7 upcycled projects to repurpose common household items in 2024

From Chore to Chic: Upcycling and Repurposing Household Items for Stylish Decor

Upcycling is a great way to save money, reduce waste, and tap into your creative side. Just because something no longer works for you in its original form doesn’t mean it can’t be repurposed into something new. 

There are many items in your house that you can easily transform into something new and chic. Maybe you have some old dining chairs you’ve been wanting to replace or a stack of unused baskets you’ve been meaning to get rid of. Instead of tossing them out and buying something new, you can give them a makeover and a second life. 

The options are endless! With a little creative thinking and ingenuity, what seems like trash today could become your favorite piece of decor tomorrow.

1. Make a Bench Out of Old Chairs

DIY benches have been quite popular among crafty homeowners for a while now because they are easy and more affordable to make. However, instead of loading up on new materials, you likely already have items in your home that you can use. 

If you have old wooden chairs, for example, you can easily transform them into a beautiful new bench. All you need are some wood planks and screws. 

First, remove the old seat padding and then sand and repaint the chairs if you want. Next, place the chairs side-by-side, using however many chairs you want or have to create your ideal bench size. Next, measure the length across the chair seats and purchase wood planks to match that size. Once you have your planks, you can also sand and stain them if you want, then lay them across the base of the chair seat and use wood screws to attach them. 

2. Convert an Old Window into a Message Board

Another fun upcycled furniture project is using old window frames for message boards. 

Start by removing any old, chipped paint with sandpaper and giving the frame a fresh new coat. Next, clean off the glass panes and paint them with chalkboard paint. From there, add some extra flair by attaching decorative hooks along the bottom for more functionality, like hanging keys, dog leashes, or even a little basket to hold your chalk. 

All that’s left to do is hang it on the wall and have fun leaving messages. You can use it to write grocery lists, leave reminders, or simply draw cute little pictures.  

3. Turn Grab Bars Into Plant Hangers

If your home has any aging-in-place upgrades you’d like to undo, you can remove and upcycle them for other decorative and functional purposes. One fun idea is to reuse old grab bars as plant hangers. 

After removing the bars, you can paint them or leave them as is, then hang them somewhere else to use as a plant holder. This is best for hanging smaller plants or herbs.

After you re-hang the bar in your chosen spot, use twine to hang small pots. For example, you could hang the bar in the kitchen and use it to hang little pots of herbs for easy access to add them to your recipes. 

4. Transform Ladders into a Clothing Rack

If you have an old wooden ladder lying around, turn it into a clothing rack. If you have one tall ladder, cut it in two (just make sure each piece is the same size). You can also use two separate ladders if you have them. 

To assemble the ladders into a clothing rack, you’ll also need a wood rod (whatever length you want your rack to be), two wood planks (the same length as the rod), some wood screws, and two pipe brackets. 

Lay the wood rod across the top rung of the two ladders and attach it with the pipe brackets. Next, lay the two wood planks across the bottom two rungs and attach them using the wood screws. 

Now you have a cute, open rack for hanging accessories and clothes, and you can place shoes on the lower wooden racks. 

5. Create Unique Planters With Various Old or Broken Items

If you have various old or broken items lying around the house, consider whether they will make a good planter before throwing them out. You can use just about anything as a planter, including dresser drawers, teapots, boots, bowls, pitchers, and even an entire bathtub.

Instead of throwing these things out, especially if you have been wanting to include more plants in your decor, use them as planters instead. You can easily line things with plastic if you are worried about water leakage, or you can place them on drip trays.  

6. Make Light Fixtures Out of Baskets

Baskets make for great light fixtures if you have them. Instead of sending old or unused baskets off to the landfill, consider giving them a new life as an attractive light fixture. 

This is a pretty easy DIY. All you have to do is make a hole to fit the basket over the electrical fixture, which can be done with scissors, wire cutters, or even a hand saw—depending on how sturdy the basket is and what material it’s made from. 

You can also paint the basket if you want to hide any imperfections or stains from previous use. 

7. Repurpose Your Entire Garage for a Chic Home Office

For a more advanced DIY project, you can repurpose your entire garage and turn it into something new, chic, and functional. More people are working from home these days, and the garage is a great space for a home office. 

To convert your garage into an office, you’ll need to clear everything out first and give it a good cleaning. Then go down the list of necessities to transform it into a functional office space, which might include adding in power, heating and cooling, insulation, drywall, and even new flooring. 

In some cases, your garage might simply need a bright coat of paint, a nice area rug, and some fresh new lighting to make it feel like a more cozy home office. Of course, you’ll also want to add some furniture and decor to complete the space. 

You might even be able to repurpose old stuff that you already had in your garage, such as using saw horses as the base of your desk and hanging old wood crates on the wall for shelving. 

Upcycle to Your Heart’s Content

There are endless possibilities for repurposing household items. Not only can these projects save you money and be fun, but they are also a great way to start living more sustainably. Use your imagination and you just might find that what you once thought was trash is actually something that holds the potential to be a chic new piece of decor.