Upcycling Archives - Page 6 of 31

DIY, Home Office, organizational tips, Upcycling

How to Turn a Desk Organizer into a Charging Station

How to Turn a Desk Organizer into a Charging Station

Do you have multiple devices that need charging every day, but they are cluttering up your counter or table? Luckily I have the answer to that problem and it involves this simple desk organizer.

Would you believe that wooden organizer is now a stylish charging station!

Here’s what a typical desk organizer holds. Functional? Maybe, but by thinking outside the box I came up with an even more useful option for our home.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Similar Style Desk organizer (look for one at garage sales, thrift stores, IKEA, or an office supply store)
Washcloth
Drill
Drill bit set
Paint
Paintbrush
Sandpaper
Adhesive velcro
USB Charger with multiple ports
Safety glasses

Optional:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Instructions:

Follow this simple video tutorial (or read below for the step-by-step instructions.)

Start by giving your organizer a good cleaning. Make sure there is no dust or dirt.

Place all your devices into the organizer to determine where you want them to rest when charging. Next, plan where you want the USB charger to go.

Mark the spot where the charger cord will need to come through the back of the organizer by tracing around the plug end.

Determine the size of bit you need to create the holes for the plug. You want it to be about the same size as the width of the plug. (Depending on the shape and size of your plug, you may need to drill two holes next to one another.)

Put on your safety glasses. Drill the plug hole. Be careful not to let the bit sink too deep into the organizer to prevent damage to the other sections.

Insert your USB charger cord into the hole to make sure it fits. Wipe off any sawdust and sand any rough edges.

Paint your organizer any color you desire. I highly recommend using at least two coats of paint.

After the first coat of paint dries, lightly sand it before applying the second coat.

Optional: You may wish to use a vinyl cutter to create some fun lettering for your charging station.

Place your USB charger into the organizer. Insert the cord through the back and plug it into the charger. Use adhesive velcro to attach the charger to the inside of the organizer.

Time to plug in all your devices and get them powered up!

Now you have a beautiful and stylish charging station to organize your devices and keep them from cluttering your kitchen counters.

I hope you love this charging station as much as I do.

I’m curious where you charge your devices? Is the kitchen where they all get deposited or have I been doing this all wrong?

If you like this tutorial, you might also like this Industrial Charging Station & Lock Box.

Or these creative paint brush or pencil holder using scrap 2×4’s:

February 26, 2018/11 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Decorating, Trash to Treasure, Tutorial, Upcycling

Upcycle Idea: Turn a Soap Dispenser into a Vase

Upcycle Idea: Soap Dispenser to Gorgeous Vase

Upcycle Idea: Turn a Soap Dispenser into a Vase

Hello, Pretty Handy Girl Readers! I’m Julie from Love My Simple Home and I’m excited to be here as a new contributor and hanging with you! I have a passion for interior design and share affordable and creative home decor ideas. Over on my blog, you will find a variety of quick, simple and original repurpose tutorials. Today I am happy to share with you a super easy upcycle idea using a soap dispenser (of all things.)

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Inexpensive Sources for Soap Dispensers:

You can buy soap dispensers at the dollar store, thrift stores or find them at garage sales. Would you believe I purchased this soap dispenser at a garage sale for a dollar! Seriously you can’t beat that! I fell in love with the mother-of-pearl tiles on the bottle, but not so much with the dull silver finish.

Instructions:

If your soap dispenser needs a little TLC, you can always clean it up and use spray paint to renew the finish.

Before you begin to spray paint remove the pump from the bottle by twisting it off. To remove the metal plate, wedge a thin screwdriver underneath the plate and lift, it should pop right off. If you are struggling to remove the plate with the screwdriver you can wrap the dispenser in newspaper or painter’s tape and spray paint the plate attached to the bottle.

Pro Tip for Spray Painting:

Place your object on top of a tin can, this prevents the edges from sticking or the spray paint from pooling around the object you are spraying.

Spray paint the pump with the same color spray paint. (This is an extra step, but it will allow you to turn the vase back into a soap dispenser at a moment’s notice.) For help holding the pump, slide it inside the lid of a plastic container and spray. This will ensure all of the sides get covered.

After the spray paint has dried you can glue the metal plate back onto the dispenser.

Fill the dispenser with water and fresh blooms from your yard! Or if your flowers aren’t blooming until spring, purchase a bouquet at the grocery store. You can split the bouquet up to use in many different vases in your home.

If you get tired of using the vase, you can always return it back to its original purpose as a soap dispenser.

There you have it, a super easy repurpose project. I’ll be back again next month sharing another one of my simple projects. In the meantime, you might like this repurposed glass block clock turned into picture frame.

~ Read more of Julie’s Tutorials ~

If you liked this tutorial, you’ll love creating your own mason jar foaming soap dispenser:

January 24, 2018/3 Comments/by Julie at Love My Simple Home

arts and craft, Decorating, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

A Quick Cutting Board Makeover for Meal Planning

A simple and easy way to upcycle an old cutting board

A Quick Cutting Board Makeover for Meal Planning

Hello, it’s Anika here from Anika’s DIY Life. I hope you had a great start to your new year!

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to get better with planning meals. I’ve really struggle with planning meals ahead of time. In the past, I have tried many systems (from worksheets to online applications) but most seem to fall through after a few days or weeks.

After a lot of brainstorming, I realized it was because I was making the entire process much more complicated than it needed to be. I set out with a simple plan: create a menu for the week in the kitchen where I can see it at all times.

An old Ikea cutting board ended up working out perfect for the job of meal planner!

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Old cutting board (a new one would be fine too)
Painter’s tape
Chalkboard paint in the color of your choice
Chalk pen

Instructions:

Step 1 – Clean the cutting board to remove any food or dirt. Let the board dry completely before proceeding.

Step 2 – Measure ½” from the edge of the cutting board and tape on all 4 sides.

Step 3 – Paint the middle of the cutting board using chalkboard paint.

Did you know you can make your own chalkboard paint using Plaster of Paris by following this recipe? Or use Brittany’s recipe that uses unsanded tile grout instead:

Step 4 – Remove the tape while the paint is still wet. Once the paint dries, rub a piece of chalk on its side over the entire painted area to season the chalkboard before using.

This simple project has made a big difference in my productiveness around cooking. We sit down as a family every Sunday and plan out the menu, grocery shop accordingly, and take care of any meal prep.

I think one of the biggest changes this menu board has made is in helping manage the kids’ expectations. The board sits next to the kitchen in my little command center. The kids know what’s for dinner and there is no more “I didn’t feel like eating that” at the dinner table. Mom win!

How do you tackle meal planning? Until next time!

~See more of Anika’s tutorials~

Did you like this tutorial? You might also like Brittany’s Free Weekly Menu Planner printable:

January 10, 2018/2 Comments/by Anika Gandhi

arts and craft, Build It, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, shutters, Upcycling

13 Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Shutters

Do you have a collection of old shutters filling up your storage space? Or do you want some ideas using old shutters in case you come across a set? If so, this post is for you! I’ve put together 13 creative ideas on how you can repurpose old shutters and turn them into something amazing.

Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Shutters:

Give an old dresser a gorgeous makeover using old shutters like Savvy Apron!

Keep your pets out of trouble by building a doggie gate from old plantation shutters like 11 Magnolia Lane.

Make a holiday card display with some old, tall shutters this December.

Use old shutters as a backdrop for your mantel to add a gorgeous farmhouse feel.

Stay organized with a Shutter To-Do Board like Hunt and Host made.

Use an old shutter to display your family photos or postcards!

Gain some privacy in your backyard by building a fence out of old shutters like DIY Bungalow did!

Use old shutters to dress up a plain dormer window on the inside of your home.

Shoppe No. 5 shows us how to make some amazing word art using old shutters.

Get some inspiration for using shutters to brighten up a dark fireplace at Shabby FuFu Blog.

Use old louvered bi-fold doors like Design Dreams by Anne to hide the clutter and make the space more beautiful.

Shutters can go indoors too, adding texture and contrast to a room like Chatfield Court.

Keep your jewelry in sight and mess-free, with this beautiful old shutter jewelry organizer by Design Dreams by Anne.

If you liked this collection of ideas, pin this image to share it with others!

If you liked this post, you must see these upcycled ideas:

12 Great Upcycled Ideas for Holiday Decor

November 10, 2017/6 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Build It, Upcycling

6 of the Easiest Ways to Remove Pallet Wood

Last week I shared with you the cold hard facts about harvesting pallet wood. But, like you, I still like to use pallet wood from time to time. Just make sure you’ve weighed the risks and the work involved to harvest the pallet wood before you get started. Today I’m going to show you 6 of the Easiest Ways to Remove Pallet Wood. If you’re up for the challenge, let’s get started.

Pallet upcycling is all the rage today. But, if you’ve ever tried to remove the planks from a pallet, you know it’s not an easy task. Pallet nails are typically spiral nails and are designed to grip that wood with fierce strength. If that’s not enough, there can be 4-5 nails per joint. Sheesh, you’d think pallets were built to hold a 10 ton elephant. Well, actually, it is made to hold tons of product as it is lifted by a fork lift. Which explains why harvesting pallet wood can be labor intensive.

To save you time, sweat, and a backache; here are the quickest and easiest ways I’ve found to salvage beautiful rustic pallet wood. Read more

November 3, 2017/9 Comments/by Brittany Bailey