Get Crafty With Your Waste: Up-cycling for a Rainy Day

More often than not, after finishing using a product - like a milk carton or a pasta sauce jar - we throw it 'away'. Only, there is no 'away'... It has to go somewhere. The average UK household produces more than a tonne of waste every year, cumulating to 31 million tonnes in total for the UK.

Click this link to view this infographic full size (Metro)

A new trend of up-cycling has swept the zero-waste-sphere, and a simple search on Pinterest unveils thousands of innovative ways to alter the fate of what we consider 'waste products' destined for landfill, into unique, decorative household additions.

I've compiled a list of my favourite ways to up-cycle 5 of the most common household waste products. They not only prevent waste ending up in landfill, but are also a lot of fun to do on a rainy day... Something we have had a lot of recently in Bristol!

Glass Jars

1. Candles

Clean out your jar, fill with stones or sand, and put tea lights or candle sticks in to make beautiful, calming candle jars.

You can get super arty here and add lace or twigs around the outside like so:

2. Vases, pots & utensil holders

You can also make really cute little herb gardens in your kitchen. Be sure to use old plastic bottle tops in the bottom to aid drainage.

3. Jars make for great containers to keep stuff safe and dry on holiday, or to put bulk foods in

Straws

1. Save your straws to thread your necklaces through to prevent them from tangling up in storage

2. A strawberry corer. A great tool to have in your drawer for summer!

3. A pen holder

Tin cans

1. Really useful organisers that would make setting the table a whole lot easier!

2. A wine rack holder

3. An improvised grill. I think this is my favourite as it's perfect for camping trips!

Plastic bottles

1. A charging dock

2. Turn a milk jug into a scoop for pet food, or for compost

3. Turn old plastic bottles into a vertical garden! All you need is some wire, some old plastic bottles, some compost and seedlings. This would certainly make for a great addition to your garden wall!

Old bottles of booze

1. These make for a great dispenser for soap or cleaning products. You can buy dispenser pumps from here.

Or for a more subtle look...

2. Make DIY drinking glasses! For an in depth tutorial please click here.

Now you make unique homeware, save money, get crafty, all whilst saving the planet! If you decide to make any of these please send me a picture at myweekwastefree@gmail.com or upload to instagram using the hashtag #MyWeekWasteFree.