Upcycling design

designer gyuhan lee adds korean paper ‘hanji’ into the mix of his materials to create his series of upcycled mcdonald’s paper bag lamps.

We've put together 10 projects made from rubbish that you will actually want to keep. From magazines to plastic bottles and coke cans!

The lifespan of paper money is only about 18 months—after that, it’s decommissioned and sent to be burned. As an alternative, London designer Angela Mathis created VALUE, a line of furniture upholstered with shredded dollars, pounds, euros, and other bills. The shredded notes are formed into a new textile and used to upholster the pieces— in this case, stools. The final result has a raw, graphic feel, almost like composite board meets paper mâché.

This is Sustainability in Design as Stump Recycled Stool Adds Vibrancy to Eco-Friendly Seating. Learn More!

Recycling cardboard is a creative and inspiring way to think Green, be a responsible citizen, and explore your skills and talents

Old Victrola records re-invented into stools or small occassional tables.

Scale stool

Vintage tennis rackets look really great, but aren’t very practical to keep around… until now! We love this simple DIY project that will have you upcycling your surplus of vintage tennis rackets into super cute mirrors in no time.Here’s what you have to do:* Find a vintage tennis racket (ebay, thrift stores, and your parent’s basement are all great places to look). * Take a the racket to a glass shop and ask for a custom-cut beveled-edge mirror that fits inside the rim.

A plastic bottle deckchair

Weave furniture design blends traditional techniques and modern trends in decorating with handmade items

Ah the milk crate, the original building block for DIY furniture. Milk crates are often abused in a design sense by students looking for cheap – read free – storage solutions. But we’ve always known they could be so much more which is why we were so excited when we saw Tasmanian furniture designer Simon Ancher’s clever milk crate stool. With the simple addition of a wooden ‘top’, the crate is transformed into an attractive comfortable seat.

If you like to spell messages out in your decor this idea for making a heart with the word love in it made out of recycled computer keys could be just the project for a hot summer day. The recycled…

How to upcycle, repurpose, refashion and re-make everything from jewelry to kids clothing and home decor.

Very fresh and stylish Barrel Couch by Vladimir Kevreshan #recycled #reporposed #reuse #upcycled

Reduce, reuse, recycle - we like the sound of this motto, don't you? Recycling stuff is awesome, but actually repurposing your old stuff and garbage into something new and useful is even more awesome! We love to write about DIY projects, especially the ones with recycling ideas (check out one of our older posts here), so if you're looking for any creative ideas for reusing your old stuff, this is the post for you! From plastic bottles to scrap metal and bicycle parts - there isn't a thing…