Waste Not, Want Not - Upcycling

softgrey

flaunt the imperfection
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Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless and/or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value.
 
i have trouble throwing things away...
:ermm:
now- i'm not some sort of hoarder who needs to hold onto things in order to maintain control over their sanity...
what i am is environmentally conscious and aware...

remember...
when you throw something...there is no AWAY...
it just goes into a big pile of stuff somewhere...

:nuke:

knowing this, i try to reuse, recycle, repurpose and generally be responsible about the amount of waste i personally create on the planet...

here is a place to share the ways in which we all do this...
no matter how big or how small...
and also to post great ideas we find by other people...
we can all be inspired and find clever ways to keep the planet clean and healthy...
and have fun/feel great doing it ~!

save money and save the planet...
:clap:...

*i find that Real Simple magazine always has some really good ideas in this area...
:heart:
 
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this is something i definitely do...
especially for fur and leather coats that really need air and should not be stored in plastic...

*i have one fur covered by a rainbow pillowcase that i used on my bed in high school...
:P

betterhomesandgardens
 

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i have been wanting to use some old wooden chopsticks and some vintage earrings and brooches to make some hair sticks...

seems like it could be a good, new way to use some old stuff...
 
remember...
when you throw something...there is no AWAY...
it just goes into a big pile of stuff somewhere...
:cry:

Long story: a friend left a pair of shoes in my apartment last year (really, some 15 months ago), I texted a few times "your shoes are here" and replies were along the lines of "which ones?" "ok np [another topic]". So I did massive cleanup not long ago ago and put old tees, broken sandals nobody will want to wear and that pair in a bag, I included that pair because they looked pretty worn out, they were plastic.. and the bag sat in there for a few weeks until I thought "Enough!", and put it in the dumpster. Hasta la vista!. I debate a lot to throw useless things (or people.. lol) away and then feel a huge sense of relief and cleanliness when I finally do.

Fast forward to some days ago, who pays a visit to my place? :shock:.. and before leaving "where are my shoes?".. :mellow::mellow:..

I've heard everything by now (mostly my mother.. "you don't throw away things that are not yours.."..), I feel awful. I hate seeing junk piling over in my place, and I know a pair of shoes don't take up a lot of space but I still don't want to go through my shoes and keep finding them. But now imagining them in a far land, covered by bathroom tissues and mosquitoes.. :cry::cry:

But truth is, there can't be enough love for an item if you abandon it for so long right?.. when I left some boots I don't even wear overseas, I never stopped insisting until I got them back, and when some ex left his stuff at my place, I shipped it.. in a cute box (fyi). I'm not a heartless person that doesn't care for other people's stuff.. :rolleyes:

Anyway, lesson learned. Next time I'll give ultimatums, come get your stuff or write down the goodwill address where you may or may not find them next.

Needless to say, I don't keep junk around often.. but I'm also not a compulsive shopper.. nearly everything I own is in constant or semi constant rotation. I have turned things into smaller items when they run its course in their original form (dresses into tops, tops into bandanas, bandanas into belts lol), or have sometimes cut old tees and use them for wiping certain things. More grandma than creative, but oh well..

(I feel particularly bad about socks, I had a pair of cool glittered ones that I pulled too fast so they got a hole.. I don't want to be sewing socks like it's 1929.. but also feel bad for throwing things away that are good and repairable).
 
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I do love the idea of upcycling but honestly who has the time to do all the DIY and crafty part? :smile:
 
i like sewing things like it's 1929...haha...
i just sit on the couch while watching something and do it...
anything that needs a quick repair...
holes are the easiest thing ever to fix...
and it's SO quick...and very satisfying to me...
:stuart:
 
i have a rack of things that are small and i want to do some things along the lines of sacai but i find that i really need a fit model or a dress form in order to do it...

i really never wanted a dress form because i don't have a good place to store it, but it seems like i may have to just bite the bullet and get one...

I'll look for a used one, of course, to keep the whole endeavor of repurposing legit...

:ermm:
 
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i don't always have time...
projects pile up until i finally make the time...

honestly-
the results are so satisfying that it just makes me want to do more...
^_^
 
Not normally a fan of denim jackets, but this seems like a great and simple enough idea. Will have to hunt vintage markets for two worn jackets though.

Loewe:



Matches of Fashion
 
Next time I'll give ultimatums, come get your stuff or write down the goodwill address where you may or may not find them next.

Funny, I imagine that's exactly what Olivier Sarkozy said.......
 
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