Upcycling: Ideas For Creating Furniture
Upcycling has become a buzzword in the DIY world recently. Lots of people are taking old and worn out items from their home and turning them into something special. There is no limit to what you could achieve with the right levels of imagination. I’m going to make some suggestions on this page based on the projects I’ve undertaken recently. With a bit of luck, they will help to inspire you to think of something original to try. Feel free to copy my ideas if that doesn’t happen. At the end of the day, I’ll just feel glad knowing that more people are giving their old possessions a new lease of life. It’s so sad when folks just throw things away when they could make better use of them.
- Turn old shovels and spades into seating
Believe it or not, it’s pretty easy to create seats using a couple of old spades or shovels. There are guides online that you can follow if you’re not sure about the process. The head of your spade will make the perfect seat once you remove it from the neck. If you have another one spare, you can use that to help provide some support at the back. You can then use the base of an old stool to ensure the item remains stable. All you need is the right tools. According to pickwelder.com, the Lincoln Power MIG 210 Mp welders are second to none. You just need to research the market and work out what you can afford to spend. Don’t worry if you’ve never used a device of that nature before. You’ll soon get the hang of it.
- Create an outdoor table using an old bike wheel
I’ll bet you have a couple of old bikes knocking around in your shed or garage, right? Well, what if I told you it’s possible to turn the wheels into tables? That’s right. Admittedly, it’s slightly harder than building a birdhouse from a milk carton as I described in a previous post. You just have to remove them from the cycle and take the rubber away. You’re left with a round, flat frame you could use for a table. You’d just need to cut some wood or another material to fix over the top. You then create legs for your table using old brooms or brushes. Fix them into place, and you have some excellent outdoor furniture that will last for years. Just make sure you coat the wood in a waterproof paint or varnish if you use that material.
- Turn your wheelbarrow into a bookshelf
If you have a summerhouse or shed where you like to spend time, building a bookshelf makes sense. However, you probably didn’t think you’d make one out of an old wheelbarrow, right? Well, it’s a brilliant idea because it stops you from having to throw the item away. Just remove the wheels and the frame, so you’re left with the metal bin. You then need to stand it upright and cut some slats in the sides at even levels either side. You can then slide wood into the slots to create shelves. Fix the entire creation to the wall in your summerhouse or shed, and everyone’s a winner.
I hope you enjoyed reading about those upcycling ideas, and that you now have some inspiration to think of something original. When all’s said and done, we all need to make better use of old items rather than throwing them in the trash. I wish you the best of luck with any projects of that nature