PSQ Upcycling Tips & Tricks

Squared UPCYCLING BOOK

ALL CONTENT CONTRIBUTED BY THE SQUARED COMMUNITY.

UPCYCLING BOOK

Thank you to all who participated in the Collins Square and Parramatta Square Upcycle competition.

We loved all your creations so much.

TRY THESE IDEAS YOURSELF AND BE SURE TO TAG US IN A PICTURE OF WHAT YOU MAKE! @COLLINS_SQUARE @PARRAMATTASQUARE

Wine Rack Planters.

CREATED BY JYOTI | Parramatta Square I pick up interesting receptacles that could serve as unusual planters, e.g. a wine rack I found now holds lots of plants in soft drink plastic bottles, a discarded bath-tub is our potato growing tub, stacked tyres hold ornamental plants, a standing wash basin holds a flowing plant, etc.

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Tin Pen Holders.

CREATED BY TIM | Collins Square Use empty tins as pen holders and decorate them with pictures from old magazines.

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Hair Foliage.

CREATED BY BRON | Parramatta Square Old Elsa head doll - cut off half the head and hair & spray to make a pot plant.

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Hanging Pots.

CREATED BY SANDA | Collins Square Planted flower seedlings in old peg containers with holes at the bottom, perfect hanging baskets.

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Library Laptop Stand.

CREATED BY JOJO | Parramatta Square I use a stack of books as my laptop stand in my home office functional and beautiful!

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Lampagne Shade.

CREATED BY CORAL | Parramatta Square We turned a champagne bottle into a lampshade. My husband’s workplace had an event and they were throwing out the empty large champagne bottles after the event. He brought the two bottles home and we added a shade to it. I bought black fringing braid and stuck it to the edge. We got a friend to drill a hole in the bottle and do the wiring to insert a light bulb. Nearly everyone who comes to our house admires the lampshades.

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Chandelier Planter.

CREATED BY EDELFREDO | Collins Square Recycle an old chandelier as a planter.

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Glass Bottle Pots.

CREATED BY KELLI | Parramatta Square

I love using glass bottles to store flowers and plants. It saves so much on pots (along with trips to Bunnings, where I inevitably end up buying more things!).

I currently use an old juice bottle for my dried flowers.

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Plastic Containers.

CREATED BY ISAAC | Collins Square I re-use all plastic containers, cleaning them after each use and when they break I then recycle them.

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Eco Brick.

BY RASIKA | Parramatta Square

At home I collect all the polythene and put inside a 1.5L bottle to produce what’s call an Eco Brick. 10-12 weeks polythene usually sufficient to produce one of this brick. I started this not so long ago, and hoping to make minor structures from these rather sending them for landfills.

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Brick Steps.

CREATED BY CATHERINE | Parramatta Square I have reused old bricks from a ruined dunny to create some rustic brick garden steps.

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Coffee Compost.

CREATED BY JEFFREY | Parramatta Square Reusing food scraps as compost, we have a lot of coffee grounds since we bought a coffee machine during last lockdown, and it makes amazing fertiliser!

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Tote Bag T-Shirts.

CREATED BY KARIN | Collins Square

We make tote bags from t-shirts we no longer wear. Cut out the arms to make it look like a singlet, then these become the handles. Snip the bottom of the t-shirt to strips and tie them together to make the bottom of the bag.

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Paper Compost.

CREATED BY MICHELLE | Parramatta Square I compost shredded paper (old bills, bank statements, school notes etc). Mix with kitchen scraps and use it in the garden bed.

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Reuseables.

CREATED BY THU | Parramatta Square Use sauce jars for drