Upcycling
Upcycling is just like recycling, but a little more fun. You are helping minimize human impact to the environment by keeping garbage out of oceans and landfills, but you are instead keeping it and making a new use out of it. I am a daily coffee drinker, and always have an abundance of leftover coffee cans. I have used some of the supply of different shapes and sizes for canisters and cooking utensil holders for my kitchen. By taking the labels off, then using sharpies and brush pens for designs and new labels, they have been repurposed:
Old bike rims can be recycled into scrap metal- or they can be used for a variety of decorations or given a functional use, such as a trelis. This website has some ideas:
Pictured below, I have spray painted old bike rims and hung them to my shed using a power drill:
Thrifty Crafts
Kitchen cabinets can be upgraded cheaply and easily. Plain white cabinets can become
modernized with a stencil and sharpie! You could also use paint, and either buy a stencil or make the stencil yourself. A symmetrical design drawn onto cardboard, then cut out with an exacto knife works well. Contact paper and an exacto knife can also bring new life to boring surfaces, or cover stained or scratched ones. It's a cheap and simple way to resurface cabinets or tables.
Bamboo placemats, or felt squares, with ribbon woven throughout can hold pencils or markers in place. Old purse straps can be used in place of ribbon. Any material that will fit through the slats and is able to bend easily while being strong will work fine. Paracord, buttons, and beads from children's craft supplies or from your own stash are sewn on to hold together a compact and beautiful organizer for art supplies. They are great for artists who use mixed mediums. There are various blogs out there with tons of examples and little artists love these as a gift. Here are mine for colored pencils and sharpies:
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