Shrinking your carbon footprint doesn't have to be as boring as that sounds!
As a certified B-Corp, we love finding simple and creative home ideas to have a positive impact on the environment. And if you're anything like us and are procrastinating spring cleaning, upcycling is a fun alternative to tossing stuff in landfills. Plus it makes for inspiring interior design.
All those near-empty decorative candle containers that may be scattered around your home and well-loved, old household items sitting in your garage right now can be repurposed with new life and style. And if you have kids at home, it’s a creative summer activity. Home upcycling projects are cool ways to freshen up your home and add decor inspiration, whether you like vintage styles or contemporary designs.
To help get you started, we put together a list of eight of our favorite repurposed decorating ideas. Enjoy living more sustainably!
1. DIY herb garden
Nothing brings more life to your home than a vibrant herb garden on the kitchen counter or windowsill. Get yours started by repurposing ceramic candle vessels into planting pots. Candles from our Marbella Collection come with wildflower seed paper and a tray, making them great planters for any potted garden. With stunning textures in neutral colors, these decorative vessels inspire any home with warmth.
2. Elegant ladder shelves
Weathered wood is a beautiful accent item for any vintage-style living room or beachy bathroom. And it just so happens that old wooden ladders create this look perfectly! All you need is a ladder, a drill, wooden planks (pine looks beautiful), screws, and L brackets to create a unique shelving unit that is full of life. Choose to stand the ladder vertically against the wall or mount it horizontally to hold your books, magazines, plants, and pictures. To create a more modern feel, stain the wood in a bright blue or white. This creative ladder shelf is definitely a statement piece and adds an elegant, eclectic feel to your home decor.
3. Simple bathroom counter organizers
It can be challenging to keep your bathroom counters as clean and organized as you'd like them to be. The next time you finish burning a glass or ceramic candle, consider re-using it as a cup for your toothbrushes, q-tips, or other little odds and ends that clutter up your bathroom. After a quick cleaning to remove the wax, a simple vessel like our She Inspires candle makes a beautiful organization tool for any bathroom.
4. Decorative wine bottle lamps
Next time you find yourself with an empty bottle of wine, save it to turn into a unique bottle lamp that elevates your home and patio decor. To bring the bottle to life, just place string lights inside through the top or drill a small hole in the side. If you're feeling extra creative, you can hang your wine glass bottles from the ceiling with light bulbs in the center. These DIY glass bottle lamps add a unique touch of warmth to any indoor or outdoor space that is hard to replicate. This idea is definitely on our list to try...we can already imagine enjoying the gentle light out on our patio with friends.
5. Eclectic jewelry stands
The options are truly endless when it comes to repurposing items in your house, and this is one of our favorites! If you have an old or dull kitchen grater, just clean it, paint it in your favorite eco-friendly color, and place it on your bedroom dresser to hang your studs, dangling earrings, and necklaces. This jewelry stand is surprisingly practical with different size holes on each side. It's almost as if those cheese grater makers knew you'd be looking for somewhere to hang your jewelry.
Don't have an old cheese grater? You can also create a fun DIY earring stand out of a broken picture frame. Simply paint the frame edges, twist four or five wires loosely together, and fasten your wire bundles across the picture frame with a staple gun. Your dangling earrings and studs are now beautifully on display and resting safely until their next outing.
6. Whimsical home office
Many more of us are working from home these days and could use a design lift to our home offices. An empty glass vessel like from our She Inspires candles can make a whimsical addition to your desk or windowsill as pencil cups or decorative lights. Adorned with empowering words and quotes by fearless women, these upcycled candles will continue to inspire you long after their wax is gone.
7. Unique t-shirt produce bags
As much as we wish our favorite dresses and T-shirts could last forever, that's just not the case. Depending on how adventurous you're feeling, you can turn an old pair of denim jeans into a cozy coffee cup holder or fun wallet with a little sewing and stitching. Old T-shirts and sweaters can be also be beautifully repurposed into reusable produce bags which you can take to the grocery store or farmers' market. We love how these clever DIY t-shirt produce bags help reduce plastic waste and encourage an eco-friendly lifestyle that benefits the environment.
8. Upcycled can planters
With summer on the way, now is the perfect time to turn your empty cans and candle vessels into creative planters for flowers or herbs. Instead of buying plastic seed containers, turn the metal cans you used for beans or vegetables into fun planters. If you have any ceramic or glass candles, these also make wonderful planters. Our Liberte Pot Candle is actually designed to be enjoyed as a flower pot once the wax is gone - it even comes with wildflower seed paper!
You don't need to break the bank to style your home sustainably... plus these creative upcycling products and ideas help you create a distinctive home that's all you.
We're always on the lookout for more repurposed decorating ideas that give back to the environment. Share your favorite upcycling projects with us in the comments below!
