Upcycling, the New Craze
The bench is made from an old bed, the pillows were made from old wool blankets, burlap bags, vintage tapestries then embellished with vintage lace and jewelry.
Wikipedia defines upcycling as, “the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.” In other words, taking something that is worn out and making something cool from it. Upcycling is the opposite of recycling. Recycling usually involves breaking something down and then turning it into something new. Upcycling, on the other hand, makes an object into something more useful and or beautiful.
Vintage Bicycle basket used for a book shelf.
The creativity of some people is amazing. Fortunately you don’t have to be an artistic genius to upcycle. Google “upcycling” and you’ll be amazed at all the ideas you can gather from others and most of the time you get instructions too!
We have a number of upclyclers in our mall. One of our dealers takes old beds and makes them into wonderful benches.
Garden/plant stake made from a discarded silverplate tray with chalkboard paint attatched to an antique pimk crib rail.
Another makes beautiful pillows from old worn out quilts, sweaters, and burlap and uses vintage jewelry to add a little bling. Several of our dealers make chalk boards out of discarded windows, doors and other scrap wood.
Many of our customers also like to upcycle. Summer brides are buying up old canning jars and insulators to use as candle holders on the tables or hanging from trees. Wire flower frogs are popular for place card holders and glass ones can be a beautiful display for tapers. Old silverware for wind chimes, silver bowls and platters hung from old chain for bird feeders, and old windows hung to write messages on are also popular with our customers.
This purse is made from a vintage record album.
Upcycling can save you money, keep old things out of our landfills and it makes you feel good about yourself. We would love to see some of your upcycling projects. You can post them on our FaceBook page listed under Albany Antique Mall.
Upcoming Events
Hope you can join us for our “Crazy” sidewalk sale on July 7th from 9am – 7pm. We call it crazy because you never know what you might find. It could be antiques or not, rusty or new, project pieces or ready to go pieces, and there will be large and small treasures. There will also be special “one day sale” pieces throughout the store!
Tuesday, July 10th we are hosting a Points for Profit on Location event from 6:30pm – 8:30pm. We hope we see you here. Food, music fun!!
