Making art form garbage has always been a popular art form, but when the recession hit, it became a frenzy. People wanted items as cheap as they could get and upcycling was one way to ensure you didn't break the bank. I present to you these upcycled items to inspire you to seek out some for yourself, or if you are feeling really ambitious, you can try making some scrap art.
I bring you these upcycled items not just to showcase budget-conscious items, but to bring to mind the idea that just because we want something nice doesn't mean it has to be new. Help out Mother Nature and next time you're shopping, pick up some upcycled stuff.
45 Upcycled Items
45
Upcycled Shipwreck Watches
Romain Jerome Creates Watches From Pieces of the Titanic
44
Upcycled Suitcase Pet Beds
Etsy Artists Make a Cute Eco Case for Cats
43
Upcycling Expired Contraceptives
Fashion Designing Student Creates Condom Couture
42
Upcycled Hearts
Recycled Beer Can Jewelry and Starbucks Keychains by KatieAnnCreations
41
Upcycled Couture
The Baroque Creations of Ziad Ghanem
40
Pencil Jewelry
Maria Cristina Bellucci Upcycles a Childhood Pastime into Cute Jewelry
39
Upcycled Runway Jewelry
LITTER SF's Recycled Accessories Impress at Christian Cota's S/S '10 Show
38
Necktie Necklaces
Ties Make Even Better Necklaces and Wallets
37
Starbucks Card Mosaic Coasters
Upcycled Art by Flawed Frock
36
Upcycled Accessories
Upcycled Looptworks Laptop Sleeves Turn Trashed Neoprene into Cash
35
Upcycled Plywood Creativity
Blue Fence Project Will Recycle 2012 London's Olympic Enclosure
34
Upcycled Totes
The HO:LO Freeway Bags
33
Upcycled Charity Denim
Recreated Designer Jeans to Support Oceana
32
Upcycled Bullet Jewelry
Esprit-Mystique Sells Eco-Friendly and Pretty Jewelry
31
Upcycled Gymnastics Equipment
Refurbished Sport Furniture Makes a Sweet Eco Statement
30
Upcycled Furnishings
Studio JSPR 'Plastic Fantastic' Re-Skinned Collection (Update)
29
Scrap Felt Seating
The Kamasutra Bench by Malgorzata Pekala
28
Upcycled Ancient Architecture
Japan's Plus House Channels Syles from Centuries Past
27
Copper Couture
Emma Whiteside Goes Eco-Victorian With Upcycled Gown
26
Upcycled Vintage Bags
Forest Bound Specializes in Sweet Sustainable Bags
25
Gas Can Luggage
Upcycling Jerry Cans for the Stylish Traveler
24
Upcycled Rave Bars
The Ikea Storage Box Bar Combines Old Materials with New Ideas
23
Hats Made of Upcycled Coffee Sacks
Trilby Hat by Ataahua
22
Traffic Cone Stages
Hedgehog Concert Pavilion Raises Awareness to Youth Homelessness
21
Cookie Wrapper Backpacks
TerraCycle School Supplies are Upcycled from Snack Packaging
20
Upcycled Fashion Tags
Undone Clothing Jacket
19
DIY Tee Upcycling
Megan Nicolay Transforms Tees into the Next Best Thing
18
Upcycled Oxygen Cylinders
Real Everest Canisters as Art
17
Qwerty Notebooks
The Recycled Keyboard Notebook is for Keyboard Kids
16
License Plate Belts
Randi Tannenbaum Redefines Upcycled Street Style
15
Upcycled Live/Work Spaces
The Mobile Office Changes to Suit Your Needs
14
Fire Hose Accessories
British Company is Upcycling Fire Hoses for a Fashionable Effect
13
Auto Rim Sculptures
Car Parts Get Upcycled into Art Pieces
12
Garbage Animal Art
Trash Menagerie at Peabody Essex Museum is Thought-Provoking
11
Upcycled Rain Hoods
Recycling Zychal is Made from Umbrellas and Vintage Materials
10
Dripping Faucet Lighting
'Light the Night' by Michael Allison is a Beautiful Take on Lamps
