5 Reasons to Consider Up-cycling Your Furniture & Home Decor

 

Do you have furniture around the house that doesn’t work with your style anymore but fits in the space perfectly? What about an old pretty candle jar that is now empty? Do you have scrap wood laying around in the garage or a broken piece of furniture?

All of these items could be up-cycled into something new! 

Old jars can be used for many things; organizers for makeup brushes or pens, vases, spice holders, snack containers, and so much more!

Broken furniture pieces or scrap wood can be used to create wood shelving, coasters, planters, frames, mosaic wood art, stools, signs, cutting boards, and so much more. 

Old furniture can be restored, refinished or reimagined to fit your current style and needs. Do you have an old tv cabinet that you don’t need anymore? Consider looking up tutorials to cut the cabinet down and make a storage bench for your front entryway instead. The ideas are truly endless, you just have to use your imagination!

With up-cycling, the results you can achieve are limitless, and not to mention how exciting the process can be! No one wants a boring home but sometimes the cost of  brand new home furnishings can make it difficult to achieve your desired look.

If you have been following the buzz around the furniture flipping community for a while and have been waiting for a little nudge to get you to get started, now is that moment!  

 All that is required for you to start transforming old furniture pieces or DIY projects is to be patient, and of course to use the right products and tools.

 

What happens if you can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on brand new custom furniture? Does that mean you should just live in a space that doesn’t speak to who you are? 

No, it does not! Rather than abandoning your desire to own elegant pieces for your home, redesigning old items provides an easy way to get what you are looking for at a fraction of the cost. 

You probably have an old dresser or chair taking up space and waiting to be thrown out. Before you dispose of those pieces, consider that with just a few products and patience, you can make those pieces shine again. You do not have to be a professional furniture artist or woodworker to get started1

If you are already a DIYer -  you may have some of the required tools to begin work. If you don’t have tools, start with some research on your project to find out what you may need, or ask your local hardware store! There are tool rental options at most hardware stores if you don’t want to purchase your own. 

  

 Refinished furniture is a simple way to help preserve the environment. 

Approximately 12.2 tonnes of furniture is thrown out per year in North America alone, according to Fortune Business Insights. 

Let's give those amazing pieces a chance at a new life and keep them out of the landfill! Depending on your location, the demand and style of piece; you could find a dresser priced at $40, realize it is solid wood, refinish it and re-list it for $800. Not only do you end up with new pieces that possess much more value, but this keeps those quality pieces from being broken down at a landfill. this also consumes less energy than would be required to break it down. 

Why cut down more trees and rip through forests to create home furnishings, when we already have literal tonnes of it surrounding us every single day! 

 

 

Imagine being able to have home furnishings that actually match your style and needs?! Big box stores carry thousands of the same generic pieces, meaning that you may not be able to find the style that you are looking for. It can be so frustrating spending hours shopping at stores or online, to realize what you are looking for isn’t there - or is way too over priced. Lets forget those days, and achieve the style you are looking for by up-cycling pieces yourself! This way, you can enjoy affordable furniture and own a one-of-a-kind piece that carries your distinct style. 

Owning the same furniture as everyone else can be cute, but having a personalized pieces radiates so much more. Up-cycling allows you to design your home furnishings, paying attention to your specific needs and desires. 

If you want to display pieces that leave guests standing in awe when they visit, get started and go up-cycle your furniture!

Imagine telling your family & friends “You heard that right, I made this myself!!”

 

Knowing how to use your tools and make repairs is are essential skills to equip yourself for the future. Learning these small tasks can greatly reduce the need to hire technicians into your space to perform repairs. Learning essential skills like using a drill, filling holes in the wall, sanding, painting, nailing, how to dispose of hazardous materials, (and more) would teach you to easily fix broken things yourself rather than needing to hire help.

 

Most people in the DIY/furniture community can attest to the benefits of learning to use household tools. If you are new to utilizing your creativity through at-home DIY projects, repurposing a piece of furniture is a great way to begin without feeling too overwhelmed. 

 

Not needing a new piece of furniture is no reason to shy away from up-cycling. Rather than make waste out of old furniture, you can up-cycle and resell pieces to others looking to purchase unique, affordable furniture. This will amount to good income if you source out free, or very low cost used furniture pieces to work on. We suggest flipping 3-5 pieces for yourself or loved ones, before venturing onto selling to the public. You will learn A LOT through those 5 projects, and will be happy that you waited to heighten your skillset before selling pieces to the public. You do not have to be a pro at design to begin. You simply need to have quality materials, the right tools, and a drive to put your creativity to use!

 

 

From old cabinet doors, to old furniture & scrap wood; there are so many pieces that you can up-cycle! If you are new to this, it might help to start with smaller/simpler pieces and gradually move into more complex ones as your skillset rises. 

You should be well-prepared before beginning your project. Ensure that you have the proper safety gear on, have the tools and products you need handy, and start by cleaning your piece with Krud Cutter and warm water before commencing the “flip”.

Handmade Home Co. Is a marketplace platform geared towards helping artists who re-purpose and/or handcraft Furniture & Home Decor. We specialize in marketing your brand and to help get your art seen by broader audiences. We handle all of the confusing aspects of orders allowing artists more time to focus on their craft. We help our artists save money on web design/creation, marketing, advertising and we handle the shipping for you.