3 Upcycling Ideas to Give Old Items In Your Home A New Life

Got some unwanted or unused bedding, tablecloths or candle jars lying around? Or, feeling creative and crafty? Welcome to Upcycling 101 - your guide to transforming everyday household items into thoughtful gifts, handy knick-knacks and impressive ornaments.

What is upcycling?

Upcycling is the process of reusing something in a way that makes it more beautiful, useful or valuable. Unlike recycling, which tends to involve downgrading a product into something of lesser quality - for example, melting down soft drink bottles to make plastic cups - the goal of upcycling is to make something even better than the original item. Some easy upcycling ideas include sanding and painting an old wardrobe to use as a bespoke kitchen pantry or reusing old work shirts as fabric shopping bags for your groceries.

Using upcycled products is an excellent way to save money and reduce your impact on the planet. What's more, it's also fun to create. Today, it's become a popular side hustle, with craft lovers monetising their endeavours by selling pieces they've rescued and revived for a profit. Your upcycling projects can be as ambitious or as amateur as you like and tweaked to suit any budget. We've gathered three easy upcycling ideas you can try out at home today to get your creative juices flowing.

Upcycling idea #1: Transforming old bedding and fabric bags

These days, a lot of brands are packaging their quilt cover and sheet sets in coordinating fabric bags. They look great on the shelf, but once you've washed and dried those sheets, there's no way you're getting them folded and back into the bag with ease! So, why not upcycle the bags into something new? In fact, you can create an endless array of useful items, from library bags to laptop covers and even dust bags for your favourite heels, and you don't even need to whip out the sewing machine - they come complete with a drawstring at the top!

Old pillowcases make great fabric wraps for birthday presents, and they can be reused over and over again - no need to buy expensive rolls of wrapping paper. Personalise them by using fabric pens to add shapes, names and messages, or have some real old-fashioned fun and try tie-dying them in funky colours. The kids will love making special present bags for their friends or grandparents, and you'll never have to make that last-minute dash to the shops for suitable wrapping paper.

Upcycling idea #2: Turn an old tablecloth into something terrific

If you have a few tablecloths lying around in your linen press that are too stained or faded to use, don't throw them out! Here's a cool upcycling project to try instead. Tablecloths tend to be made from a thicker fabric, making them the ideal textile to upcycle. Popular upcycled products for tablecloths include kitchen aprons, handkerchiefs and dog beds - their strong construction makes them great for these hard-wearing items. You'll love the Chyka Home linen tablecloth for transforming your dining table but also for its ability to be upcycled and transformed.

You can use a tablecloth to help spruce up some upholstered chairs or a footstool using a staple gun or transform a tired festive tablecloth into Christmas napery. This green gingham tablecloth offers a great pattern inspiration! In fact, you'll find loads of patterns and tutorials online, so choose one that matches your sewing ability.

Upcycling idea #3: Turn glass candle jars into gifts and goodies

Deliciously-scented candles in glass jars are a stylish and fragrant addition to your home décor - but what do you do with the jar once the candle has burnt out? Glass jars from candles make fantastic pen holders - a great Father's Day present for dad or grandpa. Simply buy some kid-friendly paints and let them design something special for the male role model in their life. This is also a great Christmas gift idea for teachers and childcare staff.

Got a kid's party or baby shower coming up? Grab an old glass candle jar with a lid and add stickers on the outside and lollies or trinkets inside for the perfect eco-friendly party favour. Alternatively, bring your jar back to life with a different type of candle - paint a pretty pattern or cover the jar with lace, and add a t-light for a gorgeous table decoration. You can also transform an old candle jar with a hot glue gun and a strip of ribbon, turning it into a dainty vase that's perfect for decorating a windowsill or bathroom vanity. This stunning Shaynna Blaze candle comes in a beautiful jar, which you could repurpose after the candle melts into a canister for tea bags. Proceed to save a couple and group them together on the bench for a really chic kitchen look.

Keen to try upcycling? Give these nifty projects above a go! Upcycling is a great way to prolong the life of existing objects, finding a new use for them once they've served their original purpose. For more home decor and style inspiration, don't forget to tune in to the Home Hub.