9
Rad Recycled Records
Obsolete Records & CDs Find a New Life
8
Upcycled Octopus Sculptures
Acoustapus by Nemo Gould Rocks Harder than a Rock Lobste
7
Urban Upcycled Lamps
Super Guppy Street Light Takes Upcycling to a New Place
6
Chairs From Old TVs
Upcycling Retro Televisions Into Comfortable Seating
5
Upcycled Container Art
The Gestaltkunstwerk Vases Put Your Trash to Good Use
4
Upcycled Trash Kites
The Uttarayan Kite Festival Embraces Eco-Friendly Fun
3
Climbing Rope Leashes
Upcycled Rope is Made into Eco-Friendly Canine Control
2
Pre-Consumer Waste Apparel
Looptworks Sustainable Clothing Line is Ecotastic
1
Golden Upcycled Art
Barclay Douglas Uses Plastic Bags to Make Fools Gold
Related Ideas
Model-Backed Carrying Capsules
Catriona Gray Unveils Her Very Own Sustainable Bag Collection
Recycled Plastic Tiny Homes
Gary Bencheghib's Home in Bali is Made with 35,000 Plastic Bags
Upcycled Waste Material Furniture
This Cardboard Furniture Design by Lee Lin is Modular
Repairable 3D-Printed Purses
The MALINKO Design Reusable Bag Prioritizes Style and Sustainability
Chic Recycled Material Furniture
The 'Vale' Furniture Collection is Made with Recycled PET Bottles
Deadstock Denim Clogs
Levi’s x Crocs Upcycles Fabric Into One-of-a-Kind Footwear Designs
Upcycled Sneaker Sustainable Bags
Bibi Bazz Designs the Limited Collection of Eco-Friendly Bags
Creative Laundry Solutions
'Uncommon' and 'Ecover' Release 'Rewear Chair' to Reduce Overwashing
Eco-Friendly Retail Pop-Ups
Stella McCartney's Ibiza Pop-Up Uses Recycled Wood; Efficient Lighting
Collaborative Limited-Edition Holiday Collections
Aveda & Altuzarra Partner for an Exciting Launch
Designer Upcycled Bags
Comme Des Garçons Released Its Collaboration with FREITAG
Sustainable Workwear Collections
Craghoppers Workwear Launches a Collection Tailored for Mavericks
Low-Value Plastic Recycling Methods
Ashaya Aims to Reuse Non-Recyclable Plastic Packaging
Upcycled Plastic Bag-Made Chairs
Sungai Watch Creates the Ombak Chair from Plastic Bags
TV Packaging Seating Solutions
The 'Cuna' Furniture by Valeria Coello is Made Out of Cardboard
Circular Eco-Friendly Minimal Lamps
Enkei Introduces the Sustainable Reminder (001) Lamp
Recycled Homeware Capsules
Particle Launches a Collection Made from Recycled Sneaker Materials
Upcycled Grape Drinks
Joni's Non-Alcoholic Beverages Repurpose Pressed Juice from Unripened Grapes
Eco Storytelling Workwear Campaigns
Patagonia's We Can Get There From Here Tells is Inspiring
Upcycled Ingredient Ice Creams
Salt & Straw's Upcycled Foods Series Rescues Wasted Food
Repurposed Patchwork Footwear
ReImagined by UGG Gives New Life to Leftover Leathers & Suedes
Upcycled Camping Gear Collections
Luno Boasts a Range of Upcycled Gear at Affordable Prices
Consumption-Inspired Fashion Capsules
LOUTRE snd Dover Street Market Work on a New Capsule
Upcycled Correx Lampshades
Tabitha Bargh's 'Poly' Collection is Made with Used Real Estate Signage
Reusable Paper-Made Water Bottles
The 'reU' Reusable Water Bottle Concept is Recyclable
Sophisticated Upcycled Home Sculptures
Origin Made Boasts the Exquisite Barco Basket Sculptures
3D-Printed Recycled Material Furniture
The 'LOOM' Furniture Collection is Visually Soft
Recycled Clothing-Crafted Furniture
Hemingway Design Transforms London's Traid Store
Scrap Material Footwear
Merrell Created a Scrap Shoe Collection for Zero Waste Week
Waste-Incorporated Chair Designs
These Knoll Chairs Have Been Customized by Noel Mercado
Recycled Material Pendant Lights
These ZBOZHZHA Pendant Lights are Made with Cardboard and Paper
Upcycled Automotive Fashion
Nio's Blue Sky Lab Repurposes Materials from Car Manufacturing
Recycled Plastic Bottle Leggings
ORAKI's ECOMOVE Leggings Fuse Style with Comfort
Rice Straw Fashion Collections
Siam Kubota and Greyhound Original Launch 'Turn Waste to Agri-Wear'
Nature-Reconnecting Outdoor Campaigns
Mammut Encouraged People to Reconnect with Nature
Chic Recycled Waste Chairs
The 'XOX' Chair by Xingcheng Zhu is Made with Plastic Bottles and More
Sustainability-Driven Fashion Campaigns
pitusa's Sustainability Campaign Focuses on Reducing Waste
Repurposed Denim Furniture
Levi's Icons Re/Outfitted Refreshes Iconic Designs with Discarded Denim
Fully Circular Fashion Brands
Reformation Aims to be 100% Circular by 2030 with 'RefRecycling'
Convenience-Focused Upcycled Tote Designs
Out of the Woods Enhances Its Out of the Ocean® Range
Sustainable Furniture Launches
Retroloop's Sustainable Furniture Boasts a Nostalgic Aesthetic
Recycled Wallet Collections
FREITAG Boasts a New and Colorful Collection of Wallets
Deflated Balloon Clothing Hangers
Chong Shop Has Revamped the Iconic Clothes Hanger Using Waste
Flannel Patterned Timeless Collections
Converse Presents the Nostalgic Upcycled Flannel Chuck 70
Clothing Buy-Back Programs
Eileen Fisher Revolutionizes Clothing Recycling with Renew Program
Recycled Metal Jewellery
Reformation X Clair Waight Keller Create a Limited-Edition Collection
Sustainable Artist Endeavors
CASETiFY Launches a New Artistic Upcycling Project Called Re/CASETiFY
Circular Fashion Pop-Ups
The Coachtopia Pop-Up Brings Luxury Circular Fashion to Gen Z
Recycled Mini Golf Courses
Lab La Bla Made a Miniature Golf Course with Denim & Wine Corks
Rewarding Recycling Initiatives
Patagonia's Worn Wear Recycling Program Helps Eliminate Waste
Upcycled Object Exhibitions
Nendo and Daniel Arsham Design, Break, and Create Functional Objects
Upcycled Slow Fashion Collections
Bellantoni's 'Re.Nu' Project Results in Sustainable Products
E-Commerce Recycling Programs
GUESS Launched GUESS Again in Partnership with SuperCircle
Retail Overconsumption Campaigns
Coachtopia's 'The Wasted Parts' Explores Overconsumption Culture
Upcycled Tutu Couture
Aelis FW23 Repurposes Tutus from the Paris Opera
Branded Sustainability Milestones
Craghoppers Celebrates 100 Million Recycled Plastic Bottles
Upcycled Circular Design Products
Cyrc Designs Expansive Products with Sustainable Themes
Upcycled Denim Collections
The Latest Wrangler Reborn Collection Celebrates Circularity
Rollable Climber Chalk Bags
This Upcycled Chalk Bag by Aaron Sylvester Has a Durable Design
Plastic Waste Artful Installations
Studio Karyn Lim Presents So Plast!c at SaloneSatellite
Biodegradable Banana Bark Bags
FOReT Creates Sustainable, Plant-Based Fully Biodegradable Bags
Durable Outdoor-Centric Lifestyle Apparel
The North Face Presents the Ripstop Collection
Chopstick-Crafted Homeware
RENEW by TRINITY Makes Artisan Designs from Reclaimed Bamboo Chopsticks
Upcycled Laundry Hampers
Fashion Takes Action Concluded Canada's First Textile Recycling Pilot
Sustainable 3D-Printed Chairs
The WOOD-LOOP Lounge Chair is Made with Only Scraps and Excess Parts
Sporty Upcycled Vintage Collections
Nike Relaunches the Re-Creation Program in London and Paris
