Lots of Different Upcycling Ideas for Your Home & Garden
Discussed by Eco Solutions, whose range of products will make your Upcycling Ideas & Projects easy, quick and achievable.
Upcycle An Old Chest of Drawers Into Something New To Match Your New Decor
Upcycling an old chest of drawers that you no longer like or you have picked up from a charity shop is so rewarding. Strip it back using Eco Solutions Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover is quick and easy. Simply paste or spray on, leave it to work its magic and then run the paint or varnish off with a scourer in the direction of the grain or flat-edged scraper. Wash off the excess product using warm water and leave to dry for at least 24-48 hours before added a clear wax, varnish or chalk paint. Add some new handles like the ones above in an industrial style or add some sparkling shiny ones if you have gone cream or brighter with your paint colour try changing the legs, it will really transform how it looks and feels.
Upcycle Bedside Cabinets To Match Your New Colours Or Just To Give Them A New Lease Of Life
As in the chest of drawers upcycle above use the Eco Solutions Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover to strip it back to the original surface. Often when you’ve done this it helps you decide if you want to stay with the wood effect and give it a new coat of wax or varnish, go half and half or even give it a whitewash to give it a calm old style look.
Transform An Old Table Top Into A New Updated Coffee Table That You Will Love Again
If you have an old table top or piece of wood hanging around it’s really easy to turn it into an industrial-style modern coffee table. Use Eco Solutions Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover to strip back the wood. If there is a really thick coating you may need to do this twice. Use warm water to wash away the product and leave it to dry for at least a day, 2 days before adding a wax, varnish or even chalk paint for the finish you are looking for. Search for some metal pin table legs on eBay or Amazon, fix them to the bottom of your wood surface and your coffee table is finished.
Create A New Dining Room Table Using Old Scaffolding Boards
If you have any old scaffolding boards around or you can source some from a local supplier or reclaim shop then it’s really easy to make a stand out dining table. Use your Eco Solutions Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover to strip back any old varnish or paint or Grime Go if the boards just need a really good clean. Find some strong metal legs on eBay or Amazon and away you go. As in the photo, you could get some extra boards and create shelving to match in the same room.
Upcycle An Old Wicker Cabinet To Bring It Bang On Trend
Wicker has come back into fashion with a vengeance and furniture can look really good when it’s upcycled. Strip back the wood or surface of the cabinet using Eco Solutions Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover, wash it down with warm water and then leave it to dry. Either stain the wood with a vax or a varnish or go with a more dramatic look with black, navy or dark grey chalk paint.
Upcycle An Old Suitcase Into Coffee or Side Table
Often people have old suitcases in their lofts or garages or you can pick them up on free selling sites or charity shops and it’s such a shame for them to be thrown into a landfill. They look really different and stand out and offer an industrial feel to any space. Often they are a bit dirty on the outside and can smell a bit musty on the inside so use your Eco Solutions Grime Go to give it a really good clean, outside and inside. Grime Go is brilliant for removing stains on all types of material so if it’s material lined then this will do the job. Look for some metal pin or cross legs, secure them to the bottom of your suitcase and your stand out feature is ready to go on view.
Update Your Tired Wooden Garden Table & Chairs
Let’s face it everyone’s garden table and chairs always need a bit of a spruce up in the spring after the harsh winter months even if they’ve been covered up. You may have brought an old set on a selling site and using Eco Solutions Grime Go if it needs a bit of a cleanup or the Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover will leave your surfaces ready to treat or paint. It makes the job quick and easy using other of the Eco products, just cover the surfaces and then just leave it to do its magic.
Upcycle A Bath Side Panel & Shower Screen To Make It Look Brand New
Create this look by cleaning your shower screen and bath panel using Grime Go then use an all weather chalk paint like Frenchic and give it a lick of paint. The result is amazing and you can even use the paint for your tiles and floors to completely transform a bathroom or kitchen.
Transform an Old Sideboard Into A Fashionable Art Deco Sideboard Which Will Be The Standout Piece In Your Room
If you have an old sideboard or you see one you like the look of in a charity shop or on a selling site then you can easily transform it into a modern piece for your home. Strip it back using Eco Solutions Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover or Grime Go if it just needs a good clean. Scour the internet and look for ideas and then you can start with your painting. Art Deco is the predominant decorative art style of the 1920s and 1930s. It is characterised by precise and bold geometric shapes and strong colours. Use painter’s tape to create a geometric pattern on the front of your cabinet or use pieces of wood to stick to the fronts to create defined lines, shapes and texture. Use dark colour chalk paints with gold or silver shine colours and you will really have a show-stopping piece.
Spruce Your Old Fridge Into Something A Bit More On Trend
An old fridge can look tired and worn out but a clean with Eco Solutions Grime Go or Super Strength Degreaser inside, outside and on all the seals will freshen it up. Then simply add a coat of pastel chalk paint or maybe you want to be daring and go bright will make it look brand new again. Don’t worry when you put the first coat of paint on, it will take a few coats and always follow the manufactures instructions.
Upcycle a Pallet Into A Storage Box Or Garden Planters
Really easy to do is to make pallet storage boxes for inside or outside as planters. You can make them any size and as sturdy as you need using inside reinforcement pieces. Clean or strip the pallet using either the Eco Solutions Home Strip or Grime Go and then decide how you want to finish it with either a varnish, wax or pain. Always use outside approved paint to ensure it will stand the weather if it’s being used outside.
Upcycle Old Skateboard Into Shelves/Hangers
A really good use of old skateboards is to make them into shelves in kids rooms or retro like shops or barbers. Use your Eco Solutions Grime Go product to give it a good clean and search for some suitable sized brackets to hang it.
Use an Old Chest Of Drawers Or Bedside Cabinet As A Plant Feature In Your Garden
Create a beautiful feature in your garden using an old chest of drawers or bedside cabinet. Strip the wood back using Eco Solutions Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover or Grime Go if it just needs a good clean and then spruce it up with an outdoor varnish or chalk paint. Pull the drawers out and add different flowers and foliage spilling over the edges to make an amazing feature in your garden.
Transform an Old Wooden Ladder Into a Shelf for your Home Or Garden
It’s really easy to use an old ladder as a decorative piece in your home or as a useful shelf which also looks amazing. You can also use them along with old scaffolding planks both inside and out to give you more shelf space as in the photo above. Use your Eco Solutions Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover or Grime Go if it just needs a good clean and then paint it with an outdoor varnish/chalk paint or an inside chalk paint if you are just upcycling it for inside your home or office.
Upcycle Old Wellington Boots Into Plant Pots
This is such an easy upcycling project for anyone, you can hang them, place them next to your front door or in areas around your garden. Give them a clean with Eco Solutions Grime Go, drill some holes in the bottoms for the water to drain through, add your soil and flowers or plants and you have a really lovely feature that everyone will comment on.
Use Old Window Shutter Room Dividers Or Sun Screens For Gardens
They aren’t always easy to find and you may have to go to a reclaim shop or site but old window shutters make amazing room dividers or sunscreens in gardens. Strip them back using your Eco Solutions Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover and then paint in a pastel shade or bright colour to complement the area they are being put into. They really do look amazing.
Upcycle An Old Chest of Drawers Into A Kitchen Island
A really easy way to create an island in your kitchen without the hefty cost is by using an old chest of drawers or a new chest of drawers and adding a worktop to match your kitchen. If you leave an overhand of your worktop you can even use it as a bar seating area with high stools. Use your Eco Solutions Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover to strip back the chest of drawers and if you’re using two back to back secure them together. That’s it, add and secure your worktop and you have the kitchen island you dreamed of and loads of new storage space as well.
Upcycle An Old Cable Drum Into A Bar Table
These are relatively easy to get hold of and most electricians will be able to tell you if they can get their hands on any. Strip them back using your Eco Olsutions products, sand away any rough edges and then treat with your outdoor wax, varnish or paint and you have a new outside table or bar table that is sturdy and weatherproof.
Transform an Old Round Mirror Into A Tray To Sit On Your Sideboard
If you have an old mirror lying around that you no longer like on the wall, whether it’s a metal or wooden surround, they are great as drink trays for your nice gin bottles and glasses or on your dressing table for your jewellery and perfumes as a feature. Strip back the wood using your Eco products and treat as you want to or use your Grime Go to give your metal mirror surround a really good clean. That’s it you have your new tray that everyone will comment on.
About Eco Solutions Upcycle Products
Our range of safe water-based products includes; multi-purpose paint strippers, a one-stop all-around graffiti remover, a textured coatings remover (ideal for removing Artex® type coatings) and other specialist products including general cleaners that remove grime, paint, glue and much more.
One product does all and there are no pre or after treatments needed making it essential for all of your upcycling projects.
They are safe to use yourself and cause no harm to the environment compared to conventional and sometimes hazardous solvents.
Eco Solutions Product Features
Suitable for many substrates – Water-based – Non-hazardous – Non-toxic – No skin burns – Non-caustic – Non-flammable – PH neutral – Solvent-free- “Tough not toxic” – No H (hazard) or P (precautionary) statements on the label.
Grime Go removes all types of grease, oil, dirt, stains, grime, dirt, mould, adhesive residues and paint splashes. It can be used to prepare surfaces for re-painting or just to clean and brighten the substrate. No fumes, no skin burns, no abrasives and non-toxic.
Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover remove lead-based paints, oil-based paints, solvent-based paints, water-based paints & emulsions, polyurethane’s, stains, varnishes and waxes, fire-resistant paints, rust-preventative surface coatings. It is ideal for use on all types of surfaces including: hard and softwood, marble, stone, brick, concrete, plaster, ceramic tiles, GRP, aluminium, brass, cast iron and other soft metals.
PVCU Cleaner cleans uPVC windows, doors and guttering (may etch certain types of Perspex and polycarbonate so do a patch test first). Removes heavy grime, dirt, oil, and paint splashes too. Spray on and wipe away any stains and grime. The product is safely being used by an increasing number of consumers and professional users alike. DIY Doctor is currently one of the largest home improvement websites in the UK. They are committed to putting the customer first, providing a platform for novice and experienced Home Improvers so they can get together with experienced tradesmen to share knowledge, skills and experience about anything to do with house and home. You can see their demonstration for PVCu Cleaner here.
Super Strength Degreaser removes grease, oil, grime, glue and even light carbon build-up. It is effective and pleasant to use, water-based, no abrasives with no H (hazard) or P (precautionary) statements on the label.
Graffiti Go removes all paints including car spray paints – Graffiti shadow – Leather dye – Marker pen -Crayons – Fly posters – Chewing gum and can be used on all types of surfaces including; woods, all metals (including Aluminium), stone (including soft and porous stones), brick, marble, concrete, most plastics (may etch certain types of Perspex and polycarbonate).
Eco Solutions Products are ideal for use by do-it-yourself upcycle enthusiasts and if you need to give your property a deep clean, whatever the surface.
They have been researched, developed and manufactured in the UK and are revolutionary unique innovative water-based products that use science, not solvents. They are for users and the environment compared to conventional hazardous products.
Where can you buy Eco Solutions Products?
Our Eco Solutions Home Use and Trade Use Products can be brought through Brewers, Buildbase, Jewsons, Travis Perkins, or for aerospace +Cromwell/Med-Lab. You can also find our stockists here.