Upcycling?

Recently I heard the term "upcycling" in reference to repurposing/recycling items. Pretty neat term, huh? It gives a classy sounding name to an age old idea. As for me, I'm just not there...yet. I still refer to it as repurposing when I'm giving a new life to an item. More than just being functional it is thrilling to me to do this. My journey with repurposing started many, many, many moons ago. For the first fifteen years of our married life my husband and I had small/smaller houses. While living in them made for feelings of coziness it also meant that every single piece of furniture, etc, brought in to live with us had to have a function. There just wasn't any room to have something sitting there just because it was pretty. However, I wanted pretty things around that made the house a home...so I just began thinking outside of the box. Even though the current house we're in is the largest one to date this mentality has spilled over into the way *new* items are still brought into the family. Yes, there are shameless displays of something pretty just because I like it now that there is room for this, but moreover most pieces in our home have a function. Many times I run across items that I instantly fall in love with and know I have to adopt...like an old wooden ladder...but realize they do need new life to live comfortably with us. Sometimes it only involves a quick coat of paint to achieve new life.

Beyond the thrill of making something *new* from something *old* thinking outside of the box with items gives a home a unique style all your own. Now, if you like buying all your furniture pieces all matchy, matchy that's perfectly okay! God created all of us differently for a reason. Maybe repurposing a large piece of something just is not your style. Not everyone likes to deconstruct/reconstruct/paint, etc., etc. But who doesn't enjoy a little something totally unique? Repurposing can be in the form of just using something differently than what it was originally intended to be used for. Doing this requires no modification to the item. It just requires asking yourself the question "What else can I use this for?" So don't feel like you cannot repurpose something if you do not know how to sew, love to paint, or have the time for a day long project. Just keep an open mind while coming across items you love.

Here at "All About Home" we'll explore, as the weeks go by, the many different ways we can repurpose items to make our homes as unique as we are...from projects that take some elbow grease to quirky things that only take brain waves to make happen (not talking about bending spoons with our minds...). So, with that all being said, feel free Dear Reader to submit your photos (click on "Contact Me" in the upper left side of the homepage) to showcase your creativity for all of us to "ooh!" and "ahh!" over and  get inspired to do something similar!