Upcycling goes beyond the thousands of trendy posts that lend to the reused rustic vibes on our Pinterest feeds. Although we’ve only had an official word for it since 1994, humans have been looking for ways to maximize the use of their stuff since the beginning of time, whether it be out of necessity due to low resources or because they want to be a little kinder to Mother Earth. Other times, we just can’t let go of that only-special-to-us object we haven’t used in eons but refuse to throw away. To avoid entering hoarder territory, we get creative and craft a new life for our old, beloved items, then brag about it on the internet because we need everyone to know we made a thing. Today, we’re touring through our virtual museum of upcycled creations shared on social media. Whether they’ve been upgraded or downgraded is up to you.
That’s Nuts
When you’re clearing out the cobwebs in your garage, you’re likely to find a lot of miscellaneous metal littering the floor. Rather than sorting it out by size and shape into different containers to get lost again later, you can toss it in some glue to build yourself a boot. Stripped screws? No problem! Mismatched nuts and bolts? Now they’re art supplies!
This artist’s upcycle boot earned his giant boot a spot at Nashville International Airport. This isn’t the art you stare at blankly while waiting an eternity in the security line. This boot is going in the Delta Lounge, where passengers splash out extra to relax in luxury before takeoff. You know what they say. One man’s trash is another man’s airport lounge art.