A Guide To Upcycling

Upcycling has increased in popularity over the last 18 months as many people took on new hobbies over the pandemic. The term refers to improving, restoring or fixing older items that otherwise may have been disposed of. The finished product is obviously an improvement to the item but it is also a way for you to add your own twist and make it unique. 

Reupholstering chairs with new fabric, stripping and repainting wardrobes and even using old pallets to create furniture, are all examples of ways you can upcycle.

You can find a whole heap of inspiration on Instagram. From upcycling clothes to old furniture, some of our favourite accounts include;

  1. A Pair & A Spare @apairandaspare.com
  2. A Beautiful Mess @abeautifulmess.com
  3. Upcycle That @upcyclethat
  4. The House of Upcycling @thehouseofup
  5. A Beautiful Mess @abeautifulmess

Where to find these items to upcycle

Once you’re feeling inspired, it’s time to find items to upcycle. The first place to look would obviously be anything you own or your family owns already. If this is a dead-end, eBay, Gumtree, Schpock and charity shops are great places to find second-hand furniture and other things that need upcycling.

Advantages to Upcycling

The first advantage is economic. Not only is upcycling a great ‘hands on’ hobby but it is also a great way to recycle things that already exist instead of having to buy more. This not only is better for the environment, but also on your wallet! 

Creating gifts from upcycled items is much more personal and many people are now including upcycled items in their weddings. 

Making changes to your old items, big or small is a really easy way to breathe new life into old items. One man’s trash is another’s treasure has never been a truer statement.

Selling these items on

As well as being a cheap, planet-saving fun activity, selling these upcycled items is a way to make your money back. Listing them back onto eBay, Gumtree or even social media can drum up interest. And using Shiply to transport these items over to your new customers, is a further way to keep these costs down!