Creative upcycle and downcycle ideas
Proud momma annam42 over at Craftster designed and built her daughter this finely crafted custom kitchen using salvaged cardboard and contact paper. Added touches such as hot and cold water taps, a recessed baking pan sink and a working oven … Read More ...
Here’s a modern take on the folded 3-D recycled booklet desktop tree or angel that so many of us have made in years past. These are cut, however, and weren’t made by elementary schoolchildren but rather by London-based design firm … Read More ...
Continue your “singing in the shower” theme by transferring discarded CDs to your shower curtain, as Trevor O’Neil did for ReadyMade magazine’s latest MacGyver Challenge.… Read More ...
Jonathan Callan’s creates beautiful sculptural art from recycled books and publications. This piece, found on Haute*Nature, and titled “The Value of Politics,” reminds me of a larger-than-life cross-section of marbled multi-colored clay. See more of his work on … Read More ...
If you’re in search of some beautiful recycled art inspiration, look no further than the NOVICA site, which features fairly-traded arts, crafts, jewelry, furnishings and home decors from artists around the world. (The site even includes the work of a … Read More ...
Don’t you love it when half the work is already done for you? I’ve seen a smattering of jewelry made from beautiful Arizona tea can artwork, and Etsy member Little Libelle (so far) has filled her entire shop will Arizona … Read More ...
Empty wine bottles, chipped or cracked china and teacups, and tarnished spoons become the focal point in Clara’s Teacup wreaths. As in all crafts that are lovingly made, no two wreaths are exactly alike. In addition to wine bottle and … Read More ...
Betz White takes old sweaters and felt scraps and transforms them into things of beauty, such as her as-seen-on-Martha cupcake pincushions. She also recently finished this striking wreath made entirely of sweater and felt scraps. Although this would look … Read More ...
I found this colorful and clever pillow made from pieced-together repurposed zippers by annaramma on Flickr. What a great way to add interest to a throw pillow. I don’t recommend planting your face onto it the next time you take … Read More ...
Move over, Scrabble letter jewelry. Make way for license plate alphabet art. While license plate art might not be new, allisonstrine’s use of them in these funky charms is new to me. She takes letter snippets of vintage license plates … Read More ...
Ever wonder what wallpaper outlets do with their giant books of wallpaper samples? Unless the store owners are packrats, they toss them out when the wallpaper manufacturers send them new books. I love heatherlea’s simple wallpaper journal, which has … Read More ...
It’s hard to believe this beautiful ensemble is made primarily from junk mail. And that the artist who created it, Nancy Judd, has created outfits equally as stunning from rusty nails, newspapers, tin cans and Target shopping bags. Judd, who … Read More ...
Although upcycling empty film canisters may soon be a thing of the past, here’s a sweet-and-simple modern take on salt and pepper shakers made from canisters. They’re available from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) store for $35, but — … Read More ...
In honor of Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), grab some inspiration from this handmade used mint tin-turned-shrine by Crafty Chica (Kathy Cano-Murillo). Although the Day of the Dead celebrates the lives of those who are no longer … Read More ...
Artist Charles Kaufman‘s work can be found on the pages of underground comic books and on gallery walls around the world. His colorful cartoonish paintings can also be found on used aluminum soda and beer cans.
“Using acrylic paints … Read More ...
