Artists Who Turn Junk into Beautiful Treasures!
Turning rubbish into something remarkable takes more than skill, it needs vision, patience and a real belief that beauty can be found just about anywhere. There are artists who don’t see useless old parts, but instead imagine new forms, colours and life. Every thrown-away object can suddenly become part of something bold and uplifting.
These artists show us that recycling can move past simple duty and become a kind of art that fills you with hope. Here are some of the most inventive minds who transform junk into treasures with their creativity.
Remove rusty nails if recycling pallets. Never upcycle tin into birdhouses (these overheat and bright colours attract predators).
Never remove pebbles/sand from beaches, this disturbs ecosystems and can cause floods. Also don’t remove seaweed (experts ‘give it a haircut’ without removing the roots – seaweed is also dangerous if dogs eat it, as it expands in the stomach.
You can’t compost magazines due to toxic inks, but you can put them in recycling bins (like newspapers) if you’re not making them into other things.
Pretty Cornish Art (from old magazines)
Junk Mail Art offers beautiful and unique art collage prints and greetings cards, featuring places in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
A lovely way to pretty up a wall, or send a card to someone you love. Custom commissions are welcomed by the creator.
The more that we use up old paper and magazines, the better. That horrible smell at landfills is caused by methane, from rotting paper.
And although FSC-certified paper means it has not come from rainforests, it still means growing fast-growing plantations of young trees (usually with pesticides) on land that could be used for old-growth slow-growing trees, that support birds and native wildlife.
So if you are buying anything from paper, try to support companies like this, that use up waste paper, instead of chopping down lovely trees.
Although old newspapers can be ripped up and placed in compost bins, magazines need to go in recycling bins, due to inks that would not break down.
Sheet Music: From Clutter to Creativity
This amazing rose was made from music sheets, found in a local charity shop.
Transforming sheet music into art is a fantastic way to breathe new life into your materials. Here are some fun projects to get you started:
- Framed Art: Use pieces of sheet music to create framed wall art. The notes and lyrics can add a unique touch to your home décor. Just choose a few of your favourite songs, frame them up, and display them proudly.
- Gift Wrap: Forget traditional wrapping paper! Use sheet music to give gifts a personal touch. This is especially great for music lovers. Tie it up with some twine for a charming finish.
- Bookmarks: Cut the sheet music into strips, and voila! You have unique bookmarks. These can be lovely gifts or even items to sell at craft fairs.
Sheet music of historic significance can be donated to the Royal College of Music.
Friendly Robots (made from upcycled junk!)
We love ThinkUp Upcycled Stuff! This fun indie brand was created by a couple in Italy, who upcycle junk into truly original and fun creations. Showing that using up trash can be a great source of creativity, as well as being good for the planet.
Keep away from small children & pets. A few items contain batteries, so locate your nearest recycling points (they are choking hazards).
If buying vases, read of toxic plants to avoid near pets. Also don’t display facing outdoor gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
Some of these items are electrical, but include cables to CE standards. Made in Italy, so check for any instructions needed for different voltages and plugs. But really this post is for show – how talented are this couple?
Poetry, romance, design and technology. All together, and respecting the environment. Stefano & Lucia
Look what two people can create with various recovered metals, old iron pipes and upcycled biscuit tins. Is it wrong to start to fall in love with a few robots, made from recycled metal?
More Creations (from Instagram):
Michelle Reader
Michelle Reader’s work is a feast for the eyes and a lesson in reuse. Based in the UK, she builds stunning life-sized figures and animals from broken toys, scrap electronics and other unwanted items. Her sculptures carry a lightness and vivid sense of character.
Typical materials used in her art include old bar stools, copper wire, coffee tins, aluminium drinks cans, shower curtain hooks, bicycle mud guards, plastic colanders, buggy tyres, window blinds and shelf brackets.
Vik Muniz (recreating paintings from trash)
Vik Muniz, a Brazilian artist, famously uses materials like rubbish, sugar, chocolate and dust to recreate classic paintings and photos. His “Pictures of Garbage” series, for example, involves arranging landfill waste into detailed portraits.
When photographed from above, the rubbish vanishes and the image takes over. Muniz’s work blends art, recycling and social commentary, often involving communities who pick through rubbish for a living.
Jane Perkins (portraits from discarded objects)
Jane Perkins creates striking portraits and still life art, using thousands of tiny discarded objects—think beads, buttons, toys, shells and bits of plastic. Each piece is arranged with precision and humour, recreating images like the Queen or famous artworks.
What’s brilliant is how close up, each item tells its own mini-story, but from a distance, the whole image comes together seamlessly. Perkins reminds us that old junk can hold endless creative possibilities.
Artur Bordalo (big animals from trash)
Portuguese street artist Bordalo II transforms heaps of rubbish into huge, colourful animal sculptures (like this mole made from recycled plastic). Old tyres, doors, scrap wood and other materials make up his “Big Trash Animals” series, which now appears in cities all over the world.
Each piece calls attention to how discarded waste threatens wildlife. His sculptures are fun and familiar, yet carry an urgent message about looking after planet Earth.
Harriet Mead (recycled metal art)
Based in Norfolk, Harriet Mead uses nothing but found metal—think rusty hooks, worn-out tools and broken farm machinery—to build lifelike animal sculptures. She works entirely with welding, letting the shape and patina of each piece of scrap guide her hand.
There’s something honest and rugged about her animals, yet they reveal a gentleness and respect for nature that shines through. Her work is proof that even forgotten tools can get a fresh start.
