This is the eighteenth day of my 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge. To read all the posts in order, start with Day One or visit the Overview Page.
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This week so far has been all about creatively using the things we already have. The intent has been to spark ideas, and the “assignments” this week (and this whole month for that matter) are not necessarily meant to be done day by day, but to be used as a rough guideline for approaching the things you already have in a slightly different way.
I don’t know if it is working for you, but it has definitely made me rethink my normal spending habits, as well as my normal willingness to quick run to Target or the craft store for supplies when I could’ve tried a little harder to improvise. It is amazing how much we really all have to work with once we are willing accept our limitations.
Today I rounded up 21 amazing, inspiring, & super creative ways to use old things in a new way. I am SO incredibly inspired by these upcycling ideas, and I hope that you will be too!
Your assignment is to try to look at the things you already have in a new way. Do you have any furniture or clothing that aren’t working for you in their current state that you could possibly upcycle into something new? Is there something you need right now that you were planning to buy, that you could possibly create a solution for using something you already have? Give it some serious thought today!
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Have you ever upcycled or re-purposed anything? What did you make? Which of these 21 projects inspires you the most?
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Thanks I would like to join
This is so nice to find a place where everyone WANTS to re-make something out of an old item. I never want to throw things away. I think I have always wanted to bring a new life and use for my old things. When they're done and out to the trash, but at times it seems like there's no reason to throw it out. I would love to send a few photos at some time of some things we did. Thank you for giving us these wonderful ideas.
I'm going to make patch work cushions out of the many bags of different clothes that are too pretty and groovy to throw away won't cost me a cent to add some new colour to our existing spaces at home ..... Very excited to start this !!!
Thank you for including our play kitchen. I'm honored that it has been included amongst these wonderful ideas!
Wow. Such nice ideas. The plastic spoon mirror is so beautiful! And I simply must have a wine cork bathmath now. ;) Plus, I'm not ruling out my nightstand getting a new life as a play kitchen sometime in the future.
I know, I am kicking myself for not having the requisite 175 corks all saved up already. Guess I'll just have to drink more wine! :-)
Love these! And wouldn't it be nice to make the cookie sheeet tray, put some homemade kitchen goodies on it, and present that as a gift?
It suddenly occurred to me today that the children and I can use some of our leftover glass jars for Halloween luminarias, so hopefully we'll get to that this weekend.
Love both those ideas! :-)
LOVE LOVE LOVE this, Ruth!
I love the cookie sheet idea… and the pillow… and the Monogram letters made of crayons (soooo going to be the teacher end of year gift this year! Maybe Christmas).
My 31 Days series is going well but it has us pretty tired! It's rewarding but not so easy some days! I am dedicating November to crafting some holiday gifts. Can't wait to try some of these ideas!!
Zzzzz. :)
~ Claire
31 days is exhausting isn't it? I can't wait to try some of the same ones but I think I'm going to have to wait until November. :-)
Another inspiring post! I love them ALL! Honestly Ruth, I don't know how you keep coming up with this stuff day after day. This 31 day challenge rocks!
Thanks Denise! It has been a lot of fun coming up with all these ideas every day, but I will definitely be ready for a break come November 1st! :-) I'm so glad you are enjoying this challenge.
And holy cow! I just realized that adorable mirror is made out of plastic spoons-- WHAT?!?
I know right? I LOVE that one!
Oh, how I wish I could sew! I LOVE the sweater pillow-- in fact, I bought an almost identical one at Target and spent way too much on it (not this month, of course!) ;) I also really like the mason jar herb garden...and the toilet paper wall art! I thought for sure I was reading that wrong! Such great and creative ideas. Thanks for sharing!
Oh Alisha, don't you remember 9th grade home-ec? It's just a straight line...you can do it! :-)