The upcycling movement’s goal is to take materials and products that can no longer be used in their original form or are out of style, and transform them into functional, decorative, and above all unique objects. This lets us enrich our personal surroundings in a clever, individualized way and reduces our environmental impact.
Throwing Things out is no Solution
Trends
For the past few years there’s been a sensible and sustainable trend that combats the growing mountains of trash by giving new shape to everyday objects.
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Turn old into trendy
The transformation is really fun: With a small budget and often minimal effort, upcycling quickly leads to great results – powered by creativity and a little imagination. We provide you with ideas on how to create special pieces with a unique look, out of apparent waste. Let yourself be inspired by some of our favorite ideas.
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Everything in its place
Upcycling with paper: A beautiful file looks great on your desk. Old magazine files get a new outfit in no time. With double-sided tesafilm®, it’s so easy that even the mini-sideboards get quick makeovers.
What we need:
Magazine files out of light wood, paper with black and white patterns, a ruler, pens, a cutter, small scissors and double-sided tesafilm®
This is how it’s done:
01 – Measure the surface to be adhered and transfer it to the back of the paper. Cut the paper.
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02 – Lay the paper on the corresponding surface. Mark holes or patterns on the paper and cut them out using the small scissors.
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03 – Now affix the surfaces on the edges and around the hole with double-sided tesafilm®.
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04 – Lay down the paper and press firmly.
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tesa trick: buy paper online
You can find a massive amount of black and white paper for self-printing at etsy.com. If that’s too complicated, you can also buy it at art supply stores. Design paper is also available in blocks.
More than just appearance:
Upcycling with Glass Bottles: Sounds familiar? Vases and glassware that we never use sit at the back of shelves collecting dust. We can do something about that. There are hardly more unusual vases, and you can recreate them in no time. Behind the cardboard dummies are all kinds of glass containers for flowers.
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What we need:
White cardboard, vase patterns, a pencil, scissors, a wide black marker, various glassware, tesa® double-sided adhesive tape.
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This is how it’s done:
01 – Cut out the vase patterns and outline them with the pencil on the cardboard.
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02 – Cut out the vases.
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03 – Outline the silhouettes with the black marker at a little distance from the edges.
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04 – Cut a piece of tesa® double-sided adhesive tape and fix it to the vases. Pull off the protective film.
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05 – Affix the silhouettes at the bottom to the glassware.
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"To me, the idea of not carelessly discarding used objects but breathing new life into them through your own creativity is simply state-of-the-art."
Alexandra Beck-Berge
DIY Expert