Creating Upcycled Home Decor Pieces
The most beautiful part about upcycling is taking something old and making it new again! Many items in our lives get thrown away when we can no longer use them because they are broken or don’t serve a purpose in our lives. Upcycling helps to create a new object or give an old object a new life. Today we are quick to buy something new, instead of re-purposing what we already have. With the interest of lowering our carbon footprint in mind, why not do something that can benefit both yourself and the planet by upcycling something from your home? If you like to change up your home decor from time to time, you know how expensive it can be to buy new pieces often. Upcycyling is a budget-friendly way of updating your home while at the same time doing good for the environment. We have 10 different home decor upcycling ideas to share with you that you can flip today with things you most likely have on hand!
One: Bring old picture frames back to life with a little paint.
Do you have frames in your home that don’t match your current style or look outdated? Give them a new look with a little paint! Either hand paint or spray paint your frames in your desired colour for a cohesive look.
Design Idea - create a colourful statement gallery wall in your home with your vintage frames all painted in different bold colours!
Two: Add a new frame to a mirror.
Mirrors are the perfect piece to upcycle! Once you have removed the glass from the frame, you can create a new frame in any style and with whatever materials you like! The possibilities are endless for this DIY project.
Design Idea: Create a new frame for an existing mirror with air-dry clay. You can mold the clay into any shape you like to create a funky effect.
Three: Flip a rolling cart.
Do you have a rolling cart that collects odds and ends in your space? Give it a new purpose! This cart could be transformed into a bar cart in your living room, a coffee cart in your kitchen, or a hobby cart in your spare room filled with art supplies!
Design Idea: If you work from home, you may have a home office that you spend a lot of time in. Design your cart to contain all of your necessities, like easy-grab snacks, drinks in a tiny fridge, office supplies and a little Keurig for a quick coffee.
Four: Repaint a canvas with your own design.
If you have a piece of art in your home that you no longer like, why not paint on top of it to create something new?
This little art project can be executed whether you are crafty or not. There are so many simple painting tutorials out there on the web that can support you in the creation of this new piece!
Design Idea: Have fun with textured acrylic paint. Acrylic paint is bold and thick, making it the perfect texture for an abstract piece in your home! Go for colours that will complement your exciting decor when you start exploring painting the canvas!
Five: Design your own tote bag!
When you are shopping around the city it is always the perfect time to bright a tote bag with you to carry your purchases. If you are handy with the sewing needle you can up-cycle a t-shirt into a new tote! Another option is to style a plain tote bag that you have on hand with a new painted-on design! This way you can customize it to your personal taste.
Design Idea: If you are a collector of band t-shirts from concerts, you can create a cool custom bag by sewing pieces of the shirts together!
Six: Reupholster a piece of furniture.
Your next upcycle could be sitting in your living room! Give a chair, couch or ottoman in your space a makeover by reupholstering it! If the fabric on your furniture is dated, this transformation can make a modern impact in the room.
Design Idea: Add a soft faux shearling textured fabric to your chair for a cozy warm look in your living room.
Seven: Add wallpaper to a bookshelf.
Turn an old bookshelf into a statement decor piece. Adding a patterned peel-and-stick wallpaper to the back of an older bookshelf can create a new look! This is a great way to add colour to a room.
Design Idea: Add wallpaper to the backing of a glass bar cabinet, this will create visual interest and a touch of style!
Eight: Create custom candles.
Using household items like a ceramic bowl, a teacup or a small plant pot, create a new candle! You can use soy wax flakes as the base, or you can melt down wax from an existing candle to fill the inside.
Design Idea: Create an outdoor citronella candle in a plant pot with lemon grass and peppermint essential oils
Nine: Create throw pillow covers with fabric from a rug in your home.
Rugs can be used for more than just decorating the floor! Transform a rug in your home into throw pillow covers for your couch! Textured pillows can add warmth and dimension to any living room! Throw pillows can be expensive, creating them yourself is a cheaper alternative!
Design Idea: Add comfort and style to an entryway bench in your home by adding a few different coloured rug fabric throw pillows!
Ten: Create coasters out of fabric.
Last but not least, number ten is the essential every living room needs, coasters! Using scrap fabric from blankets, quilts or clothes, create custom-shaped coasters in the design of your choosing.
Design Idea: Create coasters out of a quilt you no longer use. The different patterns will make a great addition to your coffee table.
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