Looking for a way to revitalize your garden? Try furniture. And I don’t mean your typical patio chairs and plastic table. Oh no! Instead of throwing away old furniture (or sell it for 89 cents at your next garage sale which is hardly a deal), recycle it and give it new life in your garden!
What is “upcycling”? It’s when you use discarded materials to create something new. Something useful, beautiful and with much more value than it originally had. For example, instead of throwing out or recycling cardboard boxes, your can upcycle them to create these great items.
Desktop organizer – If you are normally dealing with a lot of clutter in your desk and don’t know what to do about it, then this project is for you if you have a lot of leftover cardboard from the move, use them to cut around 20 square sheets (or any shape, as long as they are identical). Leave one to serve as a base and then cut slots in different sizes on the rest, to hold your items. The idea is to have around 5-10 sheets with the same slots (depending on the depth you need) and then simply stack them all and clue them together. You can later paint the whole ensemble or add details to make it match the rest of your desk. Now you have a single place to keep your little notepads, your keys, spare change and your cellphone.
Bookcase – This process is similar to the one used for the desktop organizer. You simply pick a shape that works for what you have in mind and cut several sheets of cardboard with that same shape. Carve out some slots of the desired size and make sure your books and notepads will fit. Now hang it on the wall and enjoy your new stylish and environmentally friendly bookcase.
Modern wall art – This is a fun project that anyone can manage, no matter their artistic ability. Get all your cardboard scarps and cut them into small squares and rectangles of different sizes. Now place them together in a geometric composition. Don’t be afraid to make them overlap to get an interesting sense of depth. Once you are satisfied with the look of your piece, carefully glue them all together and finish with a coat or two of metallic paint. Glue the whole set to a support to be able to hang it from the wall and decorate your favorite room with it.
Geometric lamp – Cut out a cardboard frame for these lanterns, glue it together and coat it with your favorite color of spray paint. Then, use a colored tissue paper to cover the panels of the lamp, gluing it on the inside of the frame. Use cardboard for the top panel of the lamp, painted in the same color as the rest of the frame. Cut out a small slot to hang a string of twine. Tape the twine to the back of a battery-operated LED light and hang it on the inside of your lamp. Now you can enjoy a beautiful light fixture that people won’t believe you made yourself.
You can expand blueprints, fingerprints, and footprints. Now let us focus on shrinking your carbon footprint. You want to help make the world a better place. Who knew that all you had to do was start from the inside of your home! So you purchased your Eco home, are doing your daily recycling, using less energy, and have to purchase some new furniture. If you do not know if the home furnishings you want to purchase are Eco-friendly or not, then here are some simple ways to go about getting that carbon footprint extremely low.
The first thing you want to do is look at our home. Ask yourself what necessary furniture you need. The top three that everyone needs are: sofa, mattress, and dining table. I of course need a bookshelf for all of my recycled books collection.
One great way to keep that carbon footprint low is to use hand-me down furniture from relatives. Keep it in the family. You are recycling in a way. Plus the piece of furniture becomes an heirloom for the family tree. See what I did there? “Upcycling” is one of my favorite things to do. I tend to visit vintage stores or antique shops to search for furniture pieces that need a little help fixing up. Make sure you use non-toxic materials when fixing old furniture or decor pieces. These items might even be a little bit cheaper in price than buying something new. Plus what is great about buying someone’s old furniture is that you keep it Eco-friendly and one-of-a-kind. Heading to old salvage yards is useful when looking to make furniture from scratch. Buying reclaimed wood to make tables, desks, bed frames, picture frames, shelves, and many other pieces of furniture for the home is so beneficial. It helps forests around the world to keep their beautiful trees.
My motto is: why buy new when I can reuse. Eco-friendly furniture for many people is bland, boring furniture. I see it as life prolonging furniture. Since they use recycled materials to make the sofas, bed, tables, etc, it keeps the plastic, and other toxic rubbish out of landfills from being burned off into our precious Eco-system. When purchasing furniture that is Eco-friendly keep in mind that you are also clearing your mind. You can feel great about helping the world, even if it was just by buying a tiny bookshelf made from reclaimed oak. I did at least, when I felt I finally started to contribute. Look for the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) stamp on wood. This lets you know you are purchasing wood from a sustainable environment. You can even trace it back to see where it was harvested from. Bamboo is also a great alternative. Since bamboo grows at rapid pace, you do not have to worry about sustainability.
Look for organic materials when it comes to purchasing your bed sheets, sofa covers, pillows, etc. like cotton and wool. The Eco Shop at PotteryBarn.com has amazing Eco-friendly home furnishings. Stay away from these words when you are looking for cushions, sofa throws, blankets, etc.: stain-resistant, Teflon, artificial anything (especially leather), vinyl, and anything inflatable (yes, put the blow-up chair back).
All in all, going the green route might mean you have to spend a little more green than usual, but helping prolong Earth’s life is priceless. A happy Eco-friendly furnished home is priceless too.
Looking to add some fun and unique furniture pieces to your home? If so, then you might want to look at what you already have or even check out a local antique shop. You might be surprised at just what kinds of furniture you may be able to upcycle and use to add one-of-a-kind style to your space. Old wooden furniture, such as dressers and end tables, can be upcycled and restored with just a little bit of creativity and elbow grease. Read on to learn how to restore and upcycle old wooden furniture for your home.
Stripping Existing Paint and Varnish
Start by removing any hardware from the furniture that you want to keep intact so that only the wood structure itself remains. Hardware may include knobs, handles, and even metal drawer sliders. From there, you’ll want to apply the remover (using a paint brush or sponge) as directed on the label and give it as much time as needed to work. Attempting to strip the paint or varnish before it’s ready will result in an inconsistent look and will not be fully effective (HowStuffWorks).
Once the remover has been left on as long as is needed, use a scraper and/or steel wool to scoop up the clumps of removed paint or varnish; then, dispose into a safe container to bring to a local hazardous materials facility.
Sanding and Preparing for New Finish
Once you’ve stripped the old paint or finish, you’ll probably want to prepare the bare wood for a new finish. This will involve sanding the wood. The grain of sandpaper you’ll want to use will depend on the condition of the wood; if it needs a lot of sanding, then a coarser grit paper (around 160 grit should do the trick) will be needed. For finer sanding, stick to 240 grit or higher.
Applying the New Finish
Once the furniture is sanded, it’s ready to take on a whole new look. Decide between staining the wood and painting it based on your personal preferences. If you’re looking to achieve a truly rustic and unique look, consider distressing the paint yourself (HGTV). Once the new finish is dry, adorn your new wooden furniture with new hardware if desired to give it even more character.
Save the planet and your pocketbook by upcycling old furniture and giving it new life in your home. You’d be surprised at just how much fun you can have with this project!
~Danielle N.