Rejuvenate your old stuff with upcycling

January New Year de-cluttering underway? Perhaps you have found a few things that you are attached to and can’t bring yourself to bin, even though you’re not using them.

That’s where upcycling comes in. Why not give that old chair or table a new lease of life with some simple sanding, varnishing or repainting? What else can you rejuvenate to suit your 2018 style and décor?


So, what exactly is upcycling? In brief, it is the creative re-use of unwanted items into something new or a new product altogether. You could produce some new furniture for your home – or even sell what you make via Ebay or Etsy if you’re feeling entrepreneurial.

Got some tired Ikea furniture? Before you chuck it, consider spray painting it another colour to match your new décor. Be right up to the minute and use Pantone’s Ultaviolet – colour of the year 2018.

If you have untreated wooden storage boxes, give them a makeover by waxing or oiling them to change colour and look.

Tired of that boring plain pine chest of drawers? Paint the top and sides in a colour of your choice. Then, choose a complementary wallpaper and cover the drawers. Also, consider changing the handles. You can find loads of accessories and fittings in DIY stores like B&Q.

Breathe some new life into your dull pine kitchen table. You could paint it using bold contrasting colours. Cover the top with patterned oilcloth. Consider converting it into a wash stand, office desk or console table using paints, tiles and wall paper. There are some ideas here.

Upcycle old chairs with paint, decoupage or recovering in a new material. Add padding to a plain wooden kitchen chair.

Paint old flower pots to bring a splash of colour to your window sill or potting shed.

Rejuvenate metal patio chairs by spraying them to create a jazzy ombre effect.

If you have some old pine shelves give them a new lease of life by sanding, repainting and adding a contrasting wall paper to the back of it to add interest.

There are a million things you can do to transform your old belongings into something new and beautiful. Explore Pinterest if you are stuck for some ideas.