‘Waste not, want not’ needs to come back

You probably heard it all the time growing up; “waste not, want not.” There was a time that everything got used over and over again. One night’s dinner became another night’s stew; old potatoes were planted to grow new potatoes, and old clothes were made either into new clothes or repurposed into quilts or other crafts.

Somewhere along the way society became a throwout or disposable society. If something was torn or broken, it was just chucked away. What happened to that “waste not, want not” spirit?

While it might have claimed a new name, Upcycling, it is still around. The silly thing is that a lot of younger folk believe that it’s a new thing. It’s not but a great and welcomed return to the era where everything was used, loved, and reused again.

There are many out there that are doing some amazing and inspiring crafts with household items without tossing them in the bin.

Turning Shirts & Sweaters into pillows or skirts
A rip or a stain can all but end the life of a beloved garment. However, making them into a beautiful skirt will give those clothes a new life and you a new dress or skirt.

The idea of turning a well-loved but unwearable sweater into a beautiful pillow cushion is another one of a kind craft that will get people talking when they visit your home.

What do you do with the scraps left over? No need to throw them out either as they can be turned into pet toys for your four legged friends.

Old Book Crafts
Books are one of the last things that you would want to throw away. Most of the time they can be given away or donated to find a new home. However, if you have a book that has a damaged cover, or maybe missing some pages then you can turn that book into many different things.

You could turn each page into a simple flower for some delightful home decorations. Added a dash of colour on the ends of them makes for a fantastic result.

If you are looking for a more fashion-centric look, you could buy cheaper glass jewellery and pry the glass stone from the necklace or ring. Cut out some bold and meaning words from the pages, or an illustration, and glue it behind the stone and glue the stone back into place. A one of a kind accessory that has a classic and classy look.

A similar thing can be done with book pages and picture frames, glued around wine bottles to make groovy looking vases and more.

What are some of the best upcycling things that you were taught when you were a kid? What are some of the newer ones that you have learned?