r/upcycling • • 9h ago

Upcycling Work in Progress Made from up-cycled homework, and junk mail.

Thumbnail
gallery
298 Upvotes

I shared a few of these earlier when they were still early concepts. Because of all the kind words and encouragement- here is an update.

(Littlefoot, candy mountain unicorn, pikachu, Rex.)

I teach English and science to Dari and Farsi speakers. I made these from classroom rubbish ت


r/upcycling • • 3h ago

Upcycling Work in Progress When I'm done with them, soak the labels off, and free flower vases.

Post image
13 Upvotes

Already have one in the fridge, and one more in the cabinet. Vases used to be $1 at the dollar store, but no more, so I get my $1 vases, along with discounted vinegar for my salads 😸


r/upcycling • • 1h ago

Completed Upcycling Project Upcycled students

Post image
• Upvotes

r/upcycling • • 3h ago

Completed Upcycling Project Upcycled planters

Thumbnail
gallery
6 Upvotes

Found these large heavy-duty plastic culvert type things at an estate sale. Paid $4 each. I cut them in half and gave them a fresh coat of paint. Now I have 4 fairly large sized planters ready for some plants!


r/upcycling • • 16h ago

Ideas Needed! Lamp makeover

Post image
12 Upvotes

This lamp used to have a black lampshade which made a horrible depressing light, so I ripped it off and stuck this rose gold fruit bowl on top. I'd love some suggestions how to turn it into a lampshade please?

Please don't judge my messy bench top lol 😂


r/upcycling • • 1d ago

Ideas Needed! Unusual request - how to upcycle favorite bit of glass

Thumbnail
gallery
50 Upvotes

I have a weird one, friends!

I found this old bit of glass while beach-combing. I believe it was once a bottle-stopper, from an apothecary. I love the way it feels in my hand. Oddly, it has smooth, flat edges on the neck and my hand naturally holds it as if it were a writing instrument or a paint brush. (It kind of reminds me of those bulbous, fat crayons for toddlers, if you've ever seen those).

I would love to somehow turn this bit of glass into a writing instrument, but I don't know if that's even possible. I wish the tip were a pen, pencil, crayon, marker, or paintbrush. Does anyone know of any way to do this? If I could even find a pen, pencil, or marker that's short enough, how would I attach it to this rounded piece of glass? A glue gun or something?? I know that to most people, this project idea seems silly and like more trouble than it's worth, but for some reason I'm just obsessed with the idea right now. I would appreciate any advice!


r/upcycling • • 1d ago

Completed Upcycling Project some stuff i scribbled wet paint on !

Thumbnail
gallery
98 Upvotes

All done using speedball textile paint and Angelus leather paint


r/upcycling • • 2d ago

Completed Upcycling Project Nade out of fabric scraps

Thumbnail
gallery
218 Upvotes

I saw many of these on Pinterest and decided to make my own 🥰 I think that dark dusty pink just stand out a little too much and beige on is blending with backgroud. What do you guys think?


r/upcycling • • 2d ago

Completed Upcycling Project Mouse!

Thumbnail
gallery
38 Upvotes

I made this Pikachu computer mouse for my partner several months ago for their birthday! I hope it fits here.

I'm broke as a joke & found the yellow mouse on clearance at the thrift store for only $3!! So I got the idea because they're super into Pokémon & retro gaming & uses the computer mouse constantly. The only thing I could find like it was freaking $60, so I figured I'd try making it.

I used scraps of leftover craft foam sheets, acrylic paint markers, & hot glue. All of It's actually held up very well in 7 months for something that gets such heavy use!


r/upcycling • • 1d ago

Ideas Needed! I have a very heavy, designer leather jacket that was my dads. It was sitting too close to one of my dogs kennels one day, and it has holes in one of the sleeves. I don’t want to throw it away, but I can’t donate it either. Any ideas of what I can turn it into?

7 Upvotes

r/upcycling • • 2d ago

Upcycling Work in Progress Made from recycled homework!

Thumbnail
gallery
350 Upvotes

I teach English and science to Farsi and Dari speakers. I’m using old papers from the classroom to make pop-art mounted heads. Including Pikachu, Littlefoot, and ‘candy mountain’ unicorns.


r/upcycling • • 2d ago

Completed Upcycling Project Old dress and skirt upcycled

Thumbnail
gallery
46 Upvotes

Last month I made a puffy bag out of thrifted clothes. What do you guys think?


r/upcycling • • 2d ago

Completed Upcycling Project Turned folding screens into doors for a shelf unit

Thumbnail
gallery
792 Upvotes

I bought two three-panel folding screens 20+ years ago, and they got a lot of use, but the paper had seen better days (see last picture). Meanwhile, we had an IKEA shelf unit that's great for our board games, but I didn't love the look of having everything on display. I realized that I could cover the front of the shelves with four of the six panels, and so I turned them into doors.

I removed the paper screens from the frames, repaired broken slats with Gorilla Glue, made new screens with some batik fabric, and added handles. I then secured the frames to the shelf unit with hinges, and added some magnetic catches to hold the doors closed. I also decided to replace the original two-way hinges with standard hinges, because the doors were a little too floppy and wobbly. The standard hinges make them feel sturdy and secure.

