You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can give new life to old or unused objects. Or even objects that aren’t old but are just lying around with little use and no forever home. Upcycling is not only affordable, it’s good for the planet. Here are a few upcycling tips anyone can do.
1. Reupholster dining chairs, old benches, headboards, or pillows. All you need is fabric, a staple gun, scissors, batting and maybe a glue gun. Hit up your local fabric store and find something fabulous. Try velvet, or a fun pattern that will tie in other elements of your decor. No experience with upholstery? No problem! YouTube it.
2. Hardware ain’t hard. One of the fastest ways to update a kitchen, bathroom or piece of furniture is with hardware. Metal or wood hardware can be freshened up with a new coat of paint. You can even make your own cabinet hardware with knob screws, leftover pieces of leather, foraged tree branches or twigs or found rocks or gems. Dig out the glue gun, scrounge up some old screws and create a one-of-a-kind furniture handle.
3. Paint it, spray it, stencil it, paper it. Breathe new life into an old piece of furniture with no prep chalk paint or spray paint. There are a plethora of paint choices for every project and it’s no lie that paint can completely transform the look of furniture. Feeling lazy with an old dresser? Try the new peel and stick wallpaper on the sides and top to spruce it right up. Artistic? Check out the mindblowing abundance of stencils you can buy. Practice on a piece of paper or a board first to make sure you get the hang of applying the paint.
