We are still counting our blessings here and enjoying the Thanksgiving Season. This week we are focusing on getting our homes and families ready for a day of gratefulness. It’s not Christmas yet… First up, a scrapy little pumpkin. Made with fall colored material scraps and stuffed with old newspaper. It is fun, easy and looks great in any room of your house. Materials: 1. Material scraps in a variety of fall colors. 2. Twine 3. Newspaper or upcycled wrapping or tissue paper 4. A very small amount …

I have seen several projects that upcycle old deck material. Typically, the wood is used to build something new like a planter or raised garden beds. The problem with decking being used in such applications is that it is often pressure treated and full of chemicals. Not really what you want to use when gardening your tender vegetation! I saw this garage this summer and I absolutely love it! The decking is used as siding and already has that lovely weathered look. My daughter liked it too! …

I grew up in the country, right in the middle of corn fields and farms. Every evening when we cleaned up the dinner table we had a bowl for kitchen scraps. The bowl was either dumped in the corner of the garden or given to the pigs. I never thought to do anything else with kitchen scraps. That was, until I went to college. I clearly remember the first meal I made in my college apartment. When it came time to clean-up, I didn’t know what to do …

Welcome Morgan of King Soleil! Enjoy her free step-by-step tutorial for making an Upcycled Crochet Rug. Thank you Morgan! Step-by-Step Upcycled Crochet Rug Tutorial There is something so completely satisfying when you are able to create a piece for your home that is functional, cozy, and perfectly your style. All the more rewarding when you are eco-friendly, making the world a greener place, and adding that handmade flair to your everyday. I am thrilled to be a guest blogger at Upcycle Magazine, a site utterly devoted …

Welcome guest author Elizabeth Smyth of Precision Paragon. Thank you Elizabeth! Shining a New Light on Old Things – Upcycled Lighting Fixtures After a holiday filled with too many cookies, a flourishing display of crisply wrapped boxes tied with ribbons and bows and twenty four hour light spectacles showing in the front yard, the new year is a welcomed time to detox from our wasteful, albeit festive, ways. In the spirit of the New Year and our intentions to do better, the trend of upcycling has been bestowed upon …

Welcome back guest writter Nikki Fotheringham of Guerilla Gnomes! Seed bombs are the staple of the guerrilla gardener’s arsenal. The seeds are encased in a hard ball of clay and potting soil that helps them to germinate. The seed bombs can be tossed into any bare patch of dirt and are especially effective in the city. Here seed bombs can be planted in the space around city trees on roofs, in pots or even cracks in the pavement. Just add water and Kabloom! You can put any kind of …

(Editor’s note: Today we would like to welcome guest writer and fellow upcycler Nikki Fotheringham of Guerilla Gnomes. Thank you for this great tutorial Nikki!) It was time to replace my incandescent light bulbs. I reluctantly substituted them for their curly pigtailed compatriots. I can’t explain my reluctance. I know how much energy we would save if everyone made the change and I support the government’s phasing out of incandescent, but somehow I had become attached. They’ve been with me since I can remember. They kept the …

Have a fun, safe, and green Halloween! Check out one of our upcycled Halloween decorations. Our good friends delivered this skelton made from milk jugs. It is upcycled and recyclable. Love it!

Our friend Sachiko from Tea Rose Home has put together a clear step-by-step tutorial for making this adorable dress. She upcycles 5 soft kitchen towels to create this comfortable summer dress for her daughter. Her tutorial can be used with the towels or you could use the same tutorial to upcycle other pieces of fabric like sheets or adult clothing. The tutorial includes step-by-step pictures and complete directions. Make one for summer and another with heavier fabric for cooler weather. Click here for the tutorial.

My father-in-law is also a fan of the upcycled. Several years ago, he rescued a huge pile of bricks from a building being torn down in our small hometown. (This was with permission of course). He has used them all over their landscape. He has used them mostly as garden and sidewalk borders but he has also built a few walls and steps with them. This is how my husband used some of them at our house. This is one of my favorite things about the front …