6 Upcycled Crafts To Make Today

Crafts are an excellent way to spend your time creating and relaxing. Crafting has many health benefits. It can reduce stress by giving your mind something to do. Depression and anxiety can be relieved through the release of serotonin in your brain. It can help build self-esteem and even help fight insomnia. 

If you couple the benefits of crafting with a green mindset, it's a double win. Many people are finding that either crafting supplies are expensive, in short supply, or just wasteful. That's where upcycling comes in. Repurposing used or discarded items into your crafting can not only result in a beautiful creation but can give you peace of mind that you are protecting the environment. Here are few ideas to get you started. 

1. Plant Pot Cake Stand

Everything you thought you knew about sophisticated serving ware will be turned on its head with a terra-cotta cake stand project! There's no reason to spend a paycheck on a gorgeous porcelain stand that will just sit in your china cabinet collecting dust. To get this look, follow these steps: Paint a humorous statement along the base of low-cost terra-cotta pots with clean white paint and a stencil or detail paintbrush.

2. Liquor Bottle Lamps

Admit it: you sometimes assess your wine by its packaging and splurge on the most attractive bottle. A lot of people do it, so there's no need to pass judgment. The bright side? With all of those gorgeous glass bottles on hand, making a DIY citronella candle is a breeze. Use a hot glue gun to attach a wick holder to the top, then insert a wick. Add some citronella torch fuel and turn your favorite liquor into a fashionable centerpiece. If you're wondering why is the carbon cycle important and how you can help, try this upcycled project.

3. Baby Jar Canisters

This creative project will make you reconsider throwing away your child's sweet potato jars. The small glass jars with lids are ideal for repurposing into stylish desktop containers. Unscrew the lid, then use glue to adhere a small, wooden knob to the center of the lid to a handle. To achieve a consistent effect, apply two to three uniform layers of metallic spray paint to the lid. Replace the lid on the clean glass jar, and there you have it! You've made the most adorable set of cubicle catchalls for paperclips, pushpins, and magnets.

4. Tin Can Luminaries

Make beautiful, glowing outdoor lights out of tin coffee and soup cans for your back porch or patio. This is an excellent DIY because it's inexpensive (almost free! ), easy to customize to your home's colors and style, and produces stunning results you'll be proud to show off to your friends and family. Simply punch or drill a pattern of holes into a clean tin can. Throw a coat of colorful paint on it, light a votive candle inside, and you have an instant centerpiece for your picnic table. 

5. Trivet Out of Wine Corks

As if you needed another reason to crack open a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, here's a great upcycle project. Save your wine corks for a few months (or weeks, whichever comes first), then use them to make a festive wine cork trivet. Hot glue them together in different patterns to create a textured trivet that will give your bar cart, kitchen counters, or dining table a whimsical touch.

6. Catch-All Trays

Better think carefully before tossing out that Valentine's Day chocolate package! Keep the heart-shaped lid tucked away for a rainy afternoon of creating. Upcycle the lid into a cute catch-all tray for your console or coffee table using neutral paint and lovely, gilded craft paper. Try other types of lids and containers for extra variety. 

Upcycling crafts can be a fun and relaxing hobby. Use your imagination and start viewing your world in terms of how you can use that piece of junk in your craft. You'll be amazed at what you can create.