Upcycling is great for the planet and your finances – plus, you’ll learn some new skills along the way too, as Darren Lock explains
“There’s no limit to what your imagination and skills can do – so look around at what you’ve got to work with”
“Take some time to plan out what you’re going to do. This might involve coming up with some sketches of what you want to do or even writing down the processes you need to go through to finish your project”
“The great thing about upcycling is that the majority of what you need is probably already around the home – whether they be jars, boxes, old clothes, offcuts off wood or out-of-date furniture”
Facts/stats
A 2019 SUZE/NUS survey of over 1000 UK students found that 85% were committed recyclers with 69% saying they recycle even if it requires extra effort
(SOS UK)
In a 2024 SOS UK student survey, 89% of student respondents reported recycling household waste as part of their everyday behaviour to reduce climate change
(SOS UK)
UCL’s reuse scheme collected over 1100kg of items (clothes, kitchenware, etc) during the summer move-out period in 2025
(UCL)
There’s nothing wrong with trying to save the planet and there’s certainly nothing wrong with trying to save some money while you’re doing it! So, imagine you can do your bit to both cut back on your waste items and save a few pennies into the bargain too! That’s the whole premise of upcycling; it’s a little bit of recycling with a dash of imagination thrown into the mix. So, if you like arts and crafts and want a new challenge, this might be a way of clearing some of that clutter that’s building up around your home and enabling you to unleash your creative side.
Unlike recycling, which is more about disposing of unwanted items in a way that they can be broken down to their component parts and repurposed into something else entirely, upcycling often keeps the item intact and with some clever modifications gives it a new lease of life, sometimes giving it a new purpose too. For example, you might turn an old jean jacket into a clutch bag or some old crates into something that can store your records.
The Benefits of Upcycling
The most obvious benefit of upcycling is financial – though if you don’t have the necessary tools to hand, there might be a small outlay at the outset of the journey to cover the various costs of tooling up. But the whole intention is to turn something you might have thrown away – or something you’ve gained for free or cheaply via a charity shop – into something that might normally cost you a significant sum of money.
Then, of course, is the environmental benefit of doing this. You are doing your bit to stop another landfill site backing up and cutting out the necessity for another product from being product on the factory line and the various material and logistical costs that come with that.
In the age of fast fashion, textiles are a particularly good example of a wasteful, environmentally damaging industry and giving old garments a second chance helps reduce that wastage one patched elbow at a time. Remember, upcycling isn’t a new thing – it’s just a new name for something that used to happen all the time in previous generations. They called it make and mend and when an item became worn it was either patched or repurposed.
Then there are the psychological benefits of upcycling. Firstly, you feel good that you are doing your bit to cut down on wastage but then there’s the imaginative thinking and lateral thinking involved in turning an item into something else! The satisfaction of thinking up and creating something no-one else will ever own is genuinely satisfying.
Finally, there’s all the practical skills you will learn along the way. By the time your journey is underway, you would have learnt skills such as sewing, painting, carpentry and much more. So, a whole new skill set is just a tatty jumper away!
Getting Started
So where do you start? There’s an old expression that you cut your coat according to your cloth, which means you work with the materials you have around you and keep within your means. With this in mind, have a look around and see what items you’re either planning to junk or do not use anymore and make a list. For example, there might be some clothes that can be repurposed or items that may have come to their end of their life that you can extend by upcycling.
There are a few categories of material for you to consider. Firstly, there’s cloth and fabrics and these can be anything from an old pair of jeans you no longer wear to worn out rugs and old bags that have seen better days. Secondly, containers just as plastic or glass bottles can easily be refashioned. Then there’s larger items such as existing furniture or wooden crates. There’s no limit to what your imagination and skills can do – so look around at what you’ve got to work with.
Once you’ve got an idea of what items you have to start your upcycling project, you might need a healthy spurt of inspiration. Thankfully, that’s where the internet comes in handy and there are many places you can go to help you spark a project into life. While it is an older platform today, Pinterest is still one of the leading places to head when looking for ideas. You can browse ideas by material and there’s a wealth of material to kickstart your imagination. If you are more au fait with social media, then Instagram and TikTok are bursting at the seams with influencers who “thrift flip” and spend their time demonstrating “before and after” transformations on video. These often come with step-by-step tutorials to help the viewer along the way. Alternatively, you can just head to your search engine of choice and do a search for the items you have to hand that you want to upcycle. So, if you have an old jacket, search for “denim jack refashion” or if you have an old piece of furniture you’re working with go with “old dresser makeover”, for example.