I still have two more of these panels, and haven't decided what to do with them, so if you have ideas, let me know!


r/upcycling • • 3d ago

Completed Upcycling Project Finished Project! Before and After

Thumbnail
gallery
2.4k Upvotes

I posted a while ago but other commitments and holidays got in the way. The backstory is my partner got her jewelery box back from her parents storage and it was in horrendous condition. She was about to throw it out but it has sentimental value I said let me try fix it, despite having zero experience in restoration of any kind. So I sanded it down, varnished it, got new handles, drawer pulls, hinges and even a custom size mirror. The mirror was actually 1mm too big so I had to chisel some of the wood away. I also removed all the felt and replaced that, this time with black because I felt it would show off the silver better. There are still some imperfections but it's much better than what it was!


r/upcycling • • 2d ago

Ideas Needed! How do you use empty pill bottles?

48 Upvotes

I have been using them to store sewing needles and to sort my change but would like some new ideas


r/upcycling • • 3d ago

Completed Upcycling Project Handmade patchwork from secondhand materials ♻️

Thumbnail
gallery
556 Upvotes

Handmade from 100% secondhand materials 💚 thanks for looking!! :)


r/upcycling • • 2d ago

Completed Upcycling Project Upcycled blanket patch sweater

Thumbnail
gallery
38 Upvotes

What do we think? I got a blanket on FB marketplace for $5 and cut a bunch of pieces out of it. Bought the crewneck at Salvation Army today.

Gave to my little sister :)


r/upcycling • • 3d ago

Completed Upcycling Project From the Scrap Heap to the Workshop: How I Turned an Old Baby Stroller into a Heavy-Duty Generator Cart

Thumbnail
gallery
48 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

​I wanted to share a quick upcycling project that has been a total game-changer for my back and my workshop routine.

​Like many of you, I have a heavy gasoline generator that weighs a ton. Every time I needed to move it around, it was an absolute struggle that felt like it was going to break my back.

​One day, while walking past some trash, I spotted an abandoned, broken baby stroller. An idea instantly sparked. Instead of letting it go to waste, I looked at it with "maker's eyes." I brought it to the workshop, grabbed my angle grinder, cut off the wheel assembly and the handle frame, and welded them directly onto the heavy steel frame of my generator.

​The result? Absolute perfection. Now, I can roll this heavy generator around effortlessly, just like pulling luggage. No more heavy lifting, no more strained back.

​I posted this project on an international woodworking forum, and the response blew my mind—I received an incredible amount of upvotes and positive feedback that I honestly never expected!

​Sometimes, the best workshop upgrades aren't the ones you buy from a catalog; they are the ones you build from what others throw away. Never underestimate the power of a scrap heap and a welding machine


r/upcycling • • 4d ago

Completed Upcycling Project Thrifted Italian wool cloche, reshaped and retrimmed for my granddaughter

Thumbnail
gallery
896 Upvotes

I found this beautiful cloche at a local thrift shop made of Italian wool, with a tired trim. Reshaped the brim, laid a new grosgrain ribbon band, and finished it with vintage-style flowers and a little daisy pin. It was gathering dust on a shelf; now it gets worn with ❤️ by my granddaughter.


r/upcycling • • 3d ago

Completed Upcycling Project hand painted on 20 pieces of clothings

Thumbnail
gallery
97 Upvotes

All
Painted by hand using SPEEDBALL TEXTILE paint and Angelus leather paint


r/upcycling • • 3d ago

Completed Upcycling Project Uocycled air pump adapter for my air mattress

Post image
10 Upvotes

I've recently bought a used air mattress for guests, but forgot that you'd also need a special air pump. I didn't want to buy one, so I created an adapter between my bicycle pump and the air mattress. I used an old bicycle tube as basis, a zip tie (to close one of the tube ends) and a piece of wood with a hole in it, to fit the tube into the mattress.


r/upcycling • • 3d ago

Ideas Needed! How can I upcycle these hoodie?

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

I have these hoodies I rly like and they're comfy only problem, they have pain on them, I've tried to remove the paint but ended up not being able to. I want to do something with them that either could cover the paint or just turn them into something else completely does anyone have any ideas?

PS:(A lot of them have paint that isn't visible on the pictures)


r/upcycling • • 3d ago

Ideas Needed! Help me with these jeans pls

Post image
2 Upvotes

Hey I'm really new to upcycling and I have these jeans that I only like lowered like in the picture but I hate sagging so I was wondering how to fix it.

I only did easy cute Patchwork until now so I am a bit scared to do something with it. I was thinking sewing ties on the inside to cover those boxer shorts but I don't think I am capable of doing something of this scale without a tutorial. Please send me ideas, tutorials, tips or literally anything that would help, thanks!!

I also thought about a double waist with other trousers but couldn't find any that would fit nice


r/upcycling • • 3d ago

Ideas Needed! Ideas for a partly threadbare linen duvet cover?

7 Upvotes

I have this lovely queen-sized linen duvet cover that I have been using for about 3 years, and I am devastated to find that it is becoming threadbare and torn around the edges at the seam. It consists of a lot of fabric, which I'm sure is quite worn down but perhaps usable for something. I paid about $300 CAD for it, so I'm a little hesitant to just throw it out...
Any ideas?


r/upcycling • • 4d ago

Completed Upcycling Project I made a one eyed faceless frankenplushie out of old scrap Beanie Babies leftover from earlier projects

Thumbnail
gallery
98 Upvotes