45 Upcycled Items

From Climbing Rope Leashes to Copper Couture

— March 12, 2010 — Eco
Making art form garbage has always been a popular art form, but when the recession hit, it became a frenzy. People wanted items as cheap as they could get and upcycling was one way to ensure you didn't break the bank. I present to you these upcycled items to inspire you to seek out some for yourself, or if you are feeling really ambitious, you can try making some scrap art.

I bring you these upcycled items not just to showcase budget-conscious items, but to bring to mind the idea that just because we want something nice doesn't mean it has to be new. Help out Mother Nature and next time you're shopping, pick up some upcycled stuff.
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Activity
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45
Upcycled Octopus Sculptures
Upcycled Octopus Sculptures
Acoustapus by Nemo Gould Rocks Harder than a Rock Lobste
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44
Upcycled Rain Hoods
Upcycled Rain Hoods
Recycling Zychal is Made from Umbrellas and Vintage Materials
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43
Upcycled Trash Kites
Upcycled Trash Kites
The Uttarayan Kite Festival Embraces Eco-Friendly Fun
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42
Golden Upcycled Art
Golden Upcycled Art
Barclay Douglas Uses Plastic Bags to Make Fools Gold
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41
Garbage Animal Art
Garbage Animal Art
Trash Menagerie at Peabody Essex Museum is Thought-Provoking
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40
Pre-Consumer Waste Apparel
Pre-Consumer Waste Apparel
Looptworks Sustainable Clothing Line is Ecotastic
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39
Upcycled Vintage Bags
Upcycled Vintage Bags
Forest Bound Specializes in Sweet Sustainable Bags
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38
Climbing Rope Leashes
Climbing Rope Leashes
Upcycled Rope is Made into Eco-Friendly Canine Control
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37
License Plate Belts
License Plate Belts
Randi Tannenbaum Redefines Upcycled Street Style
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36
Traffic Cone Stages
Traffic Cone Stages
Hedgehog Concert Pavilion Raises Awareness to Youth Homelessness
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35
Fire Hose Accessories
Fire Hose Accessories
British Company is Upcycling Fire Hoses for a Fashionable Effect
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34
Upcycled Plywood Creativity
Upcycled Plywood Creativity
Blue Fence Project Will Recycle 2012 London's Olympic Enclosure
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33
Copper Couture
Copper Couture
Emma Whiteside Goes Eco-Victorian With Upcycled Gown
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32
Chairs From Old TVs
Chairs From Old TVs
Upcycling Retro Televisions Into Comfortable Seating
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31
Upcycled Live/Work Spaces
Upcycled Live/Work Spaces
The Mobile Office Changes to Suit Your Needs
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30
Upcycled Oxygen Cylinders
Upcycled Oxygen Cylinders
Real Everest Canisters as Art
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29
Upcycled Rave Bars
Upcycled Rave Bars
The Ikea Storage Box Bar Combines Old Materials with New Ideas
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28
Rad Recycled Records
Rad Recycled Records
Obsolete Records & CDs Find a New Life
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27
Upcycled Container Art
Upcycled Container Art
The Gestaltkunstwerk Vases Put Your Trash to Good Use
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26
Upcycled Charity Denim
Upcycled Charity Denim
Recreated Designer Jeans to Support Oceana
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25
Upcycled Totes
Upcycled Totes
The HO:LO Freeway Bags
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24
Hats Made of Upcycled Coffee Sacks
Hats Made of Upcycled Coffee Sacks
Trilby Hat by Ataahua
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23
DIY Tee Upcycling
DIY Tee Upcycling
Megan Nicolay Transforms Tees into the Next Best Thing
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22
Urban Upcycled Lamps
Urban Upcycled Lamps
Super Guppy Street Light Takes Upcycling to a New Place
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21
Starbucks Card Mosaic Coasters
Starbucks Card Mosaic Coasters
Upcycled Art by Flawed Frock
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20
Upcycled Couture
Upcycled Couture
The Baroque Creations of Ziad Ghanem
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19
Scrap Felt Seating
Scrap Felt Seating
The Kamasutra Bench by Malgorzata Pekala
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18
Qwerty Notebooks
Qwerty Notebooks
The Recycled Keyboard Notebook is for Keyboard Kids
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17
Upcycled Accessories
Upcycled Accessories
Upcycled Looptworks Laptop Sleeves Turn Trashed Neoprene into Cash
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16
Auto Rim Sculptures
Auto Rim Sculptures
Car Parts Get Upcycled into Art Pieces
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15
Upcycled Gymnastics Equipment
Upcycled Gymnastics Equipment
Refurbished Sport Furniture Makes a Sweet Eco Statement
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14
Cookie Wrapper Backpacks
Cookie Wrapper Backpacks
TerraCycle School Supplies are Upcycled from Snack Packaging
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13
Upcycled Ancient Architecture
Upcycled Ancient Architecture
Japan's Plus House Channels Syles from Centuries Past
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12
Upcycled Shipwreck Watches
Upcycled Shipwreck Watches
Romain Jerome Creates Watches From Pieces of the Titanic
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11
Upcycled Runway Jewelry
Upcycled Runway Jewelry
LITTER SF's Recycled Accessories Impress at Christian Cota's S/S '10 Show
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10
Upcycled Furnishings
Upcycled Furnishings
Studio JSPR 'Plastic Fantastic' Re-Skinned Collection (Update)
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9
Gas Can Luggage
Gas Can Luggage
Upcycling Jerry Cans for the Stylish Traveler
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8
Pencil Jewelry
Pencil Jewelry
Maria Cristina Bellucci Upcycles a Childhood Pastime into Cute Jewelry
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7
Necktie Necklaces
Necktie Necklaces
Ties Make Even Better Necklaces and Wallets
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6
Upcycling Expired Contraceptives
Upcycling Expired Contraceptives
Fashion Designing Student Creates Condom Couture
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5
Dripping Faucet Lighting
Dripping Faucet Lighting
'Light the Night' by Michael Allison is a Beautiful Take on Lamps
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4
Upcycled Fashion Tags
Upcycled Fashion Tags
Undone Clothing Jacket
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3
Upcycled Bullet Jewelry
Upcycled Bullet Jewelry
Esprit-Mystique Sells Eco-Friendly and Pretty Jewelry
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2
Upcycled Hearts
Upcycled Hearts
Recycled Beer Can Jewelry and Starbucks Keychains by KatieAnnCreations
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1
Upcycled Suitcase Pet Beds
Upcycled Suitcase Pet Beds
Etsy Artists Make a Cute Eco Case for Cats
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