Upcycling is a great way to turn old objects into gorgeous works of art. You can upcycle everything from furniture to clothing to glassware. If you’re looking to start upcycling, here are ten tips to help you turn your old items into something fresh and new.

1. Never underestimate a good sale

   Garage and estate sales offer a great venue for finding materials for upcycling. Be careful to only select items that you can actually salvage. Woods that are too worn or glass that is too chipped will be very hard to work with.

2. Chalk it up

   Chalk paints are perfect for upcycling projects because you can use them to paint over everything from a dark stain to veneer. You can also use varnish or furniture polish on items that you’ve transformed with chalk paint to get that added sheen.

3. Go through your closet

   You probably have clothing that you don’t wear anymore. This clothing can be repurposed into a quilt, upholstery, and even decorative pillow cases.

4. Don’t forget about the small stuff

   Bowls and other glassware can be transformed into jewelry holders, pencil and pen cups, and storage containers.

5. Picture it

   Picture frames are one of the easiest items to upcycle because all you need is a can of spray paint. Since you’re already using chalk paint on other items, why not repurpose a picture frame into a chalkboard?

6. Open the doors and windows

   Doors are perfect items for upcycling. They can be turned into end tables, drawers and frames. You can even upcycle a whole door into a gorgeous kitchen table. As for old windows, they can be turned into frames, tables and display cases.

7. A letter for you

   For children’s bedrooms, go for big bold letters for their walls. Old wooden items can be turned into the letters of their name to hang on the walls of their bedrooms. All you need is a sander and saw. Please be safe when performing an upcycling project like this.

8. Mix and match

   Materials and finishes that you wouldn’t normally put together could make for beautiful decor. Cold metals actually look great against warm colours by creating a nice contrast.

9. Map it out

   Maps don’t serve a purpose for us nowadays with our smartphones coming equipped with GPS, but they can be used for art projects. Turn old maps into drawer fronts or test your decoupage skills by using them to create art for your repurposed picture frames.

10. Make mistakes

    One of the great things about upcycling is that you can mess up. With upcycling if you don’t like what you did, you can just start over. You didn’t pay a lot or in some cases anything for the materials you’re salvaging so go ahead, mess up and take risks.

Remember that with upcycling your old junk can become someone else’s treasure. If you have items that you’re not using and don’t need anymore, give them away. You never know who can turn your old bed frame into their new coffee table.