Cool Upcycling Projects

Use your old telephones to create fun and useful bookends! Learn how here!

Break up plastic spoons and stick them on a cardboard wreath form you can get from a crafts store. Paint them with a color you like, and stick a mirror in the center. Find more detailed instructions here.

Use one, two, or three corks to make unique place-card holders for special events like a dinner party or a wedding. Cut a slit in the cork if you're only using one. Tie it up with a ribbon or stick a trinket on it to jazz it up.

Mason jars make great candle holders because they are able to withstand a lot of heat. Plus simple jars add a rustic touch to the decor. You can use them as simple candle holders or turn them into garden lights to decorate your walkway.

Create baskets out of old denim for both decorative and practical purposes — store items in the baskets for a more organized home. They look so much better than plastic baskets and will look like part of your home's decor.

Buy these denim baskets ($18 for two) on Etsy.

Have tired old books lying around? Turn them into works of art to hang up or frame as decor.

Transform a wine bottle into a pendant light with this simple DIY.

Buy this wine bottle pendant light ($43) on Etsy.

Dress up plain wooden bangles with fancy fabrics for wrapped bracelets.

Make paper rose decorations to add an interesting twist to items including gifts and Christmas tree ornaments. To find out how to make your own paper rose, read this tutorial.

Repurpose old mason jars into this handy organizer for your bathroom.

Cut up the map into strips and fold them into origami stars. You can fill up a glass jar and give it as a gift to a friend or use them as confetti.

Buy these map origami stars ($8 for 24) on Etsy.

Turn old book pages into gift tags that you can attach to presents to better personalize them.

Buy these book page tags ($6) on Etsy.

Take snippets of plastic bags, lacquer them, and turn them into dangly earrings.

Buy these plastic bag earrings ($27) on Etsy.

Denim is such a comfortable material that it makes for a great pillow cover.

Buy this denim pillow ($25) on Etsy.

When your collection of old buttons starts to take over, you should repurpose them into adorable baubles that make unique gifts for all the girls in your life. Get the DIY here.

Create a produce bag out of an old t-shirt by sewing a bag out of the t-shirt material and then snipping holes in it.

Cut your t-shirt up into yarn, and then braid strips together. Once you have a long braid, coil it up, and sew it together so that it stays in that position.

Buy this braided rug ($40) on Etsy.

Shape gift tags and bookmarks out of old maps and laminate them for a longer shelf life. Consider punching a hole on top and tying a string — or perhaps a piece of rope — to dress it up.

Buy these map tags ($8 for 25) on Etsy.

Dress up the walls by the stairs with colorful paint chips.

Take an old water jug and turn it into a great garden tool to water your plants.

Turn mason jars into organization containers with cute knobs on the lids.

Wreaths are an interesting use of book pages and would be perfect for any vintage wedding or fun party. Get the DIY here.

Buy a puncher that punches pretty shapes out of paper. Use them on maps to make cool confetti.

Buy this pack of map confetti ($5 for 1,000) on Etsy.

Knit or braid the plarn into a floor mat for the perfect surface for wiping the dirt off of your shoes.

Buy this plastic bag doormat ($38) on Etsy.

Turn paint chips into lovely ombré earrings.

Use office supplies for a unique gift wrap that will wow recipients.

Crochet plastic bags into little shapes. You can use these to scrub dishes, pots, and other cookware.

Buy these pot scrubbers ($7 for 2) on Etsy.

Use paint chips and a photo frame to create this awesome calendar that will help you stay organized.

Let a steaming pot cool down on a cool legless trivet made from corks fused together.

Buy these cork pot holders ($8) on Etsy.

House your laptop comfortably in your old pair of upcycled jeans. Buy this denim laptop sleeve ($28) on Etsy.

Another creative way to make paint chip bookmarks. The possibilities are endless!

Liven up your garden or patio with a wind chime made from the tops of recycled wine bottles. For the doable DIY, all you have to do is string them together.

Buy this wine bottle wind chime ($30) on Etsy.

Flatten and bend spoons, and then nail them onto wooden planks to make a really cool-looking spoon rack.

Buy these personalized spoon racks ($90 for 2) on Etsy.

Turn your t-shirts into yarn to use for other cool DIY projects. There's a special way of cutting up your t-shirt so it becomes a continuous roll of yarn, so be sure to learn how to do it here.

Buy this t-shirt yarn ($7 for 60 yards) on Etsy.

You can bake cakes in mason jars and give them away as party favors or gifts. These cake jars are also great for portion control. Here's a good tutorial on how to bake rainbow-colored cakes.

You can even bake pizzas or pies in jars.

Make mini envelopes out of maps to store things like favors or after-dinner mints at a wedding. You can also use them to wrap a trinket as a gift to a friend or to place under a pillow when you're playing tooth fairy.

Buy these map envelopes ($6 for 10) on Etsy.

Tear out old book pages to make greeting cards. The background is suitable for all types of occasions — birthdays, graduations, and more.

