DIY projects are hard and that’s why you see tons of hilarious DIY fails floating around the internet. If you’ve never tried to do a furniture flip with literally no experience, let me warn you: it’s probably going to look like shit.
Reddit has a group for people who want to save their beloved items from landfills, called Upcycling. The community lets people share any type of DIY project they created that was ready to be trashed and was turned into something new. Users have submitted furniture flips, clothing fixes, and even ways to make appliances live on after they’ve stopped functioning. The best part is that these ones they actually turn out really cool.
It can be painful letting old things go that are still functional but don’t quite look as good as they used to. Sometimes it’s a piece of furniture, a ratty college shirt, or a single earring that you can’t accept the fate of, but what if you didn’t have to just throw it away?
Here’s some inspiration for your next project:
1. “Upcycled after my kids destroyed it!”
2. “I found this cushion-less chair in the alley, gave it some fresh paint and a new seat from woven thrift store belts!”
3. “Hand-painted them. Love how these turned out!”
4. “A neighbor was giving away this kid size chest of drawers for free, so I snagged it and made it into a bar.”
5. “My grandpa’s refrigerator died. My grandma got new shelves for her sewing threads.”
6. “Turned a thrifted blanket into these ridiculous sweats”
7. “$20 Upcycle Dresser from Goodwill”
8. “Made these two tone pants out of a pair of pants with a busted crotch and the other pair from the thrift store that didn’t quite fit right. I’m very please and proud of the outcome! $6 for the whole project! All of the pockets are functional too”
9. “Pulled out of a trash heap. It was one part of a military file cabinet. Thorough cleaning, paint and a little shining up followed by wrapping it in wood from my scrap pile. Added some legs and bingo bango!”
10. “I upcycled a broken umbrella into a reusable bag!”
11. “I made an IKEA backpack out of their reusable bags!”
13. “The drink tray I got from a cafe is a reused milk carton”
14. “I take plastic shipping /bale straps from hardware store waste, and make sturdy, functional & fashionable baskets! (My cats also love them at every stage)”
15. “Earrings who lost their mates turned into a charm bracelet.”
16. “I turned an old microwave cart into a rolling Lego stand for my daughters for Christmas.”
17. “Crafted a lamp out of a retired stacking toy.”
18. “I upcycled a thrifted Men’s Polo into a two-piece set. I drafted the pattern myself, the mini skirt has a yoke, box pleats, and an elastic waistband.”
19. “This kind man is recycling old camp coolers to make warm kitty shelters for winter! How cool is this?”
20. “I find discarded or broken wicker furniture and weave over the broken areas to give it new life”
