How To Revamp Your Rubbish: A Guide To Upcycling.

We're all guilty of throwing out way more things than we probably need to. From old clothes to slightly damaged furniture, it's time to reclaim these less than perfect pieces and make them our own again via a little DIY magic (AKA, upcycling).

Upcycling is defined by the Cambridge University Dictionary as the 'activity of making new furniture, objects, etc. out of old or used things or waste material.' There are a whole load of ways we can do this and it's beneficial from both a financial and sustainability point of view. Giving a new lease of life to some of our well loved possessions is WAY cooler than just replacing them.

Get ready to get creative, it's time to upcycle our way through life...

Turn your old clothes in cleaning rags

After turfing out your wardrobe, you'll most likely find that you have a sell, charity and bin pile - because let's face it, some clothes are just at the end of their lifespan. Rather than just ditching these, why not make the most of the fabric and use them for cleaning? Cut up some of your old garments are use them as cleaning or polishing cloths, rather than buying those throwaway jay cloths or the dreaded cleaning wipes.

New life for those glass bottles + jars

Whether its old jam jars, olive containers or even wine bottles, plenty can be done with old glass containers. Why not use any old jars as storage? You can keep makeup or hair ties in repurposed jars, making them a cute feature in your bathroom or bedroom. Cute wine bottles can also be repurposed into the CUTEST flower vases.

Don't throw away that old table

Decided that you're no longer a fan of that table in your living room? Rather than throwing it out, why not try your hand at some DIY. A lick of paint can do wonders and save you a fortune on splashing out on a new one. Or if you're 100% ready to part ways with it, why not use it in the garden or pop it in the garage? There's always somewhere that can use a little bit more storage.

Collect your recyclable rubbish for some craft time

If you've got little ones in your family, the likeliness is you've spent time (and money) browsing the often extortionate aisles of craft stores looking for materials they can create with. Rather than spending an arm and a leg on pricey things, why not collect any (clean) packaging and use it for any art projects? From cardboard tubes to magazines, kids will love using these materials creatively and it helps give them a new lease of life.

DIY makeup remover pads

Much like the cleaning hack, old clothes can also be reimagined as cleansing pads for makeup removal. Rather than wasting money on disposable cotton pads or makeup wipes (which are TERRIBLE for the environment), why not turn your old cotton tees into reusable pads?. Just add water and you fave cleanser and they work just as well as shop bought ones, if not better.

Wrap it up with your old magazines

Why buy wrapping paper when you can use what you have at home? Save up any old magazines to use as gift wrap - it will look super unique and it gives new life to paper that would otherwise be heading straight to the recycling bin. TIP: the likes of Vogue, Glamour and Cosmopolitan will look super chic, but the real life magazines could be great for a giggle.

Old ladders = chic clothing rack

If you've got some old dusty ladders kicking about in your garage, why not try your hand at making this super chic clothing rack? Admittedly, this is a step up from decorating a glass jar, but who doesn't love a challenge? Grab a tin of paint, some sanding paper and a nail gun and you're ready to revamp your room.

Wooden bucket into plant pot

Turn some old buckets into super cute garden decor with this simple hack. These homemade plant pots are a gorge way to house your fave plants + flowers, plus it saves on buying brand new ones from those expensive garden centres. Bonus points for uniqueness.

What are you waiting for? There's a whole load of 'rubbish' waiting to be revamped in YOUR home.