Best Upcycling Ideas and Repurposing Projects by Sadie Seasongoods

Hanging Herb Baskets from Lampshade Frames

Hanging Herb Baskets from Lampshade Frames

Lampshades are a pretty common item at thrift stores, in every size and shape you can imagine. So, I felt a compelling need to come up with an upcycling idea for them, starting with these small lamp shades that I found at Goodwill. I had this niggling feeling that lampshade frames could be repurposed into herb hanging baskets for a vertical herb planter.
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American Flag Cross Stitch on a Cane Side Table

American Flag Cross Stitch on a Cane Side Table

This, my friends, is an absolute first for me, truly a case of trash to treasure. Or, as I like to say: “Junkernecking”! There we were, just getting started on a Saturday road trip. The sun was rising, the dew was fresh, and we were in search of treasures and fun and adventure. As we merged onto the road, I spied a cane side table on the side of the road. Read more ›

Repurposing T-Shirts into a DIY Cat Cave and Handmade Cat Toys

Repurposing T-Shirts into a DIY Cat Cave and Handmade Cat Toys

Your old t-shirts (or perhaps a favorite tee that has a stain or no longer fits) are absolutely IDEAL for upcycling into a DIY Cat cave and a few simple cat toys. I love using repurposed clothing in projects, but I rarely recycle t-shirts. But for this pet tent and kitty toy projects, the jersey knit fabric of t-shirts is positively ideal.Read more ›

Quilted Pot Holder from a Vintage Quilt

Quilted Pot Holder from a Vintage Quilt

Once upon a time, I found these vintage quilts at a Habitat ReStore in the North Georgia Mountains. It was very much cutter quilt, falling apart in my fingers and even making a mess in our car. But I knew it would be perfect for projects, and decided to make a quilted pot holder from a piece of it. Read more ›

Car Tool Kit for Yard Saling

Car Tool Kit for Yard Saling

Now that rummage sale, yard sale, and flea market season is back, the good times are about to roll! But before you set out to score deals and treasures, let me propose a car tool kit that is SPECIFICALLY meant for yard saling! And what, pray tell, will I use to hold these car essentials? A vintage metal lunch box, the kind with the domed lid.Read more ›

Kitchen Art with Old Seed Packets

Kitchen Art with Old Seed Packets

I honestly can’t help myself when I come across old seed packets. They’re like little tiny art canvases and I have snapped up several over the years. First, I created this piece with some flower seed packs and an old window. But more recently, I came into some vegetable seed packets and decided to make some kitchen decor with them.Read more ›

Firefly Lantern with Upcycled Lighting from Habitat ReStore

Firefly Lantern with Upcycled Lighting from Habitat ReStore

Upcycling projects with vintage light fixtures is a common theme on my blog and this particular project was inspired by the trendy shop, Anthropologie. After seeing their metalwork hurricanes online, I realized how much they resembled a brass light from Habitat ReStore. That’s when I decided I needed to repurpose one into a firefly lantern. And I suspected that it would be pretty easy to do!Read more ›

Upcycling a Vintage Window as a Quilt Frame for an Antique Quilt

Upcycling a Vintage Window as a Quilt Frame for an Antique Quilt

Antique quilts aren’t something you see at thrift stores very often. But on a little jaunt through the Georgia mountains one weekend, I found TWO old quilts. I didn’t want to be greedy and buy both, but I did take one of them home. It was crumbling and damaged, so it was definitely a cutter quilt that was destined for upcycling. And I knew right away that I wanted to display it by using a vintage window as a quilt frame.Read more ›

DIY Ribbon Holder from a Countertop Wine Rack

DIY Ribbon Holder from a Countertop Wine Rack

I think we can all agree that my mind works in mysterious ways- sometimes it’s a great thing (when a project works out!) and sometimes it’s bothersome (when a project fails). But once again, there I was in a thrift store, looking at everything through Sadie-colored glasses. And one of the things I spotted was this countertop wine rack that was unexciting but full of potential. As I studied the small wine rack, my mind started to see it as a DIY ribbon holder. Read more ›

Dutch Wooden Clogs as Upcycled Planters

Dutch Wooden Clogs as Upcycled Planters

I’ve had a quiet fascination with all things Dutch for most of my life. Between the tulips and the windmills and summering near Holland, Michigan, I suppose it couldn’t be avoided. I also had my own pair of Dutch wooden clogs, and while I no longer have them, I still wanted to turn some into upcycled planters for our front porch.Read more ›