A surprising transformation of what others usually would think is 'trash'!
Recycling isn't everything. Every year it is estimated that we throw about 2.12 billion tons of waste, and unfortunately a great portion of this will not be recycled as it should. Some items cannot be recycled at all.
So what can we do? Put your trash-can on a diet by learning how to upcycle!
In this article, we will show you how to use what so many people would usually throw away. Use your creativity and skills to turn literal trash into new, personalised, cheap and useful objects! Here are 8 of the latest examples of trash make-overs (or 'upcycling' to use a fancier word).
1. A bright idea
Mustard, yogurts, pickles... These all come from glass jars that can easy be reused. Once washed, you use them to conserve all types of foods and ingredients.
But why not do something a bit more creative? Like a candle container for example.
Just make sure the jar is big enough for you to place a small candle in it. Then you can customise it with basic acrylic or even with nail polish (which is a perfect way to use that one colour of nail polish you only wore once).
This DIY can work perfectly as a gift to your loved ones or simply a way to decorate your room.
2. Cheers!
In some places, plastic bottle caps are pretty hard to recycle. This is why they are the perfect item to upcycle!
You pour yourself a drink and keep the bottle's plastic bottle caps to make a coaster for your beverage. (It's an endless cycle really. The more you drink, the more coasters you can make!)
Place the desired bottle caps tightly together between two sheets of baking paper and place a hot iron over it until the caps flatten. Let them cool down and there you have it: brand new coasters for your next drink!
3. Trick or treat? Both!
Here's a trick for when you've eaten all the treats: re-purpose the box!
Chocolate and other sweets' boxes usually are designed in a way that is durable and practical so they can be used to store all sorts of things. In this case it's been used as a drawer box for cables.
You can repaint the box or put stickers on it, whatever you want to make it tasteful (get it? Tasteful? Chocolate box?... Anyways).
4. Let's hang!
Who said you needed to buy an expensive canvas to express yourself when you can simply use the lid of a shoe box?
However if you need something more on the practical side, you can also create a hanger (for keys, necklaces, etc).
For that, start by customising the lid with paint or stickers. Then find something to use as a hook. In this case, we've used the iron part of paperclips, but anything sturdy and U-shaped could do. Make few holes in the lid from the back using your chosen hook. Pass the hook through the hole until it's half way through and stick the back of it to the back of the lid using either super-glue or scotch tape.
If the lid is sturdy enough you can hang it to the wall as it is. If not you can add one more hook at the top of the lid in order to hang the box to the wall (as shown in the picture below).
5. Growing plants in the shade.
This lamp just died, no way to fix it. Well, let's put life into it instead!
Since in this case the lampshade is made out of plastic, you can just flip it, customise it, and fill it with soil and seeds and therefore turn it into a pot for your plants.
6. Paperwork!
Cardboard is everywhere. Food packaging, toilet paper, etc. This makes it a very cheap and abundant resource for some useful DIY.
In this case, 2 cardboard boxes, 2 toilet paper rolls, some paint and glue were all that was needed to create this very practical desk organiser.
7. A 'trashy' tea party
Pizza boxes are usually made out of cardboard which is a recyclable material. However, if the box is contaminated by food (like on the picture), it can no longer be recycled. So if you don't have a compost to dump it into, here's an idea on how to upcycle your cardboard box:
This is perfect if you're trying to hide in plain sight the fact that you have been partying the night before! Place a (washed) empty alcohol bottle in the middle of a big plate. Then cut the cardboard box into a circle smaller than the plate, with a hole in the middle big enough to let the tip of the bottle go through. Feel free to paint the disk before putting it on top of the bottle.
And there you go! Now you have some fancy "two-layered" plates. You can place all sorts of nice little cakes, biscuits, fruits and other snacks around it. Since the bottle is hollow you can also use it as a flower vase to add some extra chic!
8. Sweet idea
Yet another use of a chocolate box... because who doesn't eat chocolate?
In this case, the compartment made for the chocolates has perfect built-in dividers to create a very trendy jewellery box. And since the box is transparent, no need to open it to choose your accessories. It's a perfect trade!
Now it's your turn!
These are only a few examples of the million things you can make out of items that people tend to trash on a daily basis. Upcycling can be a fun activity for you but also for your friends and family. People of all ages can enjoy upcycling at home. All it takes is a little bit of imagination.
So next time you are about to trash any plastic or cardboard containers, or any sort of single-use item, think to yourself "what else could this be used for?".
Try this at home and post a picture on social media. Tag @TheComPostMagazine and you might be featured on our social media pages!
Article by:
Lena Fix
Editor in chief at The ComPost
Pictures by:
- Lena Fix
- Unsplash ( For the before chocolate box - due to the photographer devouring the box without taking a picture beforehand)
Comments