The Upcycling Lifestyle: How To Make Anything New Again

Dec 31, 2024 08:26AM ● By Maya Whitman

bird perched on an up cycled water bottle

gabrielabertolini from Getty Images/CanvaPro

In a world overflowing with needless waste, sustainability is the new necessity, and upcycling is trending as a fun, creative practice for all ages. Whether we slather peanut butter on a paper towel tube and roll it in seeds to make a bird feeder or turn a patterned bedsheet into curtains, the point of upcycling is to reduce trash by transforming an obsolete item into something useful or beautiful. It is a way forward that conserves precious resources, reduces our carbon footprint, saves money and provides an outlet to unleash our imagination.

Almost anything can be repurposed—from clothing and furniture to household items like wine bottles, cardboard and toothpaste tubes. Many online and offline resources provide inspiration, including books like Calin Duke’s How To Upcycle Nearly Everything. Cleaning out old drawers and closets or perusing thrift stores opens the door to endless possibilities for personal expression and clever innovation.

Dressing Up Drab

According to a 2021 study by market researchers at First Insight and at the Baker Retailing Center in The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, upcycled clothing is a favorite among Gen Z consumers that prioritize sustainability over brand name loyalty. The hashtag #UpcycledFashion is more popular than ever, with more than 427 million views on TikTok, a large driver of Gen Z content.

Sewing a quilt out of old T-shirts or cutting up worn-out jeans to make a stylish boho purse can be weekend projects or rainy-day distractions for bored kids. But for Angela Sawyer, upcycling is a passion and a way of life. Inspired by her mother and grandmother, as well as a lifelong passion for crafting and art, she created her own YouTube channel @MizAngelaSawyer to teach and motivate others. Her tutorials exhibit the joy that can come from a do-it-yourself lifestyle. “It’s fun to see what you can make out of something else,” she declares.

Sawyer suggests viewing everything around the house with a new perspective, saying, “Look for anything you use a lot of and have to throw away. What could you make with those, since you have so many?” Her jam is turning outgrown clothes into personal fashion statements.

“Jeans are very popular to upcycle,” Sawyer explains. “You can turn them into skirts, patchwork blankets and much more.” For the stitching-phobic, there are plenty of no-sew techniques to embellish or repurpose tired clothes, such as dying fabrics (extra points for plant-based dyes); applying self-adhesive trim, patches or lace; adding rhinestones with fabric glue; and tying or braiding fabric pieces together. For beginners, Sawyer recommends watching online YouTube channels that offer easy-to-follow instructions and creative solutions for every craft project.

Functional Memories

Sentimental mothers are reluctant to give away baby clothes, but upcycling can preserve family memories in the form of patchwork memory quilts, holiday ornaments and clothing for dolls that can be handed down to the next generation. Those inexplicably mismatched socks can be reused as dusting or cleaning mitts, rice-filled hot compresses or eyeglass holders. Old teacups are lovely containers for hand-poured candles, while old forks and spoons can be repurposed into musical wind chimes. Even junk mail and glossy, outdated catalogs can be transformed into handmade cards and decoupage jewelry.

Creativity Prompts

To a creative mind, anything can be repurposed and reimagined. Inventive examples abound, many of which are easy to replicate. Here are a few ideas.

• Use toilet paper rolls as cable organizers to keep the wires from tangling.

• Store earbuds in empty mint containers.

• Transform used wine bottles into rustic flower vases.

• Spruce up old furniture with a fresh coat of paint and bent silverware for drawer pulls.

• Make a necklace or earrings with buttons.

• Repurpose an old tennis racket into a trellis for the garden.

• Take broken plates and ceramics, break them down and create a new work of art.

• Place stringed lights in discarded jars for a new lease on life.

• Turn aluminum or plastic containers into house planters.

Community Crafting

Showing others how to turn trash into treasure or add new life to tired objects is a wonderful motivator for friends, neighbors and future generations. “When a child gets into upcycling, it can give them a sense of accomplishment, which increases confidence,” Sawyer points out. “It can have a ripple effect outside of our communities, too, if we share with others what we are doing and inspire them to do the same.”

Maya Whitman is a regular contributor to Natural Awakenings.