Upcycle aesthetic: Scandinavian Aesthetic

I am very interested in the timeless elegance of Scandinavian aesthetic design, a style celebrated for its minimalism, functionality, and pastel color palette [1].  Embracing simplicity as a guiding principle, Scandinavian design captivates with clean lines, uncluttered spaces, and an emphasis on geometric forms [1]. In my exploration of this design philosophy, I am particularly…

The Enchanted Wine Bottles

Three wine bottles have been upcycled, and fairy lights are hanging from them from a reclaimed wooden surface. The project incorporates distinctive components like lace to improve the design and was motivated by the romantic aesthetic. The fabrication procedure is explained, and the finished item is assessed in light of its functionality and visual appeal.…

Upcycle Project: Romantic Aesthetic

I can’t help but be excited about the possibility to develop a genuinely romantic aesthetic as I work on this upcycled project. I adore the concept of repurposing something obsolete into something fresh and lovely while also contributing to the environment. I first collected three different-sized and-shaped wine bottles, making sure they were all clean.…

Upcycle Progress: Upcycled Jacket

At first I had no idea what I wanted to do for my up-cycle project, however I love clothes and I really want to get into making wearable technology because that is the future. I realized that I could not make wearables because I didn’t know how to build circuits (now I do!). So I…

Upcycle Inspiration: Upcycled Fashion

The inspiration for my up-cycle project is up-cycled fashion which has gained popularity in the fashion industry. The fashion industry is notorious for being wasteful and unsustainable. Fast fashion is a term used for the process of creating cheap trendy clothes and and distributing them quickly so they are readily available to consumers. Fast fashion…

Upcycle Inspiration: Vintage Cigar Holder

My Upcycle project was inspired by a show called The Repair Shop. The Repair Shop highlights the repair and improvement of vintage antiques and cherished family items. The Repair Shop: www.netflix.com   In one of the first episodes, a vintage music player/cigar holder was brought in for refurbishment. While the musical aspect may not be…

Upcycle Inspiration: Spiral Staircase

As I mentioned in my last blog post, the base of my lamp is inspired by a spiral staircase. The spiral staircase I was directly inspired by was from a DIY (Do it yourself) video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd-Z7OTAjJ0, by Ben Uyeda on Facebook I saw a couple of months ago (You can find Ben Uyeda and his…

UpCycle Inspiration: Bright Board 2.0

My initial thought process for my project started with me looking around my room for something that I could re purpose into a cool design. I definitely wanted to focus on the design over the function for this project so that gave me the liberty to make just about anything. I am currently working on…

Upcycle Final Report: Steampunk Jellyfish

Inspired by the giant, steampunk octopus of Burning Man, “El Pulpo Mechanico”, and a favorite video game character of mine, Fallout 4‘s “Codsworth”, I decided to use steampunk as the aesthetic of my Upcycle project and build a much smaller-scale jellyfish. My initial plans for materials included (but were not limited to) light bulbs, guitar strings, scrap…

Design Loop: Steampunk Jellyfish

I find that I like to plan things out in a very succinct, organized way, which I can probably attribute to the engineering background provided to me over the last few years. However, I also find that I become very nit-picky when something doesn’t go the way I imagine it to, which results in multiple, somewhat…

Design loop: Oyster box

For my upcycle project, I am creating a bowl to hold my keys and wallet that will look like an oyster.  I started with thinking about what materials I had available before I came up with an idea on how to use it.  My roommates and I had a lot of leftover aluminum cans and…

Upcycle Progress: Jar Terrariums

I originally considered a very different project… I am a fan of the Metal Earth series of miniature models laser-cut from thin sheets of steel, so I had planned to design and cut my own out of aluminum beverage cans. That turned out to be rather pricey and difficult to manage. So another idea came…

Upcycle Progress: Oyster Box

I wanted to create something that had a function, but still looked good.  For someone living in a small apartment, having something that serves a purpose is important.  I decided that I wanted to create a bowl as a place to store items like my keys and wallet, but I was stuck on a design. …

Upcycle Update: Ukulele in Progress

For my Upcycle Project, I have decided to design a ukulele.  Given my love for music, this object was a natural fit.  My original intent was to make a violin, but in evaluating the feasibility of designing a functional instrument, I found the ukulele to be slightly less complicated, which will allow me greater freedom…

Television Liquor Cabinet

Vision: For my up cycle project, I wanted to create something not only visually appealing, but also useful. I have had my eye on an old television set, faux wood and all, collecting dust in my girlfriend’s parent’s basement for a little while. With a little searching through the internet, I was inspired to make…

Origami Nightstand

I wanted to design and create something useful for my upcycle project. I have wanted a nightstand for a while, so I decided to make my own. The desk in my bedroom is covered with stacks of homework assignments and exams from last semester, and I wondered if there was some way to incorporate old…

Bicycle Component Clock

  Original Inspiration Intro Almost a year ago I visited a friend and saw a bicycle disc rotor hung on the wall. I had seen a few pieces of bicycle art before but this caught my eye and I walked over for a closer look. It was a functional and clean looking wall clock. The…

Decorative Aspen Branch Light

Initial Design Process My original idea for this project was to create a thing. I knew that I wanted to make something cool, so I looked up pictures of upcycled projects on Google. I saw a lot of cool things, and I thought that I wanted to make something out of doilies. I had in…

The Bird’s Nest

My project has come a long way from my brainstorming and loose materials into the upcycling design it is now. Below I explain my process and my goals and desires for this project and how I felt I reached my goals or not. Reality vs. Imagined My actual process was very different than how I…

Turning Old Bicycle Parts into a Clock

I have always wanted to make artwork, useful or not, out of old or broken parts from bikes. I’m not quite sure why but I really like the look of rotors, cassettes, hubs, wheels and cranks; probably more than complete bikes or beautiful frames. There seems to be so much effort put into their design (although…

Retro Television Cabinet

For my up cycle project, I had my eye on an old television laying around in my girlfriend’s parent’s basement. With a little help from the internet, I was inspired to make the TV into a liquor cabinet. It’s been collecting dust for at least 15 years, so I figured that I could bring new…

Broken China Tea Cup Mosaic Progress

I am really interested in mosaics: the designs, the applications, and the methodology. x x A friend gave me a beautiful china tea cup and saucer for my birthday, which my cat, of course, knocked off the counter and broke. Since then I have held on to the pieces, hoping for an opportunity to use…

Explosive Nutcracker

Last year for Christmas one of my friends gave me a decommissioned or unloaded grenade as a gift.  Since getting a chance to play with it, the triggering system has fascinated me.  The system is very simple.  The pin holds on the lever (or spoon) which holds back a spring loaded striker.  When the pin…