The Art of UPCYCLING - From Old Stuff to New Treasures

I am just really bad at wasting stuff - you can see that whenever you go out for dinner with me, there will never be anything left on my plate, even if the dish had some spices in there that I can not stand. In many instances this quirk can be such a gift in terms of using resources efficiently, or sometimes I just might end up with a stomach pain from overeating. But let’s look at the bright side… 

Which is waste for some people can be stylish new furniture for the resourceful, clever artists out there.  

When I was still living in an ordinary apartment together with my partner Johann and were not yet traveling the world with all our belongings fitting in a carry-on backpack, I loved to create some new treasures out of old stuff. This is nowadays often labeled as upcycling, which sounds way cooler than „making stuff out of waste“. 

It is was not only a creative hobby of mine, it also allowed me to save some money since the material I used was mostly second-hand and therefore super cheap. Making some useful furniture out of it, I didn’t have to buy any expensive items to turn my apartment into a comfy home. One of the most rewarding reasons was that these pieces gave my place some real character, it was like spreading my vibes throughout the apartment and fill it with passion. 

To inspire you to get your own creative juices flowing, here are some of my own projects and I can tell you each one of them was just so much fun to make! 

The classic - Wooden pallet turned into living-room desk 

This was my first project and also the most complex one, so I was pretty lucky to realize this project side-on-side with Johann. This desk showed me how amazing it can be to create something beautiful with your own hands and out of very basic material. Where we didn’t want to save money was on the wood varnish - we made sure the substances in there are not harmful to our body in any way and environmentally-friendly. 

I used this varnish again and again for many of my projects just because I loved the dark color and the fact that it still let the wood grain shine through to maintain its natural beauty.  

 

Within the flow - Wall art made of strings 

I started this wall art to get some decoration for my hallway, but it turned out that the process itself was much more rewarding than the result. Could you imagine just how meditative it can be to create string art? It begins right with putting in the nails and especially working with the strings is just surprisingly soothing for your mind. I guess it has to do with the simplicity of this work, you don’t really have to think about your next step that much, just following the line of nails. 

It really threw me into that state of flow so that I completely let go of my surrounding and totally lost track of time, place or people around me. Apart from that project, using my hands to create art was always something that threw me in a state of bliss. 

For inspiring dreams - Bedside tables out of an old chair 

I got many of my ideas from browsing inspiring projects online, but this one was actually initiated by my sister. She used such a construct for her bedroom as well, but not so much as bedside desks but rather as a clothes rack. For finding the perfect chair I went onto a treasure hunt through my local second-hand stores with my other sister and finally found the one. 

The seating surface was old and smelly, therefore had to be replaced. So I used some leftover wood pieces from my father, who also helped me to cut it into the perfect form - it required fine skills I yet have to develop. So this project was quite a family effort and I also like it when items have a little story behind them! 

Far away from winter - Sidetable out of a sledge 

This was one of my simplest projects with yet the most beautiful outcome in my opinion. I bought the sledge second-hand to the big surprise of the vendor, since it was quite a hot day in the middle of summer. The wood was so beautiful, that I didn’t treat it in any way, so I just had to cut, treat and attach two wooden boards which also were leftover pieces from my father’s little hobby workshop.  

Adapting to new hobbies - Skateboards turning into sideboards 

I stumbled across an old skateboard in my parents basement the other day and after a short try knew that it wasn’t good for driving anymore - or rather I was not able to use it gracefully, it seemed so much easier as a child. But what I could do was making something unique out of it. On the flea market I luckily got another one for 1$ and I still needed some nice space to store my beloved books anyway, since they had a very unworthy spot on the living room floor. 

For making the sideboards I just unscrew the rolls, sanded down the surface, put some varnish on the wood and attached the mounting. Of course, I didn’t throw the leftover skateboard rolls away, but used it to make a coat rack out of it. 

The magic of creating something with your hands

At that time I was still in a 9-5 office job and working with my hands on creative projects like these on the weekends was such a beautiful balance to always sitting in front of the computer most of the day. I loved the simplicity of grinding wood or applying varnish and the smell of wood was always such a comforting sensation that brought me back to my deep connection with nature.  

Although it was only a short pleasure with my self-made furniture, since I soon embarked onto my new life as location-independent traveler, the creative process of making these pieces was totally worth it. Apart from that, I got to sell most of my upcycling treasures to other lovers of unique furniture and I gave some other items to my family and friends as farewell gifts.  

I encourage you to think about unique ways of creating your living space instead of buying some mass-produced item next time you need some new furniture or decoration. Flea markets or second-hand stores can be a great source of inspiration for that and if you need some more guidance in the beginning you can still browse some websites for amazing and easy upcycling ideas. 

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Have a wonderful day and a creative journey ahead! 

Yours, Anais 

Nomadic adventuress since 2018 | Raw foodie | Health enthusiast | Minimalist | Freedom seeker | Passionate believer in a life full of bliss.

🌟Explore your full potential, with my health and lifestyle posts:

• RAW VEGAN DIET in a Nutshell - What, Why and How?
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