Looking for some inspiration for redecorating your home? Why not try upcycling? Not only is it budget friendly, it’s also good for the environment. Here are some upcycling ideas to help you.
Thanks to Instagram, Pinterest and lifestyle magazines, we see beautiful interior design all the time. From spaces with an industrial look, to cosier spaces with more Scandinavian designs, it’s always the details that we appreciate the most. But, if you’re redecorating or refurnishing, these special little touches don’t have to break the bank.
The latest upcycling trend means that furniture and trinkets from antique shops and flea markets are getting a new lease on life and can be used to add unique and contemporary accents to all kinds of spaces – both inside and out.
So, if you’ve had your eye on a beautiful kitchen dresser, chest of drawers or unique vase in the antiques shop and would like to give it a refresh for your home, now’s the time to try out some upcycling ideas. To help you get started, we’ve put together some upcycling ideas for beginners.
One thing’s for sure, you can never have enough side tables. One easy upcycling idea for your home is to make a vintage-style table using an old vinyl record and a plant stand. Here’s how to do it:
- Take a trip to the flea market or antique shop. Look for a 12-inch record and a cheap circular wire frame plant stand. You could also use records you have already, or look for a plant stand at a garden centre.
- Clean the pieces thoroughly. Get a clean cloth and some warm soapy water and wipe the record and plant stand to ensure that there is no dust or dirt on the surfaces.
- Glue the pieces together. Use an all-purpose glue to apply an even line of adhesive around the top of the plant stand and fix the record to it. Make sure that the record is placed in the centre before pressing it into place.
- Leave to dry. Put a heavy item on top, like a hardback book, and leave the side table to dry. Check the instructions on the glue to find out how long it takes to dry. Once completely dry, you can add a vase, a plant or a book to your table. And there you have it!
You can also use upcycling ideas to decorate your garden. For this idea, all you need is a selection of tins for soup, beans, etc. (used and cleaned) that you can use as plant pots.
- Clean the tins thoroughly. Take off the labels and clean the tins with some warm, soapy water and a sponge or clean cloth. Leave to dry.
- Punch holes in the bottom of each tin. 3-4 holes will do the trick. This way the irrigation water can leak out.
- Paint the tins. Make sure to take the tins outside or into a well-ventilated room and cover the surface. Then, spray-paint the tins inside and out. You can paint them all the same colour or you can paint each one a different colour – it’s up to you.
- Glue the tins to the fence. Once you’ve worked out what kind of shape you want your tin cans to be in, you can use Loctite 60 Second All-Purpose Glue to fix them in place. This glue dries in just 60 seconds, but there is also time to reposition the tins if you need to.
- Fill the cans with soil and plant some seeds in each one for different plants and herbs.
Who says upcycling should only be used for furniture and other objects in your home and garden? Upcycling ideas are also great for keeping the children occupied too! Here’s an idea you can try with your kids.
- Collect some metal bottle tops.
- Clean the bottle tops. Use a clean cloth and some warm soapy water and then leave them to dry.
- Paint the bottle tops. Put down some newspaper and collect some paint that can be used on metal. Then, get your kids to paint the bottle tops however they want. Our top tip is to paint one layer, let it dry, and then paint another – this means that the paint will stay on for longer.
- Decorate the fridge magnets. Add some fun pieces to the bottle tops like googly eyes or plastic jewels with a few drops of Loctite Super Glue Pure Gel.
- Glue on the magnet. Add a drop of Loctite Super Glue Pure Gel to the inside of the bottle top and then press a small circular magnet onto the back. Make sure to leave the magnet to dry before putting it onto the fridge.