Buy these homemade Christmas cards ($10 for 5) on Etsy.

Turn your old pair of jeans into a wreath to decorate your home with.

Buy this denim wreath ($59) on Etsy.

Make denim bracelets by wrapping scraps of your old jeans around slim bangles. Buy this denim bangle ($3) on Etsy.

Nail an old soda crate on top of table legs, then pad the seat with foam and a cushion.

If you're looking for a planter, opt for a mason jar instead of opaque pots. It's cool to actually see the soil, and it'll give your home an earthy vibe.

Buy this mason jar planter ($29) on Etsy.

Add bits of denim to your earrings for a touch of edge. Buy these denim earrings ($14) on Etsy.

Take old yogurt cups and make a wreath that's perfect to complement any modern decor.

Take that old sweater and turn it into a pair of purrrrfect kitten mittens!

Create rosettes out of book pages or old maps (instructions here) for decor at party or wedding.

These sweater wine cozies make the perfect gifts, party favors, or hostess presents for the holiday season. Get the DIY here.

A denim wallet will keep your money and important cards safe. Buy this denim wallet ($24) on Etsy.

Buy a really cheap lamp and glue a map around the shade. Or you can even cut the map into strips and glue it onto the shade for a shaggy effect. The thinner the map, the better the light shines through, so you might want to use the nonglossy kind for this project.

Buy this map lamp ($43) on Etsy.

Take old door knobs, buttons, and other things toddlers love to touch and grab, then nail them to a piece of wood, and voila! A device to keep your toddler entertained for hours.

Weave strips of paper bags together to make these cute baskets.

Old tees are the perfect material for pet toys. The t-shirt material is soft, so it'll be something they can sleep with.

Buy these recycled t-shirt pet toys ($10) on Etsy.

Create a charging dock for your iPhone, tablet, or other gadgets with an old book. Here are instructions on how you can make your own book charging station.

Buy this book charging station ($10) on Etsy.

You'll need some hardware (and oil and the proper flame) to pull this one off, but a tiki torch made from wine bottles is a fun way to light up your outdoor space. If all else fails, placing the right-size candle in the bottle neck will get the job done, too.

Buy the hardware ($60 for 4 kits) on Etsy.

Cover a notebook with a map or create your own using paper for the pages, cardboard or cork for the covers, and a string to tie the covers together for the stem.

Buy this map journal ($67) on Etsy.

Create a bunting (here's how) with different shades of denim for a cool-looking banner.

Buy this denim bunting ($32) on Etsy.

You'll never misplace a page with this eye-catching paint chip bookmark.

Use washi tape to dress up paper bags for this cute banner that's easy to put together.

For pieces unique to you, dress your Christmas tree up in homemade cork ornaments.

Buy these cork ornaments ($7) on Etsy.

Hanging vases would make a great gift or addition to any room in the house. To get the look, save a few wine bottles and search for mounting brackets that fit around the bottleneck.

Buy these wine bottle wall vases ($92 for 4) on Etsy.

Keep your desk nice and organized with these everyday upcycled items.

You'd be surprised at how sophisticated a safety pin bracelet can look. Not only is it beautiful, but it also makes a very eco-friendly fashion statement.

The beauty of the safety pin bracelet is that anyone can make it. All it takes is some common craft materials and a lot of time. Here are the instructions.

Have a cool-looking vintage spoon? Bend and flatten it until it turns into the perfect cuff bracelet. Buy this spoon cuff ($25) on Etsy.

Get a frame and squeeze some corks into it for a creative and shabby-chic jewelry holder. If the frame is bigger, then you can even turn it into a bulletin board.

Buy this wine cork jewelry holder ($25) on Etsy.

When you're making cake or cupcake toppers, use book pages to give them a unique look.

Buy these book page cake toppers ($5 for 10) on Etsy.

Make statement necklaces with denim for a chic and casual piece of jewelry.

Buy this denim necklace ($38) on Etsy.

Use a mason jar instead of a regular lunch box, and it'll keep your lunch fresh! It's perfect for soup, salad, pasta, and more. Here are a few mason jar salads to get you started.

Here's another great upcycling idea for plastic bottles: hanging planters!

Roll book pages tightly and cut them into beads, which you can use to create lovely earrings.

Buy these book page paper bead earrings ($12) on Etsy.

Create cute envelopes from calendar or magazine pages to stuff with greeting cards, documents, or money.

Buy these calendar envelopes ($10 for 10) on Etsy.

Paint chips make adorable covers for mini notebooks. Buy these paint chip notebooks ($8) on Etsy.

Reuse the disinfectant wipes container to store your plastic bags so you can pull them out with ease for every use.

Let a steaming pot cool down on a cool legless trivet made from corks fused together.

Buy this wine cork trivet ($10) on Etsy.

Grab four corks, cut them in half, and glue them around rings to turn them into napkin holders.

Buy these wine cork napkin rings ($15 for 4) on Etsy.