Easy Recycled Decorations

Items recycled into decorations don't have to look recycled.

Recycling isn't a new idea, but it's one typically associated with aluminum cans and old newspapers. There are various ways to recycle plenty of other items, some of which can be used to create distinctive home decor pieces.

Significance

Make throw pillows out of old shirts and jackets too ragged to wear.

Just because something is old and worn doesn't mean it's lost its significance. Give new life to grandmother's ragged but favorite old jacket by cutting it up and turning it into a pillow for the couch. Fill father's old dress shoes with decorative stones and apply a fireproof sealant to turn the shoes into funky candle holders. Through recycling, keepsakes take on a new life and aren't banished to cabinets or closets anymore.

Examples

Create wall tiles with CD cases.

Creativity is the only limit to what can be recycled into home decor items. Turn a couple of Mason jars into soap dispensers with the addition of pump lids, or transform old jewelry pins into magnets with just some glue. Make wall tiles with old CD cases. Use the original album covers; or print out other photos, trim to size and insert into the CD cases. Mount the cases on the wall with small, even amounts of space between each.

Effects

Reuse burlap sacks for pillows or curtains.

Recycled home decor can fit nicely into a number of different room themes. The Mason jar soap dispenser would go nicely with a country kitchen theme, along with hand towels sewn from curtains and place mats cut from old aprons. Candle holders made from old vinyl records can be accent pieces in a retro room, and pillows fashioned from burlap sacks can add the finishing touch to a Western-themed room.

References

• "Country Living" Magazine: Craft Projects--Recycled Craft Ideas
• The Daily Green: One-of-a-Kind Recycled Home Decor