Upcycle Project: Futuristic Beer Bottle
Post 2 - 2024 What is your Upcycling project aesthetic and why?, Post 2 - 2025 : What is your Upcycling project? What is the aesthetic and why?
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The Idea Imagine this, it’s the year 2800, and you have just gotten off a long day at work. Having recently receiving a promotion, you decide to go to the bar with your friends. You are on a tight budget, so you make your way to a sleazy bar on the outskirts of town. At…
Upcycle Project Aesthetic – Earthcore/Recycling/Granola
For my upcycle project I have decided to try and repurpose waste produced by many people every day including me, empty cans. I plan to take empty soda, tea and beer cans and repurpose them into planters for small plants such as succulents or cacti. The granola or earth core aesthetic will be the guiding…
Upcycling Aesthetic – Indie
Just to make this very clear: My project involves a visual pun and I will not apologize for that. As evident in my last post, I am a large believer in how music influences aesthetic, and this is a way to put that into effect. I had the idea for my project in mind, but…
Japanese Stationery Aesthetic in Tool Design: Watchmaker’s Screwdriver Stand
For my project, I’ve chosen to create something I’ve long wanted to make: a watchmaker’s screwdriver stand. This project finally gives me the perfect excuse to invest time into not only making it highly functional but also aesthetically refined. Recently, I’ve picked up the hobby of watchmaking, which involves the repair and servicing of…
Upcycled Mirror Project
My upcycle project is a set of powered vehicle fender mirrors, designed with inspiration from the sleek, classic aesthetics of the 1960s and 1970s. These decades were known for their distinct automotive styling, where form and function blended seamlessly into striking designs. I want to capture that same essence while integrating modern functionality through powered…
A New Old Book on the Old Bookshelf
I confess I’m not an avid reader, but I am avid about a few of the few books I’ve read. My wife and I have begun our collection of classics atop a small shelving unit in our home. Apart from their being excellent reads, these ornate copies are something we like to have on display…
The Accidental Scandi: How a Dusty Lamp Turned Me into an Interior Design Enthusiast!
I am someone who gets bored of things way too fast.Seriously, if my attention span were a person, it would be that friend who leaves a party after 15 minutes. For my last aesthetic exploration, I went all in on Kolam Aesthetic—introducing something new to people here through my blog. But now?!Moving on. Sticking to…
Disposable Water Bottle Lantern: Club/Rave Aesthetic
The upcycling project that I will be constructing is “lanterns” made out of plastic disposable water bottles and different colored lights to follow the club or rave aesthetic. The club aesthetic that will be achieved through this project makes people feel high energy and party vibes through its’ bold contrasts, different colors of lights, and…
Embroidering old clothes/items with a cute aesthetic
For my upcycle, I have decided to stick with the cute and pink aesthetic I exploded in my first blog post. This style brings happiness and comfort with its pastel tones and playful designs/shapes like hearts, bows, and flowers. Inspired by Kawaii culture, I want to create a fashion piece that captures this aesthetic. I…
Flower Artifact from Genshin Impact
For my upcycle project, I am drawing inspiration from a game called “Genshin Impact,” which I have been playing for five years. I appreciate this game for its diverse culture and the aesthetics of the artifacts and signature weapons associated with the characters. For my upcycle, I will be focusing on the aesthetics of the…
Upcycle Lighthouse
For my Upcycle project, I’ve chosen to explore the nautical aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the ocean, maritime structures, and coastal architecture. This aesthetic is often defined by a combination of weathered textures, deep blues, crisp whites, natural wood, and metal accents, all of which evoke the feeling of being near the sea. From old fishing…
Industrial Charcuterie Board
In around October of this previous year, my roommate noticed a cast iron skillet in the bottom of the river outside our apartment. We joked about taking it out and restoring it, but never had the motivation to do it. When starting this class and hearing about this project I thought it would make for…
Recycled Terrarium Project
[1] https://www.shaverscreek.org/2020/04/08/create-your-own-mini-ecosystem-at-home/For my Upcycle project, I have chosen an earth core aesthetic, but am looking into “solarpunk” which draws inspiration from the natural world and its ability to reclaim human-made objects over time. I believe this aesthetic aligns perfectly with the use of recycled materials and complements the vision I have for my project.…
Ski Display Rack – Modern Rustic Charm
For my upcycling project, I want to make a ski mount that adheres to the modern rustic charm aesthetic. The goal of this project is to make a four ski mount that both highlights the modern graphics on my skis whilst featuring the character of the reclaimed wood. This aesthetic is defined by the juxtaposition…
Eiffel Tower Made From Recycled Sheet Metal
For my Upcycle project, I will be making an Eiffel Tower from leftover sheet metal in the BTU (Blow Things Up) Lab. Last semester I took a class called Material Studies and Practice. In this class we had a metal unit where I learn how to spot weld, angle grind, use rivets etc. to work…
Shou Sugi Ban and the Wabi-Sabi Aesthetic – Wall Decor
For an upcycling project, I decided to go with a Japanese Wabi-Sabi Aesthetic by using the Shou Sugi Ban wood-burning technique. Wabi-Sabi is the Japanese art of impermanence. “Wabi,” meaning less is more, and “Sabi” meaning attentive melancholy, describes an emphasis on nature and the awareness of pleasure in things that are not permanent. In…
Upcycled Plastic Pointilism
For my upcycling project I will be creating a piece using Pointillism, a technique that is a part of the broader Neo-impressionist movement and aesthetic. Neo-Impressionism was a movement in French painting during the late 19th century that reacted against the empirical realism of impressionism, relying on scientific theories of color to achieve visual effects…
Post 2: Upcycling Project Aesthetic – Old Western Saloon
Introduction: For my upcycling project, I wanted to focus on creating something I could use in my everyday life. At first, I brainstormed the idea to create an aesthetic coat hanger – a device with hooks designed to hang all of my hoodies and coats. I thought of this idea by thinking of room and…
Textured Plaster Ski Portrait
It took me a while to develop an idea for my upcycled project. My primary drawback was coming up with what recycled material to use. I first thought I wanted to do something with wood, so as I explored ideas, two designs stood out. First was this rustic wooden mosaic which was posted by Taylor…
Reworked Industrial Toolbelt
For my upcycle project, I plan on reworking a pair of old jeans into a toolbelt. For this project, I wanted to focus on sustainability when it comes to fashion and recycling old clothing into something new. Sustainability and fashion are two important things to me, however they rarely work together. Clothing waste is a…
Mid-Century Modern Lamp
I have chosen to build a lamp out of recycled pallet wood in a Mid-Century Modern style/aesthetic. I chose Mid-Century Modern simply because it is a style that I am fond of and I believe that I can make something that approximates the aesthetic. The lamp will be made out of small staves of wood…
Cyberpunk Meets Sustainability: Upcycling to Create a Futuristic Looking Chairless Chair
For my upcycling project, I will create a cyberpunk-inspired “chairless chair” using only freely available materials. A chairless chair is an exoskeleton-like device that straps to the user’s lower body, allowing them to sit anywhere. When not in use, it remains attached to the waist, enabling free movement. The concept of a chairless chair was…
Plastic Trees
Upcycling project plan For my upcycling project, I am interested in turning 3D printing organic ‘tree’ supports into a forest / mountain diorama. These tree supports resemble roots or branches and normally start from a central ‘trunk’ point. These tree supports are almost always thrown in the trash, contributing to plastic waste. I believe they…
Childhood Nostalgia- Stuffed Animals
In this upcycling project, I aim to explore the aesthetic of nostalgia and the concept of comfort through nostalgia. This idea came to me back in the pandemic when there was a huge resurgence in childhood favorites, like Avatar the Last Airbender, Pokemon, and more. In the pandemic I found myself rereading the books I…
Upcycled Cacao Pod-Inspired Chocolate Packaging
The aesthetic that I will base my project on is Wabi-Sabi—a natural and minimalistic philosophy that captures the essence of what I want to communicate. For this project, I want to design packaging for a luxury chocolate brand that embodies authenticity, imperfection, and deep respect for nature. My inspiration for this project came from an…
Wearable Pop Art – Modern fashion meets bold aesthetic
Featured Image: Andy Warhol, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn (1964) To give a brief overview: This upcycled project will focus on using recycled, eco-friendly fabric swatches to make a collage style wearable or accessory in the Pop Art aesthetic. This will be a fun and interesting project that blends current fashion trends with the bold…
Self-Watering Planter
Inspiration My wife is a plant enthusiast with plants galore across out entire house. I am wanting to combine her love for plants with my passion for DIY projects for this upcycling project. We are also a couple that loves efficiency and automation. Figure 1: Examples of self watering planters One of my wife’s other…
Deco Trick (“Assassin’s”) Teapot
For my upcycle project, I will be making a dual-chamber teapot, inspired by the historic “assassin’s teapot” design, using acrylic and paint. I aim to create this teapot with a decopunk aesthetic while adhering to the project’s requirement of using discarded or otherwise unused materials. As mentioned in class, the primary goal of this project…
Opulent Pokemon TCG Box
My project for the upcycling project is a storage box for Pokémon TCG cards inspired by a few different card designs with an opulent aesthetic. I have a slight addiction to the dopamine experienced from opening a Pokémon TCG booster pack. This has led me to have a lot of cards. Because of the ever…
Upcycle project Tropical Aesthetic lamp.
My goal for this upcycling project is to find a new life for a broken tiki torch like the one in the featured image. I will try to capture the tropical and beach aesthetic of the tiki torch while giving it a new use more suitable for indoors perhaps. An Idea that I had would…
Upcycling 3D Printer Scraps
For this assignment, I would like to upcycle 3D printer scraps. In the 3D printing hobby, prints don’t always come out perfectly. Many objects fail during printing, resulting in an excess amount of scrap. Additionally, I often encounter excess filament being pushed out of the nozzle when loading new filament. To prevent clogging, I have…
Post Two – Reusing hockey sticks
I want to make something for my apartment, for example, a decoration or some piece of furniture. I am a hockey player and have several extra sticks around the apartment. This got me thinking I could reuse them and make a plant holder or nightstand. I do not have enough hockey sticks myself to make…
Space Age Lamp
I have chosen to create a lamp in the space age aesthetic. After looking through my old materials and offcuts, I realized that I had many translucent plastic sheets. After holding these multicolored sheets up to a light, I was inspired to create a stained glass style lamp. Space Age Style Lamp Aesthetically, I…
Upcycle Design Project – Recycled Wood Cutting Board
Overview For my upcycle project, I’ve decided to create a functional piece of kitchen ware, a cutting board out of a piece of scrap wood I found in a dumpster on campus. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to not only make something functional, but also to experiment with my woodworking skills and create a…
Upcycled Punk Style Soda Can Tab Guitar Strap
A major limiting factor when coming up with a project idea was finding material that I had on hand, as I tend to throw away most unnecessary/unused things. In addition to this, I had never done any DIY projects before where I used recycled materials, so my brain had a hard time even visualizing something…
Golf club headcover
As I was looking around for inspiration for my upcycle project my attention focused on my golfclubs in the corner of my room. Not only did I want to make something creative but also something I could use and not just put in a corner for the rest of my life. That being said, I…
A Repurposed 1970s Bike Seat as a Stool
Ive decided to use this opportunity to upcycle one of the many unused bikes in my garage. I live in a house with 6 other student roommates and some have a knack for collecting vintage bicycles to resell, however, some haven’t left. I plan to use some of these to make a stool. There’s this…
Patchwork Teddy Bear
For the upcycle project, I plan to create a classic teddy bear using old fabric scraps from clothes and incorporating mending and patchwork techniques such as the Japanese mending style of sashiko. As an artist who makes toys and plushies and has a great fondness for stuffed animals, I often make silhouettes more modern, with…
Earthy Neutral Chalk Bag
For my upcycling project, I will be repurposing some old fabric to create a chalk bag for climbing. About a year ago I bought curtains that were too long, so I hemmed off a couple feet of fabric and I’ve been saving it to find something to reuse it for. The fabric is a beige…
Transforming 3D Print Scraps into Pixel Art
My project transforms leftover 3D print scraps into colorful pixel art portraits. Over the past two years, I have been storing my PLA scraps in bins, waiting for the right opportunity to upcycle them. 3D printing often produces extra pieces, failed prints, and support structures that usually go to waste. Instead of discarding them, I…
Upcycled Project: 3D Printer Filament Spool Shelf
Material Choice At the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory (ITLL) makerspace here at CU, students are able to access our 3D printers (and filament) for free! This gives them an affordable opportunity to grow skills and bring creative visions to life – but this unlimited access makes our program churn through PLA filament spools at…
Organic Patchwork Wood Aesthetic
For this semester’s Upcycle Project, I am drawing from the organic patchwork wood aesthetic to make a small set of tableware. This aesthetic is particularly enticing to me as a woodworker because I thoroughly enjoy blending different wood grain textures and directions to enhance a piece of furniture or art. Similarly, I also feel strongly…
Upcycling Project: Modern Rustic Wood Mosaic
For my upcycling project, I have chosen to create a wood mosaic art piece that embodies a Rustic Modern aesthetic. I will craft this piece using leftover firewood from my backyard, which has been sitting unused for years, as shown in Figure 1. By repurposing this material, I aim to transform discarded wood into a…
Hallyu Water Bottle Sling
Blogilates Water Bottle Sling For my upcycling project, I want to create a water bottle sling that can be used during hikes or simply just for outings. My vision is for it to accommodate my half-gallon water bottle. I used to carry it around a lot by hand, but that could become a little inconvenient…
Upcycle Project: Looney Tunes Backgrounds
Looney Tunes Aesthetic Project I’ve always admired the aesthetic of the backgrounds that take up a lot of the space of Looney Tunes cartoons. There actually used to be an Instagram account dedicated to showcasing these backgrounds, but I believe it got taken down due to copyright issues. This takedown was probably justified, but it…
Vintage technology/Retro Apple aesthetic – Ethernet Key Door Holder Rack
In terms of the scope for this upcycling project, I wanted the item I created to serve a functional purpose in my day-to-day life. I looked around my room and tried to find something that needed an item or fixture serving a secondary purpose, aside from its original design. In my case, I often hung…
Blending Rustic Charm with Modern Functionality: A Reclaimed Wooden Knife Block
For my upcycling project, I have chosen to create a magnetic knife block made from recycled wood. This design draws inspiration from the rustic charm of old reclaimed barn-style wood, combined with the sleek functionality of modern kitchen accessories. The aim is to highlight the character and imperfections of weathered wood, while crafting a practical…
Boho Vintage Candle Set
It took a while for me to figure out what I was going to do with this project. I first thought of making a wind chime out of bottle caps. However, I don’t drink anything that has a bottle cap so I didn’t really know where I was going to get those. I realized I…
Suspended in Mid-Century
Mid-century modern design is defined by clean lines, organic forms, and an innovative approach to materials. Rooted in the post-war optimism of the 1950s and ’60s, this aesthetic thrives on the interplay between natural and industrial elements. My piece—a stone suspended in a web of delicate threads encased in translucent epoxy—embodies stylized lines and organic…
Upcycling Project – Gothic Naturalism
For my upcycling project, I will be focusing on a combination of gothic and naturalism aesthetics. I was trying to brainstorm materials for the upcycling project and nothing was standing out to me. Just last week, I found a stained glass set up in my house that has not been used in almost 30 years. I…
Upcycling Project: Ball Shelf
For my upcycling project, I am going to make a ball shelf made out of repurposed wood. I got the idea of making a ball shelf from the consistent footballs, soccer balls and basketballs laying around on the floor in my house. Additionally, these balls always fall off of flat shelves and are ineffective. As…
Ghiblicore Upcycled Lamp Shade
Through my research of Studio Ghibli, I really enjoyed the overall colors, animations, and aesthetic of ghiblicore. I have an artistic vision and approach to this aesthetic and I want to utilize as much of my ideas for this upcycling project. I plan for my upcycling project to be upcycling a lamp shade. I have…
Abstract Topographic Artwork – Upcycle Project
It took me some time to decide on what to do for this project and while looking through past students’ ideas I came across the work of Palmer Dick-Montez. I had seen some topographic art before and had always enjoyed it, but Palmer’s take on the physical representation of the piece really stuck with me.…
Upcycle Project – Steampunk Introduction
To get this project going, I started with brainstorming and had three main parts I took into consideration: What Aesthetic I wanted to have my project embody What I wanted to make What resources I had at my disposal realized I have always loved the look of Steampunk. I loved the metallic, darkish colors, and…
Camping Spoon Upcycling Project
For my upcycling project, I have decided to machine a “camping spoon” from a small block of aluminum. I sourced the aluminum bar from the scrap shelves in the ITLL machine shop. I enjoyed this part of the process because I believe that it is often easier to think creatively when you are constrained. I…
Upcycle Project – Baroque Introduction
Arguably one of the most famous classical aesthetics, Baroque is a famous music and art style that grew popular in Western Europe from 1600 -1750. Baroque has many defining characteristics, often depicting dramatic and tense scenes. Baroque art is commonly described as a mixture of classicism and naturalism. Annibale Carracci and Caravaggio are among some…
Upcycle Project – Rustic Chess Board
For my upscale project I will be creating a rustic chess board. I have played chess on and off for most of my life, and thought this would be a great opportunity to create something of my own. My plan for making this board is going to involve a few things, but the main component…
Metal Shrinker Stretcher Stand
As I narrowed my ideas down to choose my Upcycle Project, I wanted to design and build an object that I could use in my shop every day and that could be made from scrap metal that would usually be recycled. For a while, I thought of the potential tools that I would be using…
Upcycle: 3D Printed Art Inspired by Japanese Architecture
For my upcycling project, I plan on created an art piece using FDM 3D printing. I have my own printer and want to use it more to create interesting art pieces, and this project is a great excuse to do more of this. My concept for this project is to design, print, and paint a…
Upcycle Project: “Ski Bum” Hat
“Ski Bum” is a term that typically evokes a specific image in people’s heads. A caricature of someone who makes skiing their number one priority, sometimes over jobs, homes, or clothes. “Ski bums” are known for being resourceful and making ends meet in order to spend as much time on the slopes. The aesthetic around…
Modern Bohemian Planters
For my upcycle project I have decided to repurpose glass waste produced by disposable or old products. I plan to take items like burnt-out light bulbs or old glassware and repurpose them into planters or terrariums for small plants like succulents. With this, I hope to achieve a modern bohemian aesthetic. Example of Modern Bohemian…
Upcycling Liquor Bottles into Industrial Vintage Drinkware
For my upcycle project, I want to transform discarded liquor bottles into a set of unique, vintage-inspired cups and pitchers. Rather than stripping away the original branding, I’m embracing the logos, embossed glass, and worn labels as part of the design. This approach aligns with the Industrial Vintage aesthetic—an aesthetic that highlights raw materials, historical…
Old Western – Upcycle statue
For my upcycle project I want to make a statue in the aesthetic of Old Western. I want to make this statue with empty aluminum cans and possibly some wire for some framework and a lasso. This interested me because I have seen some sheet metal candle holder statues recently. However, all these decorations were…
Rattan Peacock Chair out of Tires
For the upcycling project, I am taking inspiration from the Rattan Peacock Chair aesthetic. This iconic chair has a very interesting history, which is well explained in this video by Vox. The short history is that rattan chairs became popular as ‘photography chairs’ in the late 1800s because they were lightweight, beautiful, and stayed cool…
Bauhaus & De Stijl: Upcycling with Recycled Skateboard Decks
Aesthetic Inspiration For my upcycle project, I have chosen to blend the Bauhaus and De Stijl aesthetics. This decision was largely influenced by my choice of material—old skateboard decks. The colorful, laminated layers of wood in skateboard decks create linear patterns when cut, aligning with both design movements. I plan to repurpose these decks into…
Paper Collage Cards
Inspiration I’m looking to combine my love of multi-media art with this upcycle project. I have a lot of paper scraps, paper bags, magazines, and various art utensils laying around my house that I want to put to good use! I also know that I want to make something somewhat practical, more than just decor.…
Vintage Americana Chalk Bag Made from Reworked Levi’s
What is Vintage Americana? Red, white, blue, and denim: the color pallet of vintage americana. Inspired by the feminine styles of the 1950s and 1960s throughout the United States (Living Vintage, 2023), vintage americana looks like coca cola advertisements and diners. Fig 1. Double Conveys Diner in New York in 1941 Vintage americana is not…
Cyberpunk Stereoscope
Cyberpunk Stereoscope After exploring stereograms in my aesthetic exploration last week, I decided to create a rendition of a stereoscope as my upcycle project. Stereoscopes are devices with which to view stereograms, and an example Holmes Stereoscope is depicted above [1]. There are several key components that compose a Holmes stereoscope. On the viewing side…
Parisian Jazz Aesthetic
Jazz is something I’ve always been interested in, starting last year. I find the genre relaxing, timeless, and mysteriously appealing. In fact, I use to play the tenor saxophone but after finding the instrument far to simple, I switched to the harmonica. Now some might consider the harmonica a children’s instrument, but I will assure…
The Unexpected Red Theory: A Laser-Cut Tree Upcycle Project
For my up-cycle project, I have chosen to continue explore the Unexpected Red Theory aesthetic. If you are not familiar with it, this theory revolves around the idea of using red as an intentional, striking contrast in an otherwise neutral or natural setting. By incorporating an unexpected red element, the design gains a focal point…
Artificial Nature: Bringing Discarded Circuitry Alive
For my Upcycle project, I have chosen the Artificial Nature aesthetic, an aesthetic which fuses organic lifeforms with mechanical and electronic elements and creates a vision of nature that has evolved through technology. This aesthetic blurs the line between the biological and the synthetic to present a fantasy in which machines take on the form…
Nostalgic Ephemera Aesthetic Film Slide Lampshade
My upcycling project is a lampshade made from old film slides. I think it’s really fun to look at old photo collections and wonder who took them and what they were doing in that place. I went to an art reuse center and grabbed a handful of slides after briefly looking through their selection. After…
Upcycled Bed Frame – Rustic Minimalist Aesthetic
Featured Photo: IKEA TARVA Bed (TARVA bed frame, pine/Luröy, Queen – IKEA) For my upcycling project, I will be creating a custom bed frame for the inside of a shuttle bus that I have been building out. I will be upcycling bed slats and beam components from an IKEA bed and turning them into a…
Upcycling Concept: A Witch’s Cabin
For my upcycle project, I’m making a diorama of a part of a witch’s home. Originally, I wanted to upcycle an old spice bottle for the project. I was looking into aesthetics that could use that bottle and found witchcore. My initial plan was to turn the bottle into a potion bottle, but that felt…
Beauty in Death: Strangler Fig Lampshade
[2] Strangler Fig Growth Animation A strangler fig is a parasitic plant typically found in a dense, tropical environment. It evolved to adapt to the nutrient competitive environment by entrapping its victim with it’s ariel roots, limiting growth and stealing it’s nutrients. As the host tree dies and begins to rot away, the aerial roots…
Recycled Paper Mosaic: The Great Wave
For my upcycling project I decided to go with a mosaic aesthetic and replicate ‘The Great Wave Off Kanagawa’ , a Japanese inspired woodblock print. I chose this aesthetic because I think it would fit well with the materials I will be using which are paper, cardboard, glue, and acrylic paint. I like how…
Upcycling Project Idea
For my upcycling project I will be making a hangboard used to train for rock climbing. Hangboards have seen a surge in popularity and are widely regarded as one of the best ways to get stronger fingers the fastest. Many companies such as Tension and Beastmaker have made successful companies from selling professional quality hangboards.…
The Sports Bar Aesthetic: An Upcycled Bottle of Lebron James Hennessy
My upcycling project repurposes an old bottle of special edition LeBron James Hennessy to create a table lamp that follows a sports bar/athletic aesthetic. This project will be an exciting endeavor that creates a one-of-a-kind piece of functional decoration for my bedroom. The sports bar aesthetic is commonly associated with local bars, which have…
Upcycling Project – License Plate Frame
For my Upcycling project I was inspired to create a better way to display my old license plates that I’ve collected from some of my old cars. Up until now I’ve only ever just plastered the plates up onto my wall using wall putty, and while I like how that looks, I think that creating…
Native American Flute Wall Mount – Minimalist Woodworking
For my Upcycling Project I am planning on creating a wall mount for my Native American flute, this will allow me to have a safe place to store the flute on my wall out of the way of the everyday movements of life. I was gifted the flute shown in Figure 1 by Professor Knutsen…
Quilled Weather “Tile”
The Idea As a senior in college I have an entire drawer full of old assignments that I don’t have much purpose for. Both in celebration of finishing my engineering degree and desperation to clean out the cabinet I have decided to make a rolled paper craft using these old school papers in the style…