everyday items into something new and useful. Whether you’re a seasoned DIY enthusiast or just looking for a fun weekend project, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ve rounded up 50 of the most stylish and creative upcycling ideas for your home. So, get ready to dig through your garage or basement and turn all that unused junk into beautiful home decor!
DIY Planters: use old cans, containers or bottles as planters for small plants.
Bird feeder: create a bird feeder using recycled materials like a plastic bottle or a milk carton.
Paper mache projects: use paper waste to create sculptures, lampshades or wall art.
Glass bottle wind chimes: create a wind chime using old glass bottles and strings.
Jar lanterns: transform mason jars into lanterns with a candle or string lights.
Recycled cardboard organizers: use cardboard boxes to create desktop organizers, shoe organizers, etc.
Fabric scraps: sew together scraps of fabric to make a patchwork quilt, pillow or tote bag.
Upcycled furniture: turn an old dresser into a media console, a ladder into a bookshelf, etc.
Tin can candle holders: use paint and decorations to transform tin cans into candle holders.
Pallet garden: turn wooden pallets into a vertical garden for small plants.
Wine cork coasters: glue wine corks together to make unique coasters for your home.
Tin can tambourines: decorate tin cans and fill with beads or beans to create a musical instrument.
Old T-shirt rugs: cut up old T-shirts and crochet or knot them together to create a soft and colorful rug.
Magazine holder: use cardboard rolls from paper towels or wrapping paper to make magazine holders.
Coffee cup birdhouse: turn a used coffee cup into a cozy birdhouse by adding a roof and a perch.
Recycled bike planter: use an old bike as a frame for a flower or herb garden.
Bookshelf from crates: stack wooden crates to create a rustic bookshelf or storage unit.
Shell candle holder: arrange decorative shells in a glass dish to create a unique candle holder.
Yarn from T-shirt scraps: cut T-shirt scraps into strips and knot them together to make a new yarn.
Popsicle stick picture frame: use popsicle sticks to create a picture frame.
Rain chain: use recycled metal cups or jars to create a rain chain that diverts rainwater from a roof gutter.
Teacup bird feeder: attach a saucer to the bottom of a teacup and hang with twine to create a bird feeder.
Wine bottle vases: use wine bottles as vases for flowers, or decorate with paint or twine.
Clothesline basket: weave strips of fabric around a clothes hanger to create a hanging basket for plants.
Wall art from buttons: glue buttons in unique patterns to create a colorful piece of wall art.
Decorative orbs from wine corks: glue wine corks together to make decorative orbs for your home.
Stained glass from plastic bottles: cut plastic bottles into small pieces and arrange in a stained glass pattern to make suncatchers.
Wall hooks from branches: find a branch, sand it down and drill holes for hooks to create a natural looking wall hook.
Rope bowl from t-shirt scraps: cut t-shirt scraps into strips and coil them into a bowl shape, then stitch together.
Paint chip wall art: arrange paint chips into a color gradient or pattern to create a piece of wall art.
Key holder from an old frame: remove the glass and back from an old frame and add hooks to create a key holder.
Seed starter pots from paper: roll paper into tubes and staple at the bottom to create biodegradable seed starter pots.
Decorative tray from old CDs: glue old CDs or DVDs together to create a colorful and unique tray.
Map coasters: use maps or atlases to create coasters with a unique design.
Lamp from a jug: drill a hole in a glass jug and insert a light bulb to create a unique lamp.
Wooden spoon wind chime: hang wooden spoons from a rod or branch to create a rustic wind chime.
Twine ball from scrap fabric: roll scrap fabric into a ball and wrap with twine to create a decorative accent.
Wreath from bottle caps: collect bottle caps and arrange them in a wreath shape to create a colorful piece of wall art.
Decorative balls from paper: roll pieces of paper into balls and arrange in a bowl or vase to create a unique decorative accent.
Terrarium from a light bulb: remove the filament and other parts from a light bulb and fill with soil and small plants to create a miniature terrarium.
Wine cork bulletin board: glue wine corks to a piece of corkboard or foam board to create a unique bulletin board.
Jewelry from bottle caps: use bottle caps to create unique jewelry pieces like earrings, necklaces or bracelets.
Drawer knobs from buttons: attach buttons to cabinet or drawer knobs to create a unique and colorful look.
Plant hanger from a ladder: repurpose an old ladder as a plant hanger by adding hooks or planks for pots.
Bookend from a rock: find a unique rock and use as a bookend or paperweight.
Photo display from clothespins: attach photos to a string with clothespins to create a unique photo display.
Wall clock from a vinyl record: attach clock mechanism to a vinyl record to create a unique wall clock.
Coffee filter wreath: shape coffee filters into a wreath and dye different colors for a colorful and unique accent.
Decorative jars from old light bulbs: fill old light bulbs with decorative items like sand, beads or stones to create unique jars.
Vase from a light bulb: cut the bottom off of a light bulb and fill with flowers for a unique vase.