DIY is not only fun and lets you express your creativity but it is also sustainable – it often involves reusing old things made of different materials such as plastic, paper, fabric etc. and giving them a new purpose. DIY is totally in line with the 3R concept of waste minimization – reduce, reuse, recycle. While making things yourself, you reduce the number of supplies you buy by reusing what you already have. Isn’t it brilliant? Moreover, you can DIY pretty much anything: decorations, gifts, household objects etc. Try out some of our favourite ideas! Who knows, maybe you’ll discover a new sustainable hobby?
1. Plastic bottles
Although we should try reducing the usage of plastic bottles in favour of glass or reusable plastic bottles, they are probably the most common household object. And you wouldn’t imagine how versatile they are! Instead of taking them back to the shop to get your 50 lipas back (which, unfortunately, you cannot do with dairy product bottles ), move your imagination to discover a new usage for them or get inspired by our favourite ideas.
Although we should try reducing the usage of plastic bottles in favour of glass or reusable plastic bottles, they are probably the most common household object. And you wouldn’t imagine how versatile they are! Instead of taking them back to the shop to get your 50 lipas back (which, unfortunately, you cannot do with dairy product bottles ), move your imagination to discover a new usage for them or get inspired by our favourite ideas.
If you have a garden or a holiday house, a greenhouse would be a great idea to lengthen the growing season or even plant some exotic plants that wouldn’t otherwise grow in Croatia. It’s pretty time consuming to construct it and you will need some skills and tools, but don’t get discouraged! Follow the information in the link and give it a try!
HOW TO BUILD GREENHOUSE MADE FROM PLASTIC BOTTLES |
2. Audio cassettes
If you’re a 90’s kid, you probably experienced a dawn of cassette era, but for the older readers, they were the main way of carrying your favourite music with you and recording the newest hits from the radio. Yes, we still remember the times when there was no Internet and mp3s! You can probably find some cassettes covered with dust in your parents’ attic.
But instead of throwing them away, try these simple yet effective ideas and create an original piece of furniture, lampshade, purse or wallet! Amazing! Click here to find what you can make out of your old audio cassettes
If you’re a 90’s kid, you probably experienced a dawn of cassette era, but for the older readers, they were the main way of carrying your favourite music with you and recording the newest hits from the radio. Yes, we still remember the times when there was no Internet and mp3s! You can probably find some cassettes covered with dust in your parents’ attic.
But instead of throwing them away, try these simple yet effective ideas and create an original piece of furniture, lampshade, purse or wallet! Amazing! Click here to find what you can make out of your old audio cassettes
3. Gloves
Do you also hate it when you lose one glove and you don’t know what to do with the other? Should you just throw it away or shove it into your drawer with an irrational hope that you will ever use it again? Wonder no more because this moment has just come! With this handy tutorial, you can create a cute stuffed animal from an unpaired glove. This way you can give a second life to your lonely glove. Check it out here! |
4. CDs
Yet another relic of the past – old CDs can be used as a perfect material for decoration. Cut those into shiny little pieces and glue them to basically anything. This is a cheap and original way to add some glam to your old coffee table, jewellery box, mirror frame, clothes, Christmas decorations and so much more... The possibilities are endless and the mosaic effect is so stunning! Get some inspiration on the link: MAKE A CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS FROM OLD CDs |
5. Paper
This is definitely our favourite technique – it takes quite a time and a bit of practice but the effects are just stunning! And it also brings back to life an old art of weaving, but this time you use any paper you can find at home instead of wicker. With the phone book, newspaper or magazine paper you can make baskets of various sizes and shapes for storing and organising your space. You can also paint or varnish them to make them even more durable.
Try out a simple pattern first and then go to some more complicated ones on the link:
WEAVING BASKETS WITH NEWSPAPER
This is definitely our favourite technique – it takes quite a time and a bit of practice but the effects are just stunning! And it also brings back to life an old art of weaving, but this time you use any paper you can find at home instead of wicker. With the phone book, newspaper or magazine paper you can make baskets of various sizes and shapes for storing and organising your space. You can also paint or varnish them to make them even more durable.
Try out a simple pattern first and then go to some more complicated ones on the link:
WEAVING BASKETS WITH NEWSPAPER