25+ Genius Upcycling Ideas to Transform Your Old Stuff

Products Needed: Wax, wicks, bottle caps
Est. Cost: $5-10*

Why buy normal tea lights that look super boring when you can get a little crafty and come up with something even better? Candles add a great sense of ambiance to a home, but let’s face it, the white ones are a little bit dull. 

Bottle Caps Into Tea Lights @boredpanda / Pinterest.com

You can pick up some wax and some wicks from Amazon, and make candles inside old bottle caps. These tiny delights look chic and sophisticated, plus they’re also quite rustic and genius which is very in right now. 

Products Needed: Old ladder, nails 
Est. Cost: Free/$5*

Having books presented on shelves is a quick way to elevate a space, taking it from boring to homely in a pinch. That being said, bookshelves are usually pretty standard in design and aren’t traditionally that quirky. If you’ve got an old ladder around, you could have a solution. 

Old Ladder Into Bookshelf @Tara Gosselin / Foter.com

Don’t just grab any old shelf at Walmart. Take that old ladder, open it up, and hammer it in place on the wall. The steps provide the perfect space to insert your books, giving you a one-of-a-kind display area that’s beautiful, cost-effective, and eco-friendly. 

Products Needed: Fishtank, old TV
Est. Cost: A lot of spare time and around $100*

We won’t lie to you – this one isn’t exactly on the beginner’s DIY list. It takes a fair amount of skill, time, and patience to turn an old TV into a retro aquarium, but the payoff is worth it in the end. A DIY genius upcycled the heck out of this, taking out the screen and replacing it with a fully working fish tank. 

Old TV Into Aquarium @theproductfarm / Pinterest.com

It’s hard to put a price on something like this, but we would guess that you’re looking at around $100. It looks tricky to do because it is, but that shouldn’t put you off. You can’t find something like this at Target. 

Products Needed: Pickmaster/cutter, old credit cards
Est. Cost: $20*

Any guitarist will tell you that picks get lost quite frequently. Just like socks that go into the dryer as pairs but come out singular, picks have a habit of disappearing. If this is a problem you can relate to, you might want to invest in a Pickmaster. 

Credit Cards Into Guitar Picks @deniceholloway / Pinterest.com

The special cutting tool makes picks out of basically anything, but the best material to use is old credit cards. It might cost $20 to start with, but it’ll save you wasting your money on packs of eBay picks at a non-stop rate.

Products Needed: Old car front, seating, skill 
Est. Cost: Up to $400*

There are no two ways about it, when it comes to upcycling, this product is God tier. Whoever made this special couch would have known their way around tools and also had the ability to make it look great. 

Car Into Couch @Smitherstamford / Pinterest.com

This couch is made from the front of an old car and is complete with headlights. You won’t see this bad boy in a Ford showroom, but its uniqueness is what makes it so appealing. The seat itself looks like it’s come from an old car, too. It’s hard to put a price on vintage perfection. 

Products Needed: Bowler hats, pendant light fitting
Est. Cost: Free/$20*

If we presume that these bowler hats were either reused and free or picked up for a minimal price, the cost of this upcycle is shockingly small. For the gentleman that has it all, these light fittings could be the best thing since sliced bread. 

Bowlers Into Lamps @Vanessa Weber / Foter.com

They’re the perfect shape for a light fitting and can be easily altered to become the perfect shade. All you need is a standard pendant light, the hat, and working electricity to turn your living room into something Disney’s Mary Poppins would be proud of. 

Products Needed: Pop tabs, pliers, talent 
Est. Cost: Free

Can you imagine being so talented that you can make your own bags out of old pop tabs? Apparently, some people have all the luck. Most of us would look at pop tabs and immediately throw them in the trash, but not this person. 

Pop Tabs Into Bag @boredpanda / Pinterest.com

This person decided they had enough of buying their clothes on Etsy and would become the maker instead. You have to hand it to them, it must have taken an insane amount of time to figure out the pattern for this, let alone make it from scratch. 

Products Needed: Old tape, lining, zip, glue
Est. Cost: $10*

The retro trend is probably never going to go out of fashion. Major retailers have been trying their best to come up with new and inventive products that ride this wave for a while now, but if only they knew what this person does. 

Old Cassette Tape Into Purse @boredpanda / Pinterest.com

Just take an old cassette tape, cut it in half, line it with an old cloth purse, and there you have it: something that will feature on Pinterest boards for many moons to come, all for a deceptively low price. Retro fashion at its best, at less than $10. 

Products Needed: Plastic bags 
Est. Cost: $10*

We all know that humans need to be more environmentally friendly. It’s part of the reason that upcycling has become so popular in recent years. Plastic is one of the biggest polluters, so the more ways we can reuse it, the better! 

Plastic Bags Into Hand Bag @shortlistshop / Instagram.com

Believe it or not, these bags are made out of totally recycled plastic. Anyone can do it with enough practice, all you need is a little bit of weaving knowledge and some old plastic bags. In no time, you could have a bag for life that won’t cost you much at all – but it will save the environment. 

Products Needed: Old wooden bowl, pendant light, paint, sandpaper
Est. Cost: $10*

Yes, it’s easier to just pop to Ikea when we need new light shades and spend a few bucks, but it’s not exactly exciting. Upcycling something into a fine home decor object is something you can really be proud of. This one might take a little bit of practice, but it’s worth it. 

Wooden Bowl Into Lamp Shade @MakeItRustoleum / Pinterest.com

If you’ve got an old wooden bowl lying around, cut out the bottom using a saw, paint the outside, sand it to give it a distressed look and before long, you’ve got a lampshade Pinterest masters will be envious of. What’s more, if you get especially good at these you could even sell them!

Products Needed: An old pallet, nails  
Est. Cost: $20*

Getting the perfect on-trend bar space often means spending an impressive amount of money on bespoke items, but what if you don’t want to do that? If you can get your hands on an old pallet, the possibilities are endless. 

Pallet Into Hanging Bar Shelf @lovepropertyuk / Pinterest.com

This upcycling project requires someone that’s handy with a saw, but other than that, it’s all about sanding it down, giving it a quick varnish, and putting it up on the wall. How hard can that be? When the end result is something like this, it’s worth every second. Just make sure you stock up on booze at Walmart so it doesn’t go to waste. 

Products Needed: An old speed boat, mattress, duvet set 
Est. Cost: $200+*

We’ve all seen old boats left to rust away in yards, but the old vessels might have some life left in them yet. There’s no doubt that this transformation is somewhat of an unusual one, but if you’ve always wanted a nautical-themed room, then this could be for you. 

Speed Boat Into Bed @thisoldhouse / Pinterest.com

You just need to get your hands on an old speedboat, rip out all the insides, make it safe, stick a mattress in it, and be sure not to hit your head on the steering wheel at any point. It’s not entirely practical, but it will look incredibly good on your Facebook page! 

Products Needed: Old bicycle, sink, wooden slab
Est. Cost: $200*

Bathrooms are boring, aren’t they? Why settle for the standard porcelain sink when you can completely transform it and make it into something completely remarkable? Getting an old bike and using it as a bathroom vanity might sound bizarre to some people. 

Bicycle Into Bathroom Vanity ©Sergey Ryzhov / Shutterstock.com

However, the reality is quite a unique, totally chic aesthetic that we can get down with. In fact, this trend quickly became popular and can be found in the bathrooms of many homes across the world. It’s not exactly cheap to do, but then again, worthwhile things rarely are. 

Products Needed: Old skateboards, glue
Est. Cost: Free/$5*

Bringing a touch of urban style into the home can be a risky business. Go too far with it and you’ll feel like you’re living in an industrial factory, but subtle touches can be just enough to give it an edge. This incredible table is made out of old skateboards. 

Skateboard Into Bench ©Chloe Hughes / Foter.com

The distressed vibe of it is enough to make skating fans go weak at the knees – and it probably wasn’t that expensive to make, either. Just some well-placed glue and a little bit of sanding and it’s good to go. You could say it’s wheelie good.