I'll be the first to admit it, I often have much more grandiose visions of my upcycling projects than reality reveals. I am loath to throw out anything, often thinking easily of four other uses for an item that's already seen it's glory days and is well on it's way to completely worn out. Usually, that serves me well and I save lots of money and resources by finding a new purpose for something and breathing new life into a worn bit of this or that. Though sometimes...and I say this almost under my breath...things just sit in a box or a pile waiting for me to upcycle them. And they'll be waiting a very long time.
It's not that I don't intend to jump right in and start the project, but I have a two year old, a home to keep up (hahaha), a business to run, a job on the side, and plenty of other things calling my name. While I'd love to accomplish everything pinterest and my own overactive imagination have inspired on a weekly basis, the truth of the matter is that I'll get so little of that done! So what to do? How to ensure you continue to impress your friends with your tres chic new upcycled decor, and not your towering mountain of empty toilet paper rolls? Well, I'm no expert, but by trial and error, I have a few tips that can assist in at least minimizing your odds of appearing on Hoarders one day (though I make no guarantees and can be held in no way responsible for your possible brush with fame!)
1. Keep a list! Not of your items to be upcycled, (though I guess if you're really into keeping lists, you could!) but of your top 5 upcycle want to projects, make sure three of them are within your reach and you could do them easily. Then start tackling the list, and cross something off before adding something else on! It's a bit of a personal accountability system to be sure you're actually finishing projects, not just collecting projects.
2. Corral your items! Keep a space for your upcycling gems, then don't let them overflow the space unreasonably. Like a big tupperware bin, or a closet, an empty drawer, or a corner of your back shed. Keep it relatively well organized and separated so you know your inventory at a glance and nothing is burried to be forgotten. Big empty jars, bags, baskets, etc. can hold in your corks and caps and magazines and old books, you get the picture!
3. Be honest with yourself! Ok, so you're organized and you're holding yourself accountable to actually follow through with projects. Great work! Now, you know you have to put on your big girl panties sometimes and say "this project just isn't going to happen" or "maybe one or five Upcycled Magazine Trees is a good goal, but I don't think we need 400 magazines to do that." Knowing when to clean out and move on is a good thing, and will leave you with more time, space, and energy for a project that's PERFECT for you!
4. Try to match your projects to your trash! The easiest way to streamline the other three into a synchronous system, in my opinion, is to match your projects to your trash. What do you generate a lot of that could be either recycled or upcycled? In our hosue, it's wine bottles and corks, as well as glass jars. So I look for projects that use those. I know I'll have a lot, I know if I run out or need to clean out, I'll generate more quickly, and I'm keeping my inventory moving quickly this way.
Like I said, I'm no expert (and sometimes my basement looks a little bit too hoard-y for my own tastes...) but these tips have helped streamline my life and i actually FINISH projects now instead of think about them. Sound off in the comments, what do you have on your upcycle wish list? Do you generate a lot of something and are looking for ideas that match?
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