Upcycle Ideas for Home Goods

One man's trash is another man's treasure. Here at Hometalk, we can help you make your own treasures out of things that some would consider trash. Find ideas in our best, top, and newest projects and browse our discussion boards. Ask a question and get an answer! We have videos and slideshows to help you find your next upcycle project.

Top Upcycling Projects

We've gathered our top upcycle projects for you to make that trash a treasure.

Turn An Old Window Into Wall Art

I always loved the way the windows looked in my church, the intricate stained glass that was breathtaking when the sun shown through. I have an antique window hanging in my apartment as wall art and I was inspired to turn it into a custom stained glass piece!

Kara S.

Button Dish

If you're looking for a fun project to do with your littles, or just for yourself, this is one to add to your list. It's a little time consuming because of drying time, but it's super inexpensive (possibly FREE for some who may have all the supplies on hand), really easy to make, and the result is so cute!

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Turn Empty Jars Into Stylish Christmas Candy Jars

I know Halloween was just the other day, but I'm so excited for Christmas that I'm already getting a jump start on decorations. These jars are adorable (and they're a great place for all of my leftover Halloween candy). They sit perfectly on a mantel or console table. Plus, they are the perfect project for all of my leftover glass jars! They don’t need to just for candy; you can put any small items in them like office supplies or decorative marbles. They really add to any festive décor, and I could imagine doing them in other colors for other holidays. Check out how I make them below. Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Shawna Bailey

Wagon Wheel Ceiling Decor

We were contacted by homeowners in search of a farmhouse living room redesign. We had so much fun finding charming lighting, cozy furniture, and unique and rustic decor to round out the space. The only thing was, their living room didn't have any overhead lighting and it wasn't in their budget to get an electrician to add any. It was this giant white space that needed something! We could have done a number of things, but as soon as I came across pictures of people using old wagon wheels on their walls as decor, I pictured somehow putting them on this ceiling. But one wouldn't be enough to fill the space. I wanted a conversation piece, but something that wouldn't break the bank. So, I sourced 3 different sized wagon wheels, cleaned them up, suspended‎ them from the ceiling with chain found at our local hardware store, and had a unique ceiling fixture that will delight our clients for years to come.

Sarah K., Hometalk Team

Terra Cotta Thanksgiving Place Card Hats

I’m a huge Thanksgiving fan. There's just something about having all my family get together while the Turkey is cooking in the oven, the Macy's Day Parade is on in the background, and we're all setting the table together. This year I thought I'd bring something new to the table (decor wise, not cooking wise). I found out how to make these adorable pilgrim hat place cards, and I think I'm going to use them again and again every year. Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Shawna Bailey

25 Best DIY Pallet Projects That Will Transform Your Home and Yard

Most DIYers find it hard to resist a pile of wood pallets, and with good reason – they are ripe with potential and usually free. From tables to fences to walkways, the sheer number of DIY pallet projects with instructions are seemingly endless... so today we’ve curated a list of the best projects on Hometalk!

Best Of Hometalk

Crate Storage Unit

If you're in need of storage but don't want to go out and buy a cheap, plastic cabinet or drop a bunch of money on a nice storage cabinet, here is a great solution! This crate storage unit is both functional and a piece of unique, rustic decor. I love the way it turned out!

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Declutter Kitchen Countertop With A Curtain Rod

I don't know about you, but I can't stand clutter on my counters, especially in my small apartment kitchen. As much as I love looking at pictures of my family while cooking I needed a solution to get things up and off the counter.

Kara S.

Grab a $5 Full Length Mirror From Walmart for This Fun Storage Idea!

Desperate for entryway storage? My foyer was getting more cluttered by the second, but I didn't have any room to add storage. When I saw this $5 mirror at Walmart, I felt an idea coming on!

Abbie M

Recycle a Rag Rug

Rag rugs are easy to throw in various places of your home. They're also cheap and easy to replace. So, what do you do with those old ones? Before you throw them in the trash, check out these ways to turn them into something else for your next home decor DIY project.

Julien K., Hometalk Team

Turn An Old Window Into Wall Art

Kara S.

Button Dish

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Turn Empty Jars Into Stylish Christmas Candy Jars

Shawna Bailey

Wagon Wheel Ceiling Decor

Sarah K., Hometalk Team

Terra Cotta Thanksgiving Place Card Hats

Shawna Bailey

25 Best DIY Pallet Projects That Will Transform Your Home and Yard

Best Of Hometalk

Crate Storage Unit

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Declutter Kitchen Countertop With A Curtain Rod

Kara S.

Grab a $5 Full Length Mirror From Walmart for This Fun Storage Idea!

Desperate for entryway storage? My foyer was getting more cluttered by the second, but I didn't have any room to add storage. When I saw this $5 mirror at Walmart, I felt an idea coming on!

Abbie M

Recycle a Rag Rug

Julien K., Hometalk Team

Upcycling Videos

Check out our videos to help you upcycle your latest find.

How to Take Apart a Pallet Without Using Power Tools

Hometalk Skills

Twinkling Fall Topiary With Lights in Just 30 Minutes!

Fall has always been my favorite time of year -- between the crisp weather, the coziness of the season, football games, and good food, what's not to love?? More than all of those things though, I am a color girl -- I love color in my life -- so when the trees are turning, I start getting giddy! This project livens up my living room, and I'm so surprised of just how quick and easy it was. (I did this in just 30 minutes!)We want to help you DIY, so some of the materials in this post are linked to sellers. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Upcycle Your Popcorn Tins Into Unique Storage

Discover the easy steps to turn empty popcorn tins into useful storage containers with several compartments! I use this technique to keep my accessories and tools in one place where they are easy to access. You can use the finished tins at home to keep all sorts of items neatly stored away and ready to use whenever you need them. This is a very simple DIY project that anyone can complete successfully with no fuss.

Kara S.

The Cheapest Closet Space Saver Ever!

I don't know about you, but my coat closet is always a wreck. There's just so many coats and so little space. Even after I go through our stash and clean out what we don't use anymore (which I have to do often now that my kids are growing so quickly), the closet is still a mess. I found out about this hack and was quite dubious if it would actually organize my closet, but I gotta tell you, it really works! And you know what I used to organize it? A soda can! Yup, you heard me. A soda can is what saved my closet.

Shawna Bailey

Hometalkers' Favorite DIY Upcycling Projects

Looking for the best upcycling projects Hometalk has to offer? Here they are.

Rubber Door Mat Wall Decor in 30 Minutes

Hey Y'all!!! I'm am so excited about this project!If you're looking for a statement piece for your home decor but don't want to dig deep in your pockets, this is totally the project for you! Who would have thought a door mat could become such a wall beauty?!We want to help you DIY, so some of the materials in this post are linked to sellers. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Make Your Own Pom Pom Rug

Picking out rugs is sooooo hard for an indecisive like me, so I thought I would go ahead and make one.... turns out that was just as hard to decide on. Nonetheless, I made a fun and fluffy pom pom rug and thought I would share my experience. It is great, because you can customize the colors and textures of the rug as well as the size and shape! With some pre-made pom poms, a bit of yarn for some custom ones, and a rug mat you are in business to make this great pom pom rug! We want to help you DIY, so some of the materials in this post are linked to sellers. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

Amanda C, Hometalk Team

Grab an Old Shutter for This Multi Purpose Kitchen Idea!

Next time you're at a flea market grab an old shutter for this gorgeous farmhouse kitchen idea!Check out the video for more how-to's!

Abbie M

Giant Bouncy Ball Ornaments

Who's ready for Christmas???? I know I am! It's time to pack away the Halloween stuff and start gearing up for the most wonderful time of the year! Though I'm sad to say goodbye soon to my favorite time of year (fall), it isn't such a disappointment because I know I can start making and putting out DIY Christmas decor. Wait 'til you see these jolly giant ornaments! I've seen giant ornaments you can hang on your porch but these have a little twist to them.

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Wine Bottle Tiki Torches

With summer comes bugs, and more annoyingly, mosquitos! Thankfully, this summer I will have these nice tiki torches for my outdoor table when my husband and I entertain guests.

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Newspaper Print Cement Vase

This cement vase can be covered in any image of your choice. This one was made to look like a rolled up newspaper.

Amanda C, Hometalk Team

Rubber Door Mat Wall Decor in 30 Minutes

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Make Your Own Pom Pom Rug

Amanda C, Hometalk Team

Grab an Old Shutter for This Multi Purpose Kitchen Idea!

Next time you're at a flea market grab an old shutter for this gorgeous farmhouse kitchen idea!Check out the video for more how-to's!

Abbie M

Giant Bouncy Ball Ornaments

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Wine Bottle Tiki Torches

With summer comes bugs, and more annoyingly, mosquitos! Thankfully, this summer I will have these nice tiki torches for my outdoor table when my husband and I entertain guests.

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Newspaper Print Cement Vase

This cement vase can be covered in any image of your choice. This one was made to look like a rolled up newspaper.

Amanda C, Hometalk Team

Popular Upcycling Discussions

Got something to say? Let us know on our popular discussions board on upcycling.

How can I upcycle lampshades?

/> Afton

View discussion

How to turn a window into a mirror?

/> Jennifer

View discussion

How can I turn house shutters into decorations?

/> Laura Draves

View discussion

How can I upcycle plastic juice cans?

/> Victoria

View discussion

New Upcycling Projects

Take a look at our new projects to help you upcycle and create something new.

Repurposed Book Knife Block

Soooo my husband went a little crazy at an auction and bought a variety of knives and yet none of them came with even a sheath to tuck them into. For a while I was storing them in a drawer, but many of them were too long and just weren't fitting well so I decided to make a fun little knife block! This project is SUPER easy! All you have to do is bind some old hardcover books together and you instantly have a new home for your knives!

Amanda C, Hometalk Team

Turn a Popcorn Tin Into a Trash Can

So I have kept this stinkin' popcorn tin in my closet with the intention of making something out of it and the day has come! I picked up these great knobs from Anthropologie when they were super marked down and thought, well, why not make a little trash can? I simply painted the tin and added the handle to the top and now I have a nice lookin' trash can. I also added some champagne cork feet to give it a little extra pizzazz.

Amanda C, Hometalk Team

The Prettiest Way to Keep Your Boots Standing Tall

Now that it's boot season, we are all thinking of better ways store our boots. When they are all slumped over, they wear out faster and can even crack. I've seen the trick using a pool noodle in a lot of places, but my version easily gives you a pretty way to keep your shoes upright.

Shawna Bailey

Paintbrush Mobile

This project is perfect for a classroom or an in-home craft space or studio! It adds a fun little touch of color and whimsy. Mobiles don't have to just be for babies so I made this one as a simple piece of decor. All you need is some craft paint, plywood, embroidery floss and paintbrushes!

Amanda C, Hometalk Team

Beautifying Our Old Shed Back To Life

Have you ever stared at a space in your home, knowing it's going to be completely gutted and redone as soon as you have the time, and finally decide to give it a tiny facelift in the meantime because you hate looking at it? That's exactly where I was at with our run-down shed in our tiny Queens backyard. This shed is way too small and is kinda falling apart, but it's just not on the top of our long list of things to be reimagined at the moment. But, one afternoon, I got sick of looking at the blank wall and decided to make it useful until we decide to take a sledgehammer to the whole thing. Our postage stamp yard is the only outdoor play space our pup has, so we didn't want to plant anything in it. I thought the side of the shed would be the perfect spot to add color to our back yard. As a professional organizer, I'm always telling my clients to think "up." I did the same thing here. Plants don't always have to go on the ground. We took an old window, mounted it to the wall, and then used fabric wall planters to add life and color. We also love to keep spare wood around for any DIY projects we might dream up. For a while, it just took up what limited space we had on our "patio." So, we also built storage for these planks as well using, well, spare wood! Sharing our before and afters with you because, while it's not a "forever" project, I think it's important for me to remember temporary fixes can ease my anxiety while we wait for funds and time to haul over a space.

Sarah K., Hometalk Team

Make a $5 Balloon Cooler for Your Next Summer Party

I'm throwing a party this weekend, and I was trying to brainstorm some smart way to keep the drinks cold that would cost me as little as possible. Instead of going to to a party supply store for party decorations, I made this super fun cooler as a centerpiece. All you need is a large vase (trifle dish, glass bowl, etc.) and some water balloons. Step 1: Fill up Your Balloons

Shawna Bailey