"I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart." - E.E. Cummings

SavingAdvice.com Blog

Bridging the gap between saving money and investing

Upcycling

Upcycling for Your Garden

By Leave a Comment

upcycling for your garden

Help the environment and your pocketbook by repurposing items that no longer serve their original purpose. And if you have a yard, you can take this outdoors and do some upcycling for your garden.

If you’re creative, you can have a lot of fun while helping your garden produce plants that look good and even provide you with food. Here are some examples of inexpensive projects worth exploring.

Make Your Own Planters

New planters can be costly, even if they are just plastic. But, there are a lot of items that can be upcycled into beautiful garden planters with just a little bit of time, energy, and some basic supplies.

For example, if you need to start seeds, consider using egg cartons. If you want something larger, coffee cans can be a great choice. Add a little paint to a coffee can, and it can look just as attractive as store-bought options.

Essentially, anything with a spot to support soil could be a planter. You can try it with tires, soda bottles, old buckets, and more.

The Power of Pallets

Pallets make excellent supplies for garden upcycling: If the slats provide enough room, you can use them to keep ground plants separated, ensuring one doesn’t intrude on the other.

If you’re feeling particularly handy, you can dismantle the pallets and reuse the wood. This can be an inexpensive way to build attractive wooden patio furniture, especially if you paint or stain the wood.

Solar-Powered Lighting

An old dining room chandelier can actually be an excellent source of light for your garden. If you remove the bulbs and wiring, you can place the upper portion of solar stake lights where the bulbs used to go.

While you may need to purchase solar-powered light fixtures, it can be a unique way of adding lighting to your garden.

Have a little fun by repainting the chandelier in a bright color to make them even more stunning looking.

Supplies Abound

If you don’t have all of the supplies for a project, don’t fret. There are a lot of resources that can help you find free and low-cost items for upcycling.

For example, you can join your local Freecycle group or search for freebies on Craigslist. Thrift stores, like Goodwill and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, can be great sources for low-cost items.

If you need paint, ask whether your local hardware store has what some people call a mistake section or oops paint — where colors didn’t mix correctly. Typically, you can find high-quality paints that just didn’t meet the customer’s needs, so you get them at a fraction of the price.

Upcycling for Your Garden

Ultimately, upcycling for your garden can be an enjoyable and inexpensive way to spruce up your space. If you have some old items lying around, use your imagination, and see if you can give them new life.

Readers, do you have a favorite garden project — or any other upcycling successes? Please tell us about them in the comments section beneath this post.

Read More About Gardening

If you liked this article, you just might love these other stories about frugal gardening:

Also, readers, if reading our blog posts make you want to try your hand at blogging yourself, we have good news for you: You can do exactly that right here on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.

garden upcycling, gardening tips, garden improvement tips

Fun Side Hustle: Upcycling Thrift Store Finds for Profit

By Leave a Comment

upcycling thrift store finds
A trip to a thrift store can quickly turn into an exciting treasure hunt. While many of the items don’t hold much value, others are perfect for upcycling for resale.

Generally, upcycling involves taking an item that has seen better days and turning it into something better. This could be as simple as refinishing a piece of furniture or as complex as using multiple finds to build something new.

Upcycling thrift store finds can easily serve as the foundation of a side hustle. Typically, your upfront costs are low thanks to the store’s prices. After that, you’ll just need supplies to whip the item into shape and the time to handle the project.

If you want to start a side hustle by upcycling thrift store finds for profit — or if you’re feeling motivated by the fact that Earth Day is April 22 — here’s what you need to know.

Have a Discerning Eye

Not every item is suitable for flipping, so you need a keen eye and a willingness to assess the item closely.

For example, if you spot a side table, you need to find out about the materials it was made from. Particleboard or laminate furniture can be hard to flip. Similarly, lacquered finishes can lead to challenges. But, if you can find a solid wood side table, you may have struck upcycling gold.

You also want to check the pieces for damage before you commit to upcycling the thrift store find. Some issues are easy to correct, like light scratches, while others are difficult, like wide cracks in the wood. The condition of the item dictates the amount of work you’ll need to put into the upcycling project. If you’re just starting out and don’t have specific upcycling skills, then choosing items with little to no damage is wise.

Upcycling Thrift Store Finds Takes Space

When you start upcycling thrift store finds, you’re going to need space to work on and store the items. In some cases, it doesn’t take much room, particularly if you focus on small pieces. However, if you want to focus on furniture, you’re going to need a significant amount of space.

Similarly, depending on what your upcycling activities entail, you may need to take care when choosing the location of your workroom. For example, using spray paints in your home may be tricky. The same goes for any chemicals that produce fumes.

Woodworking activities, like sanding and cutting, can also create a big mess while you’re upcycling thrift store finds. Before you jump into a project, consider whether you have an appropriate space for what you want to do.

You Need a Suitable Marketplace

Luckily, there are a lot of online marketplaces that can be great for selling your projects. Anything from Craigslist to OfferUp to Etsy can work, depending on what you produce. Research which platforms are available and see if any cater to your ideal market.

Alternatively, you may be able to sell your items at local consignment shops. This usually only works if you have a nearby store in the right niche, but it’s certainly worth exploring.

When it comes to side hustles, upcycling thrift store finds for profit is a pretty easy one to start. However, your results may vary, leading to intermittent income. If you don’t need cash right away and love crafts, then give this a try. Otherwise, find something that is a little more guaranteed if you need fast money.

Readers, have you ever upcycled anything for fun or profit? Please tell us all about it in the comments section beneath this post.

Read More

If you liked this article, you just might enjoy the following stories from our archives: