7 amazing upcycling ideas and how to execute them

Old colanders aren’t really much use in the kitchen anymore. But as lampshades, they can flood your dining room or kitchen with warm, cosy light! Our tip: for a more retro look and feel, rummage around in a second-hand shop or vintage flea market – you’re bound to find colanders there from decades ago.

Our second upcycling project (from the Blog kiezcouture) is easier to put together than any IKEA shelving, and is unique: shelves made from an old ladder. All you need is a ladder with rungs, some wooden boards for the shelves, plus screws. Use a cordless combi drill to secure the shelves to the ladder.

And here’s another thing you can use an old ladder for: a DIY coat hanger. Click here for step-by-step instructions.

Having too many drawers is never a good thing, because you can easily end up accumulating way too much stuff over the years. Here’s one trick to help you out: simply remove the drawers from the chest and hang them on the wall instead. It’s best to remove the handles first. You can see before and after pictures here.

If you need even more storage, you can easily fit some wooden shelves in your cabinet with screws and a cordless combi drill. But don’t go overboard when filling the shelves – remember, open cabinets like this look better neat and tidy.

Who would’ve guessed that this stylish table was made from glued together magazine holders and a stool? As well as offering a place to stow your magazines and newspapers, you can also rest your coffee mug or laptop on top. Clever, eh?

Is your chair broken, with only three good legs left? Wait – don’t throw it out! Because here comes project number five: clothes hangers made from sawn-off chairs, mounted to the wall. You’ll need the following tools and equipment: circular saw, multi-sander, pencil, ear protection, safety glasses, screw clamps, one or two chairs, a wooden slat, four screws (4 x 50 mm, D x L) and two wall anchors and screws for mounting.

First, use the pencil and wooden slat to mark up a line on the chair for sawing. Try to ensure that it is as straight as possible. Then secure the chair with the screw clamps and saw along the line. The wooden slat, which you’ll later attach to the wall to help secure the chair, should be sawn down so that it’s as long as the width of the chair. After sawing, sand down the chair thoroughly. For seats with decorative details, this is much easier using a sanding roller.

Now it’s time to mount your chairs: select a suitable wall anchor and screws to secure the wooden slat to the wall. In our tutorial on determining what type of wall you have, we tell you exactly what you need. As soon as the slat is mounted to the wall, you can set the chair on it and screw it in – and hey presto, you have somewhere new to hang up your clothes!

Here’s a stylish idea that’s sure to catch the eye: a picture frame made from an old wooden window frame. Simply attach some plywood to the back of the window, fill it with pictures and you’re done. Photos from your favourite holidays are a particularly fun addition!

As your children grow older, you may be left wondering what to do with their old beds. Whatever you do, don’t hurry to throw them away. With a fresh lick of paint and some hooks, you can transform an old bed into coat hangers for your hallway. What’s more, you’ll have a constant reminder of just how little your little ones used to be. You can find instructions for this project on the myrepurposedlife blog.