Upcycling and Repurposing: Giving New Life to Old Items

In a world where consumerism often leads to excess, the art of decluttering has become a popular and necessary practice. However, instead of simply discarding items, a growing movement encourages a more creative and sustainable approach: upcycling and repurposing. This process not only reduces waste but also breathes new life into old possessions, transforming them into functional and aesthetically pleasing objects. In this blog post, we’ll explore the joys of upcycling and repurposing and how these practices can help you declutter while contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Welcome to my Year Long Thorough Declutter Series. We declutter 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Each day we do a daily task based on the room we are working on. Today, our task is to start decluttering your clutter in your entryway. If you prefer watching videos, check out my youtube channel here. Today, we’ll look at some tips for decluttering anything stained or dated in your entryway.

The best way to develop a new habit is by slowly and daily application. We will begin a new daily declutter habit starting with the 2nd bathroom. In the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series, we will declutter 30 minutes a day, five days a week on weekdays. Sign up to receive daily encouragement and motivation.

Plus, you’ll learn your specific daily task to work toward completing the goal of a Year Long Thorough Declutter where you will declutter every space and learn how to start to purge your house. Are you ready to finally get organized? If so, will you join us? Leave a comment below to subscribe.

If you are new to the blog, welcome! I blog about cleaning, decluttering, and organizing. You can find my free printables to help you get organized in the drop down menu under the Printables category.

Currently we are working on how to unclutter the Entryway, Foyer, & Mudroom. The daily task for today, Nov. 20, 2023, is to begin to declutter anything stained or dated in your entryway. Remember, we are focusing on just the entryway area, so don’t declutter your whole house. We will cover each room separately.

Upcycling and Repurposing: Giving New Life to Old Items

The Environmental Impact of Clutter:

Before delving into the world of upcycling and repurposing, it’s essential to understand the environmental toll of excessive consumption and clutter. From overflowing landfills to the depletion of natural resources, the consequences are far-reaching. By embracing a more intentional and sustainable approach, we can actively participate in reducing our ecological footprint.

Upcycling vs. Recycling:

While recycling is a commendable practice, it has its limitations. Upcycling takes the concept a step further by transforming old or unused items into something of higher value without breaking them down into raw materials. This approach not only saves energy but also taps into creativity, encouraging individuals to reimagine the potential of everyday objects.

The Joy of Rediscovery:

One of the most rewarding aspects of upcycling and repurposing is the rediscovery of forgotten treasures. Items tucked away in attics or hidden in the back of closets can find new purpose and appreciation. Whether it’s an old wooden crate turned into a rustic bookshelf or vintage mason jars repurposed as stylish storage containers, the possibilities are as diverse as your imagination.

Creative Ideas for Upcycling and Repurposing:

Furniture Makeovers: Old tables, chairs, and dressers can be transformed with a fresh coat of paint or new hardware. Consider combining different pieces to create unique and eclectic furniture sets. Speaking of hardware, I have used an old drawer pull as a handle on this piece of glassware for my kitchen as seen below.
DIY Home Decor: Turn outdated picture frames into chic serving trays or repurpose an old ladder into a stylish bookshelf. The possibilities for home decor are endless when you think outside the box.
Textile Transformation: Old clothes or fabric scraps can be repurposed into quilts, throw pillows, or even stylish tote bags. I have personally used an old quilt to recover my chairs because I loved the fabric. You can see the photo below. This not only reduces textile waste but also adds a personal touch to your living space.
Garden Art: Unwanted items like broken ceramics, old tools, or even bicycle wheels can be repurposed into eye-catching garden art. These unique pieces can add character to your outdoor space.
Jewelry Upcycling: Broken or outdated jewelry can be disassembled and redesigned into new, trendy pieces. This not only saves precious materials but also allows you to create personalized accessories.

See below how I used a drawer knob to create a nice handle for this kitchen serving dish. Speaking of upcycling, this entire piece came from my favorite local thrift store. It did not have a handle, so I used a little gorilla glue to attach this cabinet pull, and I love how it turned out.

Here is a photo of my upcycled fabric I used to cover my chairs. I simply attached them using a staple gun.

