Upcycling

I love upcycling, perhaps because I am the type of person who refuses to throw thing out.
I always think outside of the box. What can this item be used for, what new life I can give it? 
Often I come to a yard sale on thrift store and see cool item and I know what I will turn it into, sometimes I just love it and wait for the idea to come to me.
Either way it is fun to figure out the purpose of things,  
I am posting items here, but check out other categories as well. Decoupage, crochet, garden hacks etc. Too much to link. 

Cork board

Here is a little boost of confidence for people who don't think they are handy.  This single yoga block became a small cork board. 
And that's how easy upcycling can be, all you need is imagination. 

Upcycling old bike into garden ornament

Bike before and after
Very easy project: find old bike, clean it, attach a basket and paint it (I used spray paint). Add flowers of your choice. Find a great spot for it. 

Upcycling an old wheelbarrow into a fairy garden planter

Another easy project. Find and old wheelbarrow, clean it, drill a few holes for drainage, paint it and add soil (I add broken pieces of clay pots on the bottom for drainage) and then whatever you want. I chose succulents, small house, stepping stones etc..  

​Magnetic board

I found this old rusty tray and turned it into a magnetic board. Sadly the photo does not show the details. I love simple upcycling ideas. 

Bird bath

Super easy project - and old lamp and a bowl upcycled into a bird bath. I used E6000 my favorite glue ever. I turned it upside down and let it dry for 24 hours. For extra support I added a metal rod wrapped in cloth inside - it should work as an anchor. The bird bath looks fantastic in my friends garden, I am sure the birds are thrilled too. Just make sure you add new water as needed, I prefer to replace it completely to avoid mosquitoes breeding in it. 

An old sock into a hair elastic

Before I throw out anything I think about the way to reuse it. In this case I turned holy sock into a hair elastic. 
​It actually works fantastic as it does not pull as much and it does not cause me headache. 

Wrist warmers 

My little girl was complaining about cold wrist just above her gloves, so we made her little wrist warmers. 
We upcycled old tights. 

A used up tape into a bracelet

What to do with leftover inner cardboard tube from a tape? Use some napkins or cool paper and pod podge and turn it into a bracelet. 

Entrance step in front of a shed

I felt bad for this old teak side table, I chopped off the legs and turned it into a entrance step in front of the shed. It adds a little height and it is easy to clean shoes on. 

Old coffee container into a lantern

Easy, practical and oh so satisfying project. Old you need is an old can (this is actually paper and I used battery operated candle), drill of hammer and a nail.  You can add handle and a hook to the top.   

Neck warmer

One minute project. Track pants upcycled into neck warmer. 
Supplies: track pants and scissors ;O).  

New broom handle

Someone at the camp broke a broom handle, so we acted quickly and attached crutches to the bottom. It is actually super comfortable to use now! And fun.  Most of all I feel that I sent a message to the kids that improvising can be fun.