5 Simple Ways to Upcycle Household Items

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tom’s of Maine for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s spring which can only mean one thing when it comes to keeping an neat and orderly home … spring cleaning. After being cooped up inside for most of the colder months, it’s time to stretch our legs, get some fresh air, and spend some time getting the house ready for the warmer months. Instead of throwing away or donating the household items that make it into your “do not keep” pile, why not produce less waste by upcycling?

5 Simple Ways to Upcycle Household Items

In celebration of April which is Earth Month, I pledged to join the #LessWasteChallenge with Tom’s of Maine® which has partnered with Target. Here are some of my favorite ways to upcycle household items.

1.) Find Beauty in Old Furniture

One of my favorite ways to upcycle is to make old furniture beautiful. Whether you paint your cabinets or give a new finish to an old dresser, look at the furniture in your home that you were planning tossing to the curb and think about ways to bring out its charm and make the furniture new again.

2.) Think Outside the Box

I love this tip because it makes you think creatively. Are you wanting to give your room a new look? Why not try your hand at making a headboard. From old window shutters to fabric shower curtains (stretch the curtain over particle board and staple it to the back of the board), it’s all about being creative with the pieces that you have in your home.

3.) Create Toys

I love creating fun activities for my toddler. To help teach my son about simple ways to celebrate Earth Month, we decided to create toys from household items. One toy that we made was a toy truck thanks to help of Tom’s of Maine product packaging from two packages of toothpaste.

With the help of a hot glue gun, my son and I were able to cut pieces of fabric from an old dress, take buttons from an old coat, and create a toy truck that my son loved. The project was so simple and brought out so much fun and laughter. I think our next project will be a toy train using packaging from Tom’s of Maine Baby Shampoo & Wash and Tom’s of Maine Sensitive Fragrance-Free soap bar (exclusive to Target).

Be sure to stop by your local Target store (see this Cartwheel offer) during Earth Month and pick up a few Tom’s of Maine products. When you make the purchases, 10% of the profits will go to human and environmental goodness.

Not only will you love using the empty packaging to create this fun train toy, but you’ll love using the products as well. All Tom’s of Maine® natural personal care and oral care products are made with no artificial colors, flavors, fragrances, or preservatives, nor are they tested on animals. Plus, all Tom’s of Maine® packaging is recyclable through TerraCycle®. Visit Toms of Maine’s website for more information.

4.) Repurpose Art

About a year ago, I found old windows that were begging me to display throughout my home. I took one old window and placed it on our fireplace mantel. I took another old window and hung it in on a wall in one of our guest bedrooms. Instead of buying new wall art, flip through some of your favorite magazines and find pages to frame. Look through your storage room and see if you can turn any baskets into wall art. You can make some fun and interesting collages with household items.

5.) Get Organized

Use old toilet paper rolls to help organize cables and cords. Turn an old bulletin board into a jewelry organizer. Hang your handbags from a rack using shower curtain rings. Fill mason jars with salad fixings and enjoy lunch on the go. Create garment bags using old pillowcases. Cut old jeans and fold them to form baskets. When it comes to household items, organization, and upcycling, the possibilities are endless.

Together we can help to keep waste out of landfills and make the world a better place for future generations. Let’s all pledge to join the #LessWasteChallenge and reduce 1 lb. of waste per week. Will you make the pledge?