Bringing Light to Trash

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Liz Grotyohann .

I’m in the market for a new desk lamp, and these lamps from Breeze Block caught my eye last week while I was browsing Etsy. Now, I fear I am becoming a bit of a repurposing cynic after looking for recycled products day in and day out, but I like these lamps.

Life-Saving Accessories: Repurposed Seatbelts

Posted on May 10, 2009 by Liz Grotyohann .

Interrobang collects seatbelts from junked cars at wrecking yards and from car parts recycling centers and stitches them into bags, wallets and laptop cases. Amazingly durable, but with a sleek, modern look, these accessories will last you a long time and keep your goods safe. As Interrobang puts it: “You trust your seatbelt with your life, and now you can trust it with your laptop!”

Sleep it Off Inside a Wine Cask

Posted on March 15, 2009 by Paula Mitchell Bentley .

Ever found that you drink a little too much on holidays? Now you can sleep it off inside of a wine cask in these repurposed 14,500 litre casks turned into hotel rooms. The Hotel de Vrouwe van Stavoren in the Netherlands offers you the opportunity to choose from one of their four upcycled rooms that are amazingly comfortable looking considering their start in life.

Reclaiming Old Furniture With a New Edge

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Doug Gunzelmann .

Laurent Corio designed this new take on an old piece of furniture. The trestle legs, reminiscent of a saw horse, give this old table a whole new aura. As an antique fanatic (maybe a strange pastime for a 28 year old male) I see mountains of decent furniture that just looks tired and lacks that [...]

Craft Project: Treat Yourself with Home Made Sugar Scrub

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Becky Striepe .

Sometimes, at the end of a long week your poor feet just need some love. Rather than hitting up the big box store for something to pamper your sore feet, give this easy peasey sugar scrub recipe a whirl!

Sugar scrubs are a really simple bath product to make, and you can keep some trash [...]

Repurposed Leather Belt Flooring

Posted on January 9, 2009 by Doug Gunzelmann .

Ting London knows how to use belts! Artists and designers are powerful forces towards innovative and sustainable concepts and founder Inghua Ting has created a ballin’ set of products with this in mind.

Fantastic Tables from Recycled Car Hoods

Posted on January 3, 2009 by Derek Markham .

Dallas welder and furniture maker Joel Hester is breathing new life into our American car culture with his line of tables made from the sheetmetal hoods of junkyard cars. The colorful rusted hoods will make a big visual impact in any home, and with some of the materials being repurposed and upcycled, you can feel [...]

RePly Repurposes Skateboard Decks Into Sandals

Posted on September 21, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann .

The soles of these sandals are constructed from the colorful plywood of used skateboard decks. The curve naturally found in skateboard deck design plays perfectly into the sweeping shape of women’s sandals. RePly is a concept developed by Kris Lovett to take “a movement-based leisure product mainly utilized by males, a creative method of [...]

Ironic Repurposed Oyule Lamps

Posted on September 20, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann .

Sergio Silva uses reclaimed incandescent light bulbs to create that which they were meant to replace, or to “send the bulbs back in time.” The Oyule lamps (sound it out) are gutted and filled with paraffin fuel, a magnet is also placed in the bottom of the bulb so that it will be secured [...]

Repurposed Croc Planter

Posted on September 9, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann .

Crocs are a comfortable and durable enough choice for footwear but our taste for them may tire sooner than they do. Some companies, like Whole Foods, have Crocs recycling programs where you can turn your Crocs in when you or them have had enough. Another easy alternative is to craft a planter out of [...]