DIY Projects to Celebrate the Planet

Earth Day is next week, April 22. All around the world, countries and cities are hosting events to celebrate this beautiful planet we call home. There is even a two-day celebration marking the 45th anniversary of Earth Day at Union Station! But we don’t need to have a party to celebrate our planet! All we need is to recycle, reuse and reduce the amount of pollution we produce. Which is why we suggest you look into upcycling your recyclables! Here are a few projects you can do  to add some spice to your space (and help save the planet at the same time).

Old Gloves or Socks

It’s a pain when you lose one glove or sock and suddenly have a lone item where once you had a pair. Upcycle these suddenly single items by turning them into:

• Stuffed animals (glove at boredpanda.com, sock by Joyzz)
• Running arm bands for your iPod or iPhone (care of the theartofdoingstuff.com)

Burnt Out Light bulbs

Let there be light! And where there’s light there is usually light bulbs (especially at night). A fact of life, these little necessities will blow and then you’re left with trash. Or are you? Try upcycling them to add some character to your home. For ideas, read this article on quench.me.

Glass Bottles

Whether it’s a beverage bottle (like wine or beer) or a food jar (tomato sauce), glass bottles can be reused in your home in a variety of different ways.

• Scented stick diffuser (popsugar.com)
• Lamps (upcyclethat.com) and pendant lights (diynetwork.com)
• Vases (upcyclethat.com) of all shapes (dumpaday.com) and sizes (handimania.com)

Newspaper, Magazines & Other Paper Projects

Paper is a common recyclable material – offices, businesses and homes go through reams and reams of paper every day! Instead of recycling it, reuse it to create a special project that you can show off at your next house party.

• Basket (craftstylish.com)
• Coasters (howaboutorange.blogspot.ca)
• Picture frames (bhg.com)
• Wall art (brit.co)

The Internet is full of great (and sometimes crazy) ideas for how to upcycle just about anything. If you’ve got an item you just can’t part with or don’t want to throw out because you’re not sure if it will decompose, search for ways to upcycle it instead!