You’ll be hearing a lot in 2012 about a relatively new term called upcycling. Upcycling is converting a product or material into something more valuable by making it of higher quality or of higher environmental use.
In last week’s article, I recycled old frames showing you how to reuse them to keep your Christmas tree lights neat and tidy. This week, I’m upcycling larger frames and elevating them into something prettier; decorative trays!
To begin, visit your nearest Goodwill store where there’s a large selection of frames in every size, finish and style at affordable prices. For my tray projects, I looked for decorative frames in good condition. Make sure you purchase frames with glass, as you’ll need that to serve as the tray.
Another element for this project is the background material. You can use almost any type of paper or fabric for the background, such as pages from a book, wrapping or scrapbook paper, fabric remnants or even old clothes. I’m planning on giving my trays as gifts, so I chose a map from an old atlas and a house blue print.
For another tray “transformation” idea, I created a wedding gift for my son and daughter-in-law, who were married in Las Vegas last fall. To celebrate their fun and lovely wedding, I’ll be using their wedding invitation and a map of Nevada. I love that you can customize the tray to fit your home décor, or personalize it for a loved one; the possibilities are endless!
The process is very simple. All you need are scissors and a glue stick. First, I cut my chosen paper to fit the interior frame dimensions and centered the invitation.
For my tray, I opted to leave the frame “as is.” I love the contrast between the heavily carved molding, the elegant invitation and the rustic map. If you like, you can paint your frame to match a room or theme.
Place the glass over the top, and you’re finished! This tray is the perfect size for a bed side table to keep everything at hand.
For a great house warming gift, take a look at this blueprint tray. I painted the frame basic black, so it should fit in well with any décor. As before, I simply cut the decorative material (the blueprint in this case) to size, attached with glue and covered with glass.
Trays are a hot trend now and a great solution for keeping rooms better organized. Both elegant and functional, this tray lets you conveniently store remote controls, candles, coasters, books or other items previously scattered near the sofa. And that’s the primary focus of upcycling; creating something new, beautiful and more useful.