Planning and Preparation
Once you’ve sourced your item and formulated your idea to revitalise it, resist the urge to run at the project with utter abandon. You’re more likely to make mistakes and possibly ruin your material this way, so take some time to plan out what you’re going to do. This might involve coming up with some sketches of what you want to do or even writing down the processes you need to go through to finish your project. Crystalise the idea in your mind and list the steps involved whether it be sewing or sanding, it will help you get your tools to hand and be ready to engage with the task. After planning, preparation is the next step to a successful upcycle. It might not be particularly glamourous prepping your material, but if you are repainting furniture, for example, to get a good finish you will need to take the time to strip off the old paint, prepare the surface for a new covering and may be even paint a primer coat. The same can be said for any other item you might be using: you may have to wash and clean it first – but remember you will get better results this way.
Sourcing Materials
The great thing about upcycling is that the majority of what you need is probably already around the home – whether they be jars, boxes, old clothes, offcuts off wood or out-of-date furniture. If you are looking for something a little more challenging for your project, then try charity shops and car boot sales to source interesting knick-knacks for transformation. You can also ask your family, friends or neighbours if they have any items they don’t want and may want to donate to you. There are also online marketplaces and freecycle groups on social media that are another option. Skips and kerbside collections can also be a good source of material but always ask before removing items to stay within the law.
Upcycling Ideas
Repurpose Old Clothing
Clothes that are stained, torn or simply no longer worn don’t have to go straight in the bin. Old t-shirts can be cut into cleaning rags, braided into rugs, or sewn into tote bags. Jeans make sturdy patchwork cushion covers, small storage pouches or even an apron. Worn-out jumpers can be felted and turned into mittens or slippers, while old shirts can be refashioned into children’s clothes or simple pillowcases. Even mismatched buttons and zips are worth saving for future projects.
Revamp Old Furniture
Furniture is one of the most rewarding categories to upcycle because the transformation is so visible. A dated wooden dresser can be sanded back and repainted in a modern colour, or given a stencilled pattern for a more decorative finish. Swapping old handles and knobs for new hardware is a quick, low-cost way to modernise a piece without any painting at all. Wooden pallets can be broken down and rebuilt into coffee tables, headboards or outdoor seating, while an old ladder makes an easy freestanding shelf or towel rail with barely any alteration required.
Glass Jars as Vases or Trinket Holders
Jam jars, pasta sauce jars and even old bottles are some of the easiest and cheapest items to upcycle. Once the labels are soaked off, a jar can become a simple vase for cut flowers or — with a lid — a container for buttons, hair accessories, or bathroom bits and bobs. A coat of paint, some twine wrapped around the neck, or a strip of washi tape can dress up a plain jar for very little effort or cost, making them popular for gifts and homemade wedding or party décor too.
Cardboard Boxes for Storage
Before recycling that delivery box, consider whether it could earn its keep a little longer. Sturdy boxes can be covered in leftover wallpaper, fabric or paint and used as drawer organisers, magazine holders or under-bed storage. Smaller boxes make good desk tidies for pens, chargers and stationery, while a stack of matching covered boxes can double as a simple shelving unit for a student bedroom or shared house, where built-in storage is often in short supply.
5 Apps to Help You Upcycle
Pinterest (Android, iOS, web browser, free; optional paid advertising tools for businesses)
A visual search engine for project ideas, mood boards and step-by-step tutorials. Search by material (“upcycled jar”) or item (“dresser makeover”) to build a folder of inspiration before you start.
Olio (Android, iOS, free)
A local sharing app for giving away and picking up free items — including furniture, fabric and household bits — from people nearby, as well as buying and selling homemade or pre-loved goods.
Vinted (Android, iOS, web browser, free to browse and list; small buyer protection fee added at checkout)
Primarily a marketplace for buying and selling second-hand clothing, but a handy source of cheap fabric, garments and accessories to repurpose, as well as a place to sell your own upcycled creations.
Depop (Android, iOS, web browser, free to use; Depop takes a percentage of each sale)
A resale marketplace popular with a younger, style-conscious audience, useful both for sourcing cheap vintage or unwanted clothing to rework and for selling finished upcycled pieces.
Trash Nothing (Freecycle network) (Android, iOS, web browser, free)
An app built on local Freecycle groups, where members give away items they no longer want — from furniture to fabric scraps — rather than throwing them away.