Upcycling and repurposing offer a creative and sustainable approach to decluttering. By breathing new life into old items, we can contribute to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle while enjoying the process of rediscovery and creativity. So, the next time you’re tempted to toss out an old item, consider the potential for upcycling and repurposing – you might be surprised at the beauty that can emerge from the things you already own.

Steps to Take for Upcycling and Repurposing

1.Only spend time on your specific daily task.

2.Do not get side-tracked or distracted.

3.Work within a time of day that you have the most energy and stamina. This is one of the most useful declutter motivation tips. Listen to your body and work at decluttering when you feel the most alert and energized.

4.Avoid thinking too long about whether to keep or discard an item. This is one specific way for How to Be Ruthless When Decluttering.

5.Avoid cleaning during your declutter. The goal is to purge the dead weight. Getting rid of the clutter is your priority. Cleaning can be accomplished later. Read on for more declutter motivation tips and my room specific deep clean checklist, though, as you will begin cleaning after your declutter.

Tips for Decluttering, Upcycling and Repurposing

Supplies Needed:

1. boxes -preferably ones you can donate (Avoid plastic storage bins because you may be tempted to just store the items and not part with them.)1. boxes -preferably ones you can donate (Avoid plastic storage bins because you may be tempted to just store the items and not part with them.)

2. sturdy trash bags

3. marker/pen to label boxes

Decluttering Tip: Avoid using storage bins to declutter. Storage bins tend to tell your brain to “store” the items for later. That is just delaying decisions. If you aren’t getting rid of items when you declutter, you are not truly decluttering. This is why I recommend a trash bag, also. A trash bag tells your brain to “trash” the item.

Obviously, recycle if you have that option. The boxes you use should be ones you are willing to part with, so I recommend sturdy cardboard boxes. As to donations, there are many charities that will come pick up your items for you at your home.

I use one in particular where you can book an appointment for pick-up online. This is so convenient, as it saves you the hassle of hauling stuff away yourself. Scheduling that pick-up also motivates you to declutter by a certain date.

Steps for Decluttering, Upcycling and Repurposing

1. Start by eliminating trash first- use a sturdy trash bag

2. Sort items by category if needed so you can see what you have

3.Get rid of items that don’t work or that work poorly, expired items, anything you don’t love, anything that you’ll never use again

4. Box up the donations and trash/recycle the rest

5.Select a charity to donate your items and schedule the pick-up if that is an option

How Do You Declutter Your Entire House (and get it deep clean?): Need to deep clean?

First, My How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen list can be found here.

Second, My How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom list can be found here.

Third, My How to Deep Clean Your Kids’ Rooms list can be found here.

Fourth, My How to Deep Clean Your Living Room list can be found here.

Fifth, My How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom list can be found here.

You can get your printable Daily Housekeeping Routine and Deep Cleaning Your House Schedule here. This 15 page printable kit is delivered digitally to your email for you to print and personalize. What Does a Deep Clean Include? It includes a daily schedule, calendar pages, and deep cleaning checklists for every room and area of your home. Check out the link above to see a sample page of what you’ll get in my printable set designed to help you create your personal Homemaking Checklist.

Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can find that here.

New to deemiddleton.com and don’t know where to start? I recommend going in this order:

Step 1: Check out this post on the 1st step you should take to get organized. If you don’t have a calendar, you can grab my free weekly printable calendar page here. It is in my shopify store, but it is totally free, so you won’t be prompted to put in any payment information. It is a free download and will be delivered straight to your email.

Step 2: Create a daily Housekeeping Schedule. You can use this series to start to set up your own schedule. You can also use this simplified weekly schedule.If you often ask: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Or, if you struggle to get organized and have tried and failed time and again, you can likely find out which of these 11 reasons cause you to fail to get organized.

Step 3: How do you remove clutter? How Do You Declutter Your Home?.…Sign up for the Declutter Series and get your entire home decluttered in just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.”Declutter Your Home” checklists are provided in each email.

Step 4: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Use a timer and use the Deep Cleaning Checklists above. They will help you get your home sparkling after you’ve decluttered.

Interested in becoming a full-time blogger like me? Check out my blogging series. At the top of every page on my blog, you’ll find a drop down menu. Just select the BLOGGING category.