Easy Upcycling Ideas for Beginners

Have you turned a shipping box into a Halloween costume or a soda bottle into a backyard bird feeder? Then you’re already well aware that upcycling can be cost-effective, good for the environment and fun. The average American produces almost 5 pounds of trash per day, so taking stress off our landfills is obviously good. 

But the benefits of upcycling extend beyond the social and environmental benefits. Knowing that you took something that was destined for the trash and instead increased its lifespan by creating something new feels good! It’s a great way to exercise your creativity and see your old things in a new way. 

Figuring out ways to reuse what you’ve got can take many forms. Perhaps you like rummaging through thrift stores or castaways from garage sales, or you like picking up discards from the sidewalk. Or maybe you enjoy seeing what’s left over from your seasonal cleaning and dreaming up new upcycling ideas for clothes, upcycled garden ideas or creative ways to use broken things in new ways.

Whether you’re trying to come up with how to upcycle old furniture or how to upcycle clothes, we’ve got some ideas. Here are some easy projects for upcycling beginners to get you started. 

1. Turn Kitchen Scraps Into Compost

Food waste accounts for almost one-quarter of the trash that ends up in landfills. But food waste is also one of the easiest kinds of trash to turn into something new. A simple way to combat waste is to make “black gold:” save coffee grounds and filters, fruits, vegetables and eggshells for your backyard compost bin. You’ll reduce your waste and creating eco-friendly garden fuel in the process.

1. Turn Glass Jars Info Everyday Containers

Don’t toss those pasta sauce or pickle jars. Peel off the labels (a little hot water might help), wash the container and your jar has new life!

Glass is a safer alternative to plastic for food storage, so use them to load up your leftovers or meal prep a Mason jar salad for tomorrow’s lunch. They’re also a great and beautiful place to store dry goods like grains and pasta, bathroom necessities and office supplies, or you can use them for gifts. 

Once you start upcycling glass, you’ll notice which wine bottles make the prettiest flower vases and which small jars are perfect for homemade candles.

1. Use Toilet Paper Rolls as Seed Starters

This one might be unexpected: Start saving your toilet and paper towel rolls, and instead of using peat planters, sow seeds in the rolls. You can grow seedlings in the cardboard, then directly plant the rolls into your garden. They’re biodegradable!

Have extra? Toss them in your compost bin, where they’ll help air circulate.  

1. Use Newspaper as Wrapping Paper

Rather than spend money on expensive, hard-to-store wrapping paper, save your newspaper for an easy alternative. It’s always graphic, neutral but not boring. For extra credit, top it off with a ribbon from an old present!

1. Use an Old Ladder as a Shelf

Furniture can be upcycled, too! Old ladders can get new life as shelving options for either inside or outside your home. Prop one side against a wall and store towels, books, shoes or jewelry. (Just make sure to anchor it to your wall!)

Or lay reclaimed pieces of wood across the steps for more storage space. If your ladder is a little too rustic, use it as a plant stand in your garden for a quick and easy upcycling project.

1. Give Old Clothes New Life

There’s no reason to toss clothing that you’re not wearing anymore. You can donate clothes that are in good shape, or mend clothing that has torn or needs a little love. But you can also get creative, too. 

Turn jeans into cutoff shorts or turn a men’s button-down shirt into a shirtdress with a belt. Slice a pullover sweater down the middle and add buttons and buttonholes to turn it into a cardigan, or turn a pair of old jeans into a cool tote bag.

YouTube is full of tutorials for turning items of clothing into something else, so if you’ve got something on hand, search before you toss!

Upcycle Your Savings, Too

Put your upcycling savings to good use by contributing to retirement or college savings, or by investing the money for your future financial needs. Talk to your Farm Bureau agent about your financial goals.