10 eco-friendly recycled craft ideas to try today
Whether you're saving the pennies by trying not to buy more craft supplies, or saving the planet by recycling and reusing what you already have, there's plenty of ways to get crafty with readily available household items!
So we've put together this list of recycled craft ideas for adults that will use up your craft stash and everyday items around the house.
If you're getting crafty over Winter, and you have mini makers to entertain, you might also like our guide to 52 Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids.
10 recycled craft ideas for adults
1. Make a upcycled bird feeder
Turn tea time into feeding time with this vintage table-top bird feeder that will be popular with gardeners, bird lovers and upcycling fans alike. Choose a vintage teacup or find one in a charity shop.
Find out how to make a upcycled bird feeder
2. Turn old cans into wind chimes
We were on the hunt for easy ways to turn cans into desk storage when we came across this even better way of upcycling the humble tin can.
Take a handful of cans and spruce them up with washi tape and string to make your very own recycled wind chimes. Nifty eh?
How to make recycled wind chimes
5. Turn fabric scraps into a cute case
Everyone who sews will be familiar with that box of scrap fabric from past projects that we can't bear to part with but also isn't big enough to make new projects from. Now you can turn fabric scraps and Selvedges into a handy crafter's storage case to keep all your notions in one place.
How to make a selvedge storage case
6. T-shirt into a teddy bear
Recycled craft ideas for adults don't have to be boring! grab a pre-loved t-shirt from your wardrobe and refashion it into a me-made toy for children to cuddle up to.
How to turn a t-shirt into a teddy
7. Turn a book into a vase
We can't be the only ones suffering from Too Many Paperbacks addiction. Make a book you'll never read again into a beautiful keepsake by crafting it into a vase. These make great gifts if you can theme the words in the book to your recipient, too. Find the tutorial for this in our best glue gun crafts feature.
8. Turn wine corks into a cork board frame
Recycled craft ideas for adults don't come cuter than this corkboard frame! Save up all your old wine corks and use Julie Gibbs DIY corkboard tutorial to make a mini pinboard.
9. Use sea glass to make art!
Forage the beach for a collection of sea glass then use our 12 sea glass crafts round up to find your perfect project. There's everything from sea glass mobiles, bowls and even artwork. We especially love this DIY tray by Sand and Sisal.
10. Make cork planters
These cute little planters are made from old wine corks which have been upcycled into a mini magnetic planter that is the perfect size to hold a baby succulent.
Recycled craft ideas that you can relax with
We hope you've enjoyed our recycled craft ideas for adults and found yourself a new sustainable project. It's all about finding a creative spark in something others might consider junk, and looking at old items for their potential rather than throwing them away.
Fashion upcycling that you will love
If you have clothes sat in your wardrobe which have holes or need a bit of TLC, take a look at our visible mending tutorial.
