Upcycling!

I am all about upcycling and repurposing, and so were our forebears! Recycling is definitely not a new idea and there are a lot of ways that we can reduce our household consumption and spending simply by using our imaginations combined with what we have at home! I have found a ton of cute and helpful ideas when I was poking around on Pinterest (because seriously, Pinterest has everything) that I am eager to try out! I think in recent years, upcycling has gotten kind of a bad rap thanks in no small part to some truly terrible projects that have been posted online. lol. Upcycling, though, can be an awesome way to work your creative muscles, create something useful as well as lovely, and to keep to your household budget.

Recycling and upcycling don't have to be boring or dull - they can also be ways in which we can create fun, unique things for our homes and families without breaking the bank. Check out this video of a way to make a cute pet bed out of an old sweater or sweatshirt that you're not using anymore!

You don't have to be an amazing seamstress to be an effective upcycler, trust me. My skills are rudimentary at best (I'm working on it!) but there are a lot of other ways to make things that don't require needle and thread! Hot glue guns, for example, are a great low-cost way to create something that looks great without a lot of time investment. There are also knitting, crocheting, tatting, fabric paint, freezer papering, papier mache, decoupage...the list goes on and on! Find what inspires you, grab some inexpensive materials from the thrift store or from your own "To Donate" pile, and get to work. Don't worry so much at first if it looks like something from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, just create for the sake of creating. Getting started is half the battle! Just get started and then, as you keep at it, your skills will improve and you'll be thrilled with your progress before you know it!

Skills Trading

Don't know how to do any of the above? I bet someone in the Ward or your neighborhood does! Why not arrange a skills trade? If you're a scratch cook but you're really wanting to learn how to knit, find a knitter who is dying to learn how to make your special spaghetti sauce and trade skills! This can be a great way to implement our SOSS for the year by providing an opportunity to talk to someone that you might no know, forging a new friendship, and possibly offering a chance for someone to learn the gospel who might not have had it otherwise - all while learning a valuable skill!

FHE

This can be a great idea for an FHE, too! Get the family involved by learning something new and about how we are to be good stewards of this Earth that we have been giving. Rather than filling our garbage dumps with more and more items that could be perfectly good if they were only given a little facelift, we can choose to upcycle them and reduce our waste output!

Some ideas:

* Give the kids each a shoebox, some magazines with lots of pictures and/or illuminated text (church magazines are great for this!), scissors,, sponge brushes and some Mod Podge. Talk about how "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time," and how Heavenly Father is a loving creator. Talk about how we can choose to see the beauty in everyday objects that might otherwise be rejected and cast aside in the same way that Heavenly Father chooses to see the beauty in us in spite of our brokenness.

* make a tree fort or playhouse out of scrap materials. Use this as an opportunity to teach about recycling, provident/frugal living, safe tool use, and teamwork. Consider having the kids price out what the project would cost using all new materials vs. what you saved by using found/scrap materials.

* Go to the thrift store and find some clothing that maybe doesn't fit your idea of style. Purchase some clothing dye (Rit is great!), stylish buttons to replace the ones on the items, sewing materials, etc. Have the participants make over the items to look stylish and wearable! There are whole blogs and Pinterest boards dedicated to this very idea so you shouldn't have trouble finding inspiration! This is a great idea for families with older kids or FHE groups of college students or single adults!

* Find an old piece of furniture (garage sales, thrift stores, curbside) and spray paint it so that it matches your current decor.

Have Fun!

The most important aspect of this is that we enjoy the process. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, don't be afraid to take design risks, and don't be afraid to learn a new skill! Remember, every expert was once a novice!

Happy creating!