5 Reasons You Should Start Upcycling

I’ve always been a fan of reusing old things and turning them into something new—which I later learned is called upcycling. Whether it was turning an old peanut butter jar into a container for my pens or making a scarf out of an old T-shirt, upcycling has been part of my life for quite some time.

I grew up with repurposing things and not wasting what could be used, and that extended to my hobbies as well.

Since I learned about upcycling, I’ve turned old T-shirts into jewellery and scarves, aluminium cans into pretty containers for my pens, and cardboard into bookmarks, to name a few projects I’ve done. Upcycling is a fun, eco-friendly hobby. Here are just five reasons you should consider doing it:

1. It’s sustainable.

It’s no secret that humans have contributed to climate change, which has led to increased intensity of natural disasters, and certain illnesses that people catch from things like smog, contamination in our waters, etc. Reducing, reusing, and recycling what you can is great, but a fourth option is also upcycling. Instead of throwing away an old stained T-shirt, see if there’s something you can do with it that’s not only fun but also allows you to reuse what you already own. That way, you reduce your impact on the environment, which makes the world a healthier place.

2. It saves you money.

Upcycling is all about reusing what you already own, so you don’t have to buy anything! Plus, you could create projects that save you money in the long run. For example, you could make napkins from T-shirt knit fabric, saving you money from having to buy them yourself or make a cute dress out of an oversized men’s shirt no longer worn. You have so many options on what to make, and it doesn’t cost a dime to reuse!

3. It’s a creative outlet.

There have already been studies on the mental health benefits of creative expression, but it bears repeating: it’s a great outlet for self-care. And if you’re looking for a new hobby, like sewing, but want to try something different, or if you’re into knitting, whatever your answer is, upcycling offers a great creative outlet for these hobbies and more. For example, did you know you could turn an old T-shirt into yarn for knitting purposes? Or that you could easily sew leg warmers made from old sleeves on a sweater? And that’s only covering clothing! There are a lot of things you can do with upcycling, which may be just the thing you need to spark that creativity. Either way, it allows you to express yourself, which is always a good thing.

4. It makes you feel good.

Knowing that you’re contributing to healing the earth, even with small steps, can do wonders for your self-esteem. Many of us feel overwhelmed by the climate crises we’ve been dealing with since we were born, and we may feel guilty that we haven’t found a way to be completely zero waste. But we’re doing what we can as individuals, and that’s all you can ask for. Doing a little something for the entire planet is a big deal if you ask me, so you should be proud of yourself!

5. It’s fun!

Even if you don’t consider yourself creative, expressing yourself in such a way is undoubtedly fun. Plus, there’s a level of excitement in trying to turn something old into something new and improved. It’s like the thrill of finding a vintage outfit at a thrift store or finding that you stashed some money away in your house somewhere. This makes upcycling fun, especially as you start to branch off to new things the more you do it.

Now that you know the perks of upcycling, why not give it a go?

Make an inventory of what you have that you don’t need, such as old clothes, and simply Google upcycle projects for that. For example, when I’m looking to make something cool out of old T-shirts, I look up “upcycle T-shirts” and get a plethora of ideas—from T-shirt jewelry to a braided T-shirt rug! The sky is your limit for much of this, so grab your tools, something you already own, and get upcycling!