Upcycled Ice Cream Desserts
Salt & Straw's Pints of the Month Help to Reduce Food Waste
Upcycled T-Shirt Boucherouite Rugs
Stüssy and Artisan Project Drop the Boucherouite T-Shirt Rugs
Pool Noodle-Inspired Furniture
Lieyah Dagan Designs the Loop Furniture for Indoor and Outdoor
Recycled Ocean Plastic Lighting
LightArt Presents the Ocean Coil Collection of Lamps
Collaborative Outdoor Gorp Apparel
The North Face and Online Ceramics Work on a Capsule
Upcycled Surf Kite Backpacks
Edgy Kids' Brand nununu Partners with KitePride for a Backpack Line
Recycled Maritime Plastics
LyondellBasell Delivers the New Plastics Made From Recycled Marine Gear
Secondhand Fashion Editorials
Vinted Styled a Shoot Exclusively with Vinted Finds
Premium Sustainable Denim Collections
Miu Miu Unveils its New Upcycled Denim Collection
Upcycled Tent Fabric Gear
The iKamper ReCovery Collection Makes Use of Waste Fabric
Upcycled Carrying Bags
Targus Unveiled its 'Coastline EcoSmart' Collection at CES 2024
Repurposed Rope Insulators
Mammut Loopinsulation Repurposes Industrial Rope Production Scraps
Upcycled Cork Sneakers
Each SOLE Jasper Chukka Pair is Made with 52 Recycled Natural Wine Corks
Intricate Fiber Art Exhibitions
Threadwork: Women Redefining Fiber Arts Opens at Saatchi
Fashionable Climbing Apparel
Atas Awan Bridges the Gap Between Fashion and Outdoor Activities
Hair-Reusing Fabric Companies
This Dutch Startup Uses Discarded Hair to Create Clothes and Carpets
Upcycled Material Musical Instruments
The Yamaha Upcycling Guitar Concept Models are Sustainable
Upcycled Firefighter Suit Jackets
The Vollebak Garbage Jacket is Rugged and Flame-Resistant
Upcycled Grape Distilleries
RE:FIND Crafts Artisan Wines out of Upcycled Grape Saignee
Upcycled Sculptural Exhibitions
Madeline Continues to Grow her EPS [Expanded Polystyrene] Series
Found Objects-Formed Art Collections
LMU Joins Benchmark to Create the Aldgate Gold Project
Upcycled Stool Designs
Space Copenhagen Designs a Stool with Coffee Shells and E-Waste for Mater
Plastic-Free Compostable Sportswear
Community Clothing's Organic Athletic Uses Natural Materials
Urban Debris-Crafted Portable Lamps
We+ Designs the Beautiful Remli Lamp Using Rubble and Debris
Asia-Honoring Artisanal Handmade Designs
IKEA Presents its MÄVINN Collection Celebrates Asia
Upcycled Polyester Yarns
RECYCTEX's Latest Initiative Includes Reclaiming Plastics from Shores
Craft-Inspired 3D-Printing Styles
Gareth Neal and The New Raw Create the Digitally Woven Series
Urban Waste-Made Furniture
Javier Guzmán Cervantes and Ex Soup Join on an Exhibition
Artistically Adorned Backpacks
JanSport Partners with Artlifting to Introduce a New Collection
Reclaimed Brass Jewelry
Rocksbox Redefined Was Inspired by the Imperfect Beauty of Nature
Artist-Crafted Upcycled Fashion Collections
Noel Mercado Launches the 'Earth Tones' Capsule
Eco-Friendly Indian Fashion
Latin Quarters Debuts a Stylish Capsule Using Sustainable Practices
Tech Cable Sweater Vests
Staples Put a Twist on the Cable Knit Sweater Vest for Father's Day
Ocean-Friendly Upholstery Textiles
The 'Sport' Textiles Are Crafted From Shoreline-Sourced Plastic
Sports Drink-Branded Fashion Lines
POWERADE and Katie Grimes Use Upcycled Materials in New Capsule
Upcycled Plastic Furniture Series
Kasper Kyster Presents the Crafting Plastic Series
Sustainable Bucket Hats
Lisou's Bucket Hat Collection is Designed with Leftover Materials
Recycled Tire Jackets
The Kathmandu Epiq SE Jacket is Made from Fulgar's Q-CYCLE Yarn
Wasteful Fashion Campaigns
Vestiaire Collective Reminded People to Shop Mindfully on Black Friday
Fully Recyclable Knitwear
&OR Collective's Collection 01 Was Manufactured to Minimize Waste
Upcycled Summery Apparel
Grey Goose & Frankie Collective Teamed Up on an Upcycled Drop
Edgy Upcycled Fashion Capsules
OMELIA is Showcasing Its Spring/Summer '25 Pre-Collection in Milan
Recycled Warm Weather Clothing
The North Face Lightrange is Built for the Summer Months
Recycled Plastic Swimwear
Cupshe Introduces 'The Recycled Swim' Sustainable Swimwear Collection
Clothing Recycling Services
Marine Layer and Trashie Lead Sustainable Fashion with New Initiative
Circular Fashion Shops
Asket Supports a Sustainable Fashion Future with Resale & Repair
Upcycled Automotive Couture Collections
This Collection is Made With Discarded Auto Components
Affordable Deadstock Apparel
SHEIN Ventures Into Sustainable Production with a 30-Piece Capsule
Upcycled Watch Collections
Armitron and Tide Ocean SA Unveil a Collaborative Watch Collection
Upcycled Fabric Home Goods
Sunbrella ReMade Items are Made from Upcycled Sunbrella Fabrics
Upcycled Women's Fishing Wear
Take Me Fishing™ Unveils a New Capsule with Rentrayage
Gargantuan Sustainable Jeans
These Gigantic Jeans Will Be Upcycled Into Other Products
Ethical Clothing Recycling Services
Retold Recycling Aims to Reduce Textile Waste
Sustainably Upcycled Jeans
These 'Diesel' Jeans Reuse Textile Cutting Waste Materials
Junkyard-Inspired Art Projects
ÉCAL and Philippe Malouin Unveil the Junkyard Diving Project
Banana Fiber Apparel
Interloop Limited and Simply Suzette Launch the Unpeeled Collection
Recycled Phonecase Art Installations
Casetify Creates Public Displays for Journey to Re/Birth
Upcycled Aircraft Luggages
Emirates Launches a Collection Made from Upcycled Aircraft Interiors
Carbon-Curbing Fleece Collections
The 'CO2Renu' Fleece Pieces Are Made From Recycled PET Materials
Bold Patterned Tubular Benches
Rik van Veen Designs the Leopard Bench with a Bright Look
3D-Woven Textile Lighting Collections
Aleksandra Gaca Unveils the Coastal Breeze Collection
Upcycled Vintage Garments
Beyond Retro Taps AllSaints Founder Stuart Trevor for a New Capsule
Closet-Clearing Challenges
Traid's Closet Clear-out Challenge Boosts Garment Donations
Recyclable Barn Curtains
These Barn Curtains Are Fully Non-Toxic and Eco-Friendly
Broken Bike Lock Furniture
Design Students Showcase the People and Places Exhibition
Vibrantly Colorful Dynamic Artwork
Kayla Rumpp's Art is Seen as Both Painting and Sculptural
Reused Skyscraper Furniture Capsules
Niceworkshop Creates the Aged Form Line and New Form Line
Cardboard Box-Transformed Furniture
Max Lamb Presents the Box Exhibition at Gallery Fumi
Upcycled Paint Boxes
Up Paint's Up Box Helps Consumers Ship Back & Recycle Old Paint
Plastic Waste Textural Benches
The New Raw's Knotty Project Stems from Sustainable Values
Plant Pod-Inspired Pendant Lights
Sujeet Kakad Designs the Nature Inspired Pendant Light
Natural Material-Transformed Artworks
Borrowed Earth Collaborative Uses Natural Materials for Art
Recycled Molecular Lighting
LightArt Unveils its Clear Coil Collection Made from Waste Materials
Upcycled Down Furniture Series
Christoph Kurzmann Breathes New Life to Old Furniture