Upcycling

You don't need to be a Martha Stewart with the needle and thread to create cool, impressive clothing. In fact, you often don't need a needle and thread at all to upcycle your old, tired clothes. Next time, instead of throwing away your old sweater, why not make it edgier and ...more

You know all those t-shirts that you accumulate randomly? Like that XXL t-shirt you got from Subway during their holiday promotion, or that Key Club t-shirt you wore once and never touched again? You can certainly throw these too big tees out, but have you ever thought about ...more

Kick back with John Park as he demonstrates how to upcycle a no-longer-usable shopping cart into an easy chair. This Make: magazine-based project offers an introductory look at how to cut, bend, and shape metal using metal cutters, saws, vice grips, and other tools common to h ...more

If you're a habitual knitter, then you probably go through spools of yarn faster than you can buy them. And while rolls of yarn aren't all too expensive, purchasing many of them frequently does take its toll on your wallet. So why not opt for a cheaper and more eco-friendly ap ...more

These rosettes can be used as embellishments however you like - turn them into hair accessories, attach them to a sweater or use them to upcycle another T-shirt. Dress them up with beads or ribbon. All you need are some scissors and a hot glue gun.

Can't quite figure out to do with your old clothes? Upcycle your old tees into a cozy beanbag pillow chair with this crafter's guide from the folks at MAKE. For more information on turning your own t-shirts into pillow cases, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watc ...more

A nifty step-by-step guide to making your very own laundry detergent lamp. Upcycle that recyclable detergent bottle and gain a swell lighting fixture for your home! This involves some basic circuitry and wiring of a cheap lamp fixture. You use the laundry detergent bottle as t ...more

With the economy as brutal as it is, more people than ever are focusing on fixing what they've got rather than building or buying new furniture and decor. And oftentimes, a fresh coat of paint is all that's needed to turn a yucky old chair your mom passed down to you into a da ...more

In Japan, kanzashi are hair ornaments, often in a floral or jeweled style, which adorn traditional female Japanese hairstyles. These are gorgeous long pins with a special adornment attached at the end. Kanzashi are what inspire this tutorial's messenger bag, which is similarl ...more

Upcycle all your old wine corks into a cute Christmas craft! Take six wine corks, some glitter (red, green and gold), some glue and a screw top wine cap for the base of the tree. Add tiny eyelets or buttons as ornaments!

Crafting and sewing is lots of fun, but it calls for many accessories and notions that can clutter your craft area. This tutorial shows you how to create your own craft supply organizer out of some upcycled or recycled materials.

Got a bag of old t-shirts that have been with you too long that you don't want to throw them away, but are piling up too fast that you're tempted to toss them on the counter at the Salvation Army? Keep your old t-shirts by your side without compromising storage space by making ...more

Recycle plastic bags! Watch this video to learn from Threadbanger how you can turn those wasteful and polluting plastic bags into something useful. Upcycle them into a laptop case. It's convenient and something you'll always have a need for. So why not? Watch this video and yo ...more

Chances are you have a pile of old, unused clothing lying somewhere in your house. You're sure as hell never going to wear any of it, but you also don't want to throw anything away just yet. So how do you eliminate the unsightly pile without completely tossing it into a trash ...more

Just in time for Mothers' Day comes this great tutorial on how to make a Upcycled Spring time Capelet from one of our beloved Threadheads. This sewing project is a great renewable fashion statement, and is easy to make; just follow the steps in the video. Threadbanger is one ...more

In this video, Craftside blogger/author/craftster Stephanie Girard shows us how to make bird-like upcycled sweater bookmarks. Joining Stephanie Girard in this video is Jennie Hinchcliff, co-author of Good Mail Day. We're shown how to use a die cutting machine to die cut some s ...more