Creative Upcycled Arts and Crafts Ideas
The world is turning more environmentally conscious. We have many prominent people speaking up for more environmentally friendly homes. This includes the much-admired David Attenborough in his campaign against single-use plastic. Greta Thunberg, the famous Swedish child activist, has also raised to prominence for her school strikes and speeches. At the end of the day, we can all make more of an effort to be more environmentally conscious. Malta generates the second highest amount of waste in the EU. 647 kg of municipal waste per person in a year to be exact. That’s over 150 kg above the EU average. We can all do our bit to try and reduce our impact on the planet. Malta is such a beautiful island, and we really need to try our best to prevent too much waste from ruining our surroundings. Upcycling is a fun and creative way to do just this! It’s the perfect way to get the children involved too. We can teach the younger generation about the importance of reducing waste by getting everyone involved in DIY. You’ll not only help to reduce waste but have fun in the meantime. Being environmentally friendly doesn’t mean it has to be a chore.
Egg Cartons to Store Cupcakes
Christmas is soon approaching, which means it’s time for baking! ‘Tis the season to bake cupcakes for all our loved ones. Used egg cartons would be a great way to store your baked goods. The lid of the carton will also protect the frosting of your delicious cupcakes. Why not get the children together and paint them? Use a mix of red and green to add that Christmas touch. Homemade cupcakes also make a great personalised gift!
Ketchup Bottles to Store Pancake Mix
Another great upcycling hack for your baking needs. Rinse out your used sauce bottles thoroughly and use them to store your pancake batter mix. This will help you to fry smooth and round pancakes with the help of the dispenser., without spilling the mixture over the stove. Why not try something new and make your pancakes vegan? Simply replace the egg with crushed up banana and baking powder. There are loads of dairy-free milk options to try at your local store. Reducing your milk and meat intake will also help the environment. Don’t worry, no one is forcing you to go fully vegan. It’s always nice to try new things though!
Turn your Water Bottles into Plant Pots
Unfortunately, it’s not safe to drink from the tap in Malta. This means we have to buy single-use plastic bottles from the store. However, we can combine our creative skills and green thumbs together here! Cut off the bottom of your used water bottles to use as plant pots. Once again, it’ll be fun to get the children involved with this one. Get your creativity going and paint your new pots to your heart’s delight to add a unique touch to your home. Place your new pots outside in the balcony or use them to plant some herbs for your kitchen.
Store Plastic Bags Inside Old Tissue Boxes
This useful trick will help you to reuse two different types of waste! You’ll be getting ahead of the game here. Tissue boxes can serve as a handy container for your plastic bags. I would also recommend placing them near your front door, or wherever you place your keys. This way, you won’t ever leave the house forgetting your reusable bags. They’ll all be in one small container, instead of taking up all that space in your drawer.
Turn Your Old Baking Tins into An Organiser
We all have some old baking tins that have been sitting in our cupboard for years, never to be used. Instead of throwing them away, why not bring new life to them? Let’s face it, these old tins are going to look pretty rough around the edges. Paint them to make them look nicer. Once decorated, these would be an ideal organiser. You can use them to separate your sewing tools, stationary or various hair product without losing anything. It will also save you money from having to buy more storage containers!
Create Cute Gift Bags with Used Cartons, Newspapers and Magazines
Creating your own gift bags would add such a lovely personal touch to your presents. This one’s pretty easy to do as well. Use your old carton boxes as the foundation. These could be cereal boxes if you’re getting someone a book, for example. Cracker boxes would work with almost anything. Wrap yesterday’s newspaper or last month’s magazine around the cardboard boxes. Pierce holes into the top of the box and tie strings around for the handles. Voila! Your friends or family will appreciate the effort behind this!
Use Your Old Glass Jars for Almost Anything
I absolutely love glass jars as decorating ideas. They’re so simple, minimalistic and effortless. You don’t have to throw away your used glass jars away once you’ve finished consuming the product inside. Give it a good rinse and upcycle it! You can store whatever food you like in them to keep everything fresh. Glass jars serve as wonderful tea light holders. If you’ve got yourself a bigger jar, why not use it as a vase? Something plain will serve as a better vase so that your flowers will stand out more.
You can spend a fun afternoon trying out these ideas and this will also be an exciting way to get the kids away from their computer screens. It's also a great thing to do on a rainy day too. Your home will be spruced up with brand-new decorations. Remember, even if you don’t end up upcycling your waste, please recycle it! We all need to do our part in helping to reduce the effects of climate change. There are so many other ideas out there to help you live a more environmentally conscious life. It all starts from our homes.
If you’re looking to rent a property in Malta, please get in touch with one of our Letting Specialists at QuickLets who will be more than happy to guide you!