Spring/Summer 2014
Trash toTreasure A Guide to Conscious Creations and Upcycling
up·cy·cle ˈəpˌsīkəl/ verb 1. reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original. “the opportunity to upcycle trash, or turn it into new products, was vast”
contents...
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What Is Upcycling
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Pallet Love
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Deadly Pretty Things
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5 Favorites
Going from Old to New
Pallet Project Ideas
An Interview With An Upcycling Artist
Upcycling Ideas That We Love
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What is Upcycling? Going From Old to New
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pcycling is the process of converting old or discarded materials into something useful and often beautiful. Upcycling gives an item a better purpose. Recycling vs. Upcycling Recycling takes consumer materials (mostly plastic, paper, metal and glass) and breaks them down so their base materials can be remade into a new consumer product, often of lesser quality. When you upcycle an item, you aren’t breaking down the materials. You may be refashioning it — like cutting a t-shirt into strips of yarn — but it’s still made of the same materials as when you started. Also, the upcycled item is typically better or the same quality as the original. Grandma Was an Upcycler Upcycling is not a new concept. Some of the best examples of modern-day upcycling come from the 1930s-40s when families had very little economic or material resources. In this age of thrift, they reused almost everything, repurposing items over and over until they were no longer useful: Feed sacks became dresses or old doors became the new dining room table. What’s old is new again, but with a twist. Thrift is still a trend today and a big reason some people upcycle. Others enjoy the artistic aesthetic, with lots of upcycled items rivaling those found in high-end department stores. But one of the biggest reasons for the rebirth of upcycling is the positive impact on the en-
vironment. Items destined for the dump are rescued and remade into something useful. Also, upcycling is a way of life for people in developing countries. Raw materials are expensive so people use what they can find to create bowls, baskets, jewelry and other useful and beautiful items. Upcycling Is Green Plain and simple, upcycling makes a positive impact on the environment. When you upcycle, you remove items from the global garbage stream. Upcycling instead of recycling is good too; recycling requires energy or water to break down materials. Upcycling only requires your own creativity and elbow grease. What Can I Upcycle? Just about anything: Wine bottles, cans, newspapers, milk cartons, tires, suitcases, jeans, you name it. If you no longer have a use for it, upcycle it! Get Started Today There are two ways to support the upcycling movement. Sort through your closets or recycling bin and create items yourself or purchase ready-made items from upcycled materials. Both make a positive impact on the environment. Both reward you with something beautiful or useful. Need some inspiration? Check out our Pinterest board too. — Andrew Sell
See more at: www.hipcycle.com
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PALLET LOVE 4 {Trash to Treasure}
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allets, those ubiquitous platforms used to ship everything from food to construction materials, are one of the most common waste products in American industry. About 40 percent of all hardwood harvested in the U.S. is used for pallets, and about 20 percent of all wood waste in U.S. landfills is from tossed pallets, according to research conducted by the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products at Virginia Tech University. Add wooden crates used to ship products like wine, bread and produce to the mix, and you’re talking about a whole lot of wood waste. To reduce wood use, many companies are turning to pallets and shipping crates made from other materials such as plastic, metal and even cardboard. Others offer take-back programs for used pallets to make recycling easier, but a staggering amount of pallets and shipping crates still find their way into American landfills each year. Luckily, unwanted pallets and shipping crates are often offered up by businesses at little or no cost - making them a great source of low-cost, high-quality wood for home decor projects. So, add something new to your reuse repertoire, and “rescue” unwanted pallets and shipping crates from businesses in your area for use in new furniture, garden accessories, storage solutions and more - saving you money and making use of something that would have otherwise gone to waste. To get you started, Earth911 assembled this list of 12 cool household items you can make from used pallets and shipping crates - no matter what your level of handiness.
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PALLET Pro
Pal let C
ooler
Pal let N
ook
Pal let Bed
Pal let P
lanter
oject Ideas
Pal let Shelves
wing S t e l l a P
Pal let Table ar
Pal let B
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Custom Maneki Neko Cat for Beserk Clothing - 2012
DeadlyPrettyThings An Interview with an Upcycling Artist By Jesse Thomas hat happens when discarded chotchkies and tattoo culture collide? You get the work of Jason Hills- an artist living in Australia who gives classic religious figurines a dark new life by transforming them into vibrant Día de los Muertos figurines. Using found or waste materials to create artwork or practical objects (remember bottle cap belts?) is no new practice – in fact it has its own term: Upcycling. Hills, of course, chose the artistic route; painting old religious statuettes to resemble the “day of the dead” style often associated with modern rockabilly and tattoo culture, and re-sells them Online and at local fairs. Jessie Thomas interviewed Hills about not only his unusual artistic style, but also his unconventional business methods of using Facebook and other Online tools to maximize his fan and customer base.
figures?
Other than the cold weather in England in 2010, what made you decide to begin upcycling?
“It’s so amazing when people transform everyday unwanted items into something beautiful.”
I think a newfound love of antiquing and an abundance of unwanted old figurines in charity shops, combined with a love of Mexican folk and tattoo art kind of inspired me to try and give these figures a new life. How did you come up with the idea of recreating classic pieces as dark, dead
I really love the traditional Mexican day of the dead figures, shrines and the environment. They are usually set in everyday scenarios—it gives a lighter take on death. So, I thought it could really work with the Victorian style and religious figures. Do you interact or gain inspiration from the upcycling art community? I definitely love to see people upcycling and the awesome possibilities they come up with. It’s so amazing when people transform everyday unwanted items into something beautiful. They give the item a whole new life in a totally different environment that it was never intended to be in. I certainly draw inspiration from these transformations. Did you find other inspiration in East-
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Above: Before and After Picture of Ceramic Sailor
ern Europe for your pieces? Eastern Europe was a huge inspiration for me—especially with religious imagery. Religious art is one of the oldest forms of art and it was everywhere and across all disciplines in the region. I would have loved to get my hands on some of the statues and shrines I came across in all of the many cathedrals and basilicas I visited. The Kutna Hora bone church near Prague was definitely a huge and dark upcycling experience. Do you plan to branch out from using religious statues to something else? I already use all different types of figurines and statues. But, I would definitely like to branch out to other things like furniture and household items in the future. Have you received any criticism from classics supporters, or the religious
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community for changing the original pieces? I haven’t received any criticism—yet. But, I have received some funny looks when I tell little old ladies in charity shops what I am going to do with the dusty Virgin Mary that I just purchased from them. How is your work received in Australia and the rest of the world? Do you have fans in odd places? My work has been received well locally. I have had a couple of stalls at some roller derby bouts in Perth which has been quite fun. A lot of Facebook sites that sell rockabilly and alternative products have requested custom pieces and I do have fans from all over the world. You utilize Facebook in a unique way to engage with your fans and share your creations. Do you have a strategy
for engaging your followers of Facebook?
look and will be appearing on my arm shortly in tattoo form.
Facebook is such a great platform for artists. It allows people who are into your style of art to find you, like your page and stay in tune with what you are doing. The feedback from fans is so important. I have collaborated with people who come to me with something in mind (the carousel horse is a great example of this); usually the design is something I never would have imagined.
Do you have a most requested item/ style?
Do you have a favorite piece, and if so, why? I recently did a pin up zombie beach babe—she has such a great retro 50′s
I would have to say that the day of the dead tea party style is the most sought after piece. However, I make a conscience effort to make sure no two items turn out the same; the pieces are all still unique. Jason Hills’ work can be seen on his Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Deadly-Pretty-Things/137692612943692
Below: Custom Piece - Tea Party
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5avorites
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Upcycling Ideas That We Love
cat bed
Made from an old suitcase and table legs.
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wall board
Made from an old drawer, it is painted and accented with patterned wall paper and mounted onto the wall.
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tub couch
Made from an old tub with legs, it is cut, painted, and lined with a patterned couch cushion.
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garden decor Made from an old tire, it is painted and hung as a garden decor and a place to hold plants
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garden path
Made from glass bottles, they are buried upside down in the ground as a unique garden path.
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