DIY: 6 household items that make great recycled swag

Upcycling has become a growing trend as a way to protect the environment by upgrading refuge into useful, everyday objects. Many upcycled crafts are popularly sold today by department stores, small businesses, and online on websites like Etsy. However, many of these crafts can be made right at home with your own recycled materials. Here are just a few of our favorite and easy DIY crafts that you can create, straight from everyday recycled materials found at home and in recycling bins.

1. Recycled Magazines

Coasters: Breathe life into outdated magazines by using them to make drink coasters. By weaving pages of an old magazine together, you can create many coasters with colorful, eye-catching designs. A simple tutorial to get started can be found here.

2. Coffee Cans

Coffee Can Planters: Large coffee cans make excellent planters, for inside or outside your home. You can also turn them into hanging planters with some wire or even zip ties, from balconies or hooks.

3. Glass Jars

Mason Jar Shelves: Simply drill and screw the top of a jar to the bottom of a shelf. Now, you can easily store items in the jars that twist onto the lids, displaying your items neatly.

4. Tin Cans

Extra Storage and Organizers: Tin cans are great receptacles to keep things in order, from your office desk to your kitchen. After washing the cans, they can be redecorated with new patterns, or labels can be kept for a pop-art feel. In your kitchen, the cans can organize utensils more clearly than just throwing them in a drawer. Place cans on your counter, or screw into a wall or shelf. Shorter cans can also be used to organize items within drawers, such as push pins, paper clips, or post-it notes, and more.

5. Cereal Boxes

Fabric-Covered Cereal Box Picture Mats: For a unique and beautiful picture frame, you can create your own picture mat by cutting out picture frame mats from a cereal box, and gluing a great pattern or fabric around it. The Picture mat can stand alone with a photo, or be placed within a recycled picture frame as a decorative border.

Cereal Box Gift Bags: For a quick gift bag idea, it’s easy to convert a cereal box into a fun gift bag for the next birthday party you’re attending. Then simply hole-punch four holes at the top of the bag, two holes are each side and tie ribbons as handles through the holes. Cereal Box Gift Bags are eco-friendly, affordable and great conversation pieces.

6. Plastic Bags

Plarn: Plastic bags create stress on the environment, and are the highest type of refuse polluting the environment (second only to cigarette butts). You can create a stronger, prettier reusable bag…out of plastic bags! Called plarn, “plastic yarn” is a great way to recycle old plastic bags, and a favorite amongst eco-friendly knitters. This plarn tutorial can teach you how to make the woven plastic in order to create bags like these.

From jewelry to everyday storage, recycled materials can become an upcycled treasure. Making these crafts not only decreases the stress of pollution and waste on our environment, but upcycled items are great gifts for family and friends. Consider buying or creating your own eco-friendly items as an advanced way of recycling, and reducing your environmental impact.