Posted on Sep 17, 2022

Upcycling has become huge in the past few years with products becoming more accessible to make the process simpler as well as people adopting a new ‘can do’ approach. DIYing is no longer just for men ladies! Seeing as it’s national upcycling week, I thought I’d share with you why I think it’s just ingenuous.

The word ‘upcycle’ is to essentially reuse discarded objects to create something of higher quality &/or value. Take an unloved & undated piece of ugly orange pine furniture, whack on a bit of chalk paint (every upcyclers best friend!) & some new knobs & it’ll be transformed like the ugly duckling.

So why should people start embracing upcycling & stop buying brand new?

1. Price –

The number 1 reason to upcycle is obviously that it saves you money. We live in a throw away generation whereby people are so quick to just chuck away unwanted items; the perfect chance to get your hands on something to give a makeover! I picked up my dining room table off Gumtree for £50 & spent about £20 upcycling it. You also have the argument that it will also save you money as you won’t be spending money on new furniture.

2. Bespoke –

Why buy new when you can create something completely bespoke for your home? Nobody else will have the same & you can let your imagination run wild.

3. It’s good for the environment –

Instead of taking unwanted bits to the tip, recycling them as something else & turning them into something you love is the way to go. Landfill is wrecking havoc with our environment so next time you make a trip to the tip, think ‘can I repurpose this?’.

4. Old is good –

Older pieces of furniture are generally better quality than more modern pieces…hence why they’ve step the test of time but may not be in fashion anymore. Going for old pieces of furniture will mean that you get something better quality for a fraction of the price.

5. It’s unique! –

When you upcycle something, you get the added benefit of not having the same look as everyone else with their mass produced Ikea flatpack. You can customise it to be unique to you as well as fitting perfectly in your home. Think colours, patterns or decoupage.

Original article: 5 Reasons Why Upcycling Is Ingenious