Number Eleven: Bottle Cap Mini-Candles
Not only is this upcycled bottle cap candle DIY a great way to use up the extra wax left over after you’ve burned down a candle, but it’s also the ideal way to find a use for all of those pesky bottle caps that get left after somebody drinks a beer. In our family, we have one member who is notorious for leaving these caps laying around wherever it was that he opened his beer. We just collect them and turn them into these adorable little candles. And these bottle cap candles are perfect for using at a party or evening picnic.
Image via Popsugar
Number Twelve: Old Sweaters Into Pillows
As much as we try to make our sweaters last and last, most of them will eventually see their end days. After all, it’s hard to keep sleeves from fraying forever. While there are a lot of DIY instructions out there for turning various things into pillows, we’re big fans of the sweater pillow because it’s oh-so-soft. Sweaters are easy to sew, so you don’t need a sewing machine. A perfect upcycle for the worn sweater that you still love.
Image via Popsugar
Number Thirteen: Old Toilet Paper Rolls Into … So Many Things!
If there’s one thing we’re pretty sure that most of us have in abundance, it’s toilet paper rolls. After all, most of us are whittling down the item that the roll holds pretty much daily. Fortunately, there are plenty of both fun and useful ways to upcycle a toilet paper roll. In fact, we found a Pinterest board with over 200 ways to reuse a toilet paper roll. We’re going to be honest with you and tell you that we spent almost an hour of our day being amazed with all of the things that we had never thought to do with our old toilet paper rolls. We think even the most anti-craft among us will be inspired too!
Image via Classroom DIY
Number Fourteen: Used Plastic Water Bottles Into … So Many Things!
While it’s always better to use a reusable plastic water bottle, nobody does that one hundred percent of the time. For example, one of the Postconsumers’ team recently had a baby. During the first three newborn months, she reverted to single-serving plastic water bottles simply to reduce time and labor. Everything is fluid on the postconsumer scale (no pun intended). She’s actually the one who contributed this link to a list of twenty ways to upcycle plastic bottles. We’re partial to the bird feeder and the mini-terrarium, but there are plenty of great ideas on this list.
Image via By Stephanie Lynn
Number Fifteen: Old Beach Towels Into Beach Bags
A beach towel is also one of those items that likely doesn’t have a forever lifespan. After all, it experiences some significant wear and tear. And, like many of the items we’ve mentioned, it’s also an item that you can often find in good supply at a thrift store. While we’re a little skeptical of posting a DIY from Martha Stewart (because we suspect it’s a tool to get you to purchase some of her branded towels), we do love this DIY for upcycling a beach towel into a beach bag.
Image via Martha Stewart
Number Sixteen: Soup Cans Into … So Many Things!
We were amazed when we found this list of fifty ways to upcycle soup cans. And no, none of them involved being used as a telephone between you and your best friend’s bedroom! And why limit yourself to soup cans? Vegetable and fruit cans are fair game, as well. Just a reminder that if you’re eating food out of cans, you do want to research the status of BPAs in the cans and that all aluminum cans are also recyclable. But we admit it, these ideas are more fun than recycling your can.
Image via By Stephanie Lynn
Number Seventeen: Old Suitcases Into an End Table
We were actually surprised at how many old suitcases with broken zippers or (embarrassing confession) cat pee inside of them we had in our home and how many we spotted at a recent trip to Goodwill. This DIY upcycle of old suitcases into an end table does require a little bit of skill, it’s true. But the end result is adorable. We can tell you this. We recently priced some “distressed” style nightstands and they were $1200. This is a better deal and it looks much, much cuter.
Image via Cupcakes and Cashmere
Number Eighteen: Old Teacups and Coffee Mugs Into Candles
This DIY on tea cup candles is another way to reuse and upcycle the old wax from the end of a candle, but it’s also a great way to upcycle and give new life to mismatched or old tea cups or even coffee mugs. If your wax is unscented, it’s even a fun idea to infuse the remelted wax with some tea leaves or coffee grounds for that extra detailed touch. Any yard sale probably features old tea cups, and we’ve found these upcycled candles to be an ideal gift for any occasion.
Image via Popsugar
Number Nineteen: Forks Into Curtain Tie Backs
We admit that this upcycle idea for mismatched forks (if in fact you are the type of person who believes that your flatware all needs to match!) isn’t right for every room in your house. But we do think that it’s adorable for a living room or dining room. We’re also sure that somewhere in your house is an abandoned fork, but if not there are plenty of old pieces of flatware looking for their forever home in thrift stores and flea markets everywhere. And why stop at forks? Pair them up with spoons for a matching set!
Image via Country Living
Number Twenty: Third T-Shirt Idea: A Tote Bag
Especially for a fun logo or graphic t-shirt, this DIY to upcycle t-shirts into tote bags is easy and stylish and can be done in less than ten minutes. It’s no secret that we’re big advocates of anything that involves choosing reusable bags over disposable ones. This solution is even better since the reusable bag itself is reused material to begin with. It’s like a completely sustainable world in which everything has a purpose and then a repurpose!
Image via mommypotamus
Follow Along with more upcycling activities on the social media channels below:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Pinterest | Google+
