💐Fresh upcycle inspiration
Afternoon upcyclers! Today we’re putting the finishing touches on our July project, Upcycles for Summer BBQs, and dreaming up some ideas for August upcycles ahead. Scroll on to find new inspiration, vote for our August project, and see what’s new from the Peo Vee community.
Fresh project inspiration
Pressed flower lanterns
We see a lot of mason jar upcycles but this little set of pressed flower lanterns by one little project truly lit us up. We’re already picking flowers from the garden and putting them into our bookshelves… Not sure how to press flowers? Here’s a handy little guide by first day of home.
Plastic containers but make them fun
A bit of paint goes a long way to upcycling these plastic containers, formerly filled with household cleaners. It’s hard to imagine finding a use for these normally unsightly plastic jugs, but this pop-art paint layer makes them fun and functional. Photo by Domestika
Caught our 👀
🏅Who wouldn’t want an award for nothing? Especially when it’s made from upcycled materials.
📦Finally something useful you can do with all of that cardboard your packages come in.
📘We are mesmerized by this book repair process video.
🛠️Repair guides written for everything, by everyone. “Never take broken for an answer.” Now that’s a tag line.
New in the blog:
Upcycling with love: A guide to making your crafts more sustainable
by Gabriela Chagas
I always try to upcycle my beloved clothes by covering stains and mending holes. Each stitch brings me closer and closer to each item, that’s already very dear to my heart. However, to avoid throwing away one little T-shirt, I often see myself going on a supply haul to buy 18 new fabric markers, 12 different colors of thread, a gazillion beads, and a few other items from the checkout line that I didn’t even know existed.
Again, the answer is in the choice of words. To call a project “upcycling”, instead of handicraft, implies prioritizing the material we start with and its transformation up the value chain. It shares the same root as recycling – a concept intrinsically connected to diverting waste from landfills. Crafts, on the other hand, can be pursued for entertainment, hand dexterity, or simply for crafts’ sake. If we are upcycling, we should be mindful of all resources, while if we are just making crafts, this can be secondary. Still, these two words are easily intertwined, after all, one often involves the other!
How can I tell if an upcycling project is good for the environment?
From the community:
Marta wrote to tell us about her upcycle project, acquiring used jeans and converting them into skirts!
In this together,
Team Peo Vee
