Upcycled Art (creating beauty from junk!)

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. Every thrown-away object can suddenly become part of something bold and uplifting.

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.

Upcycled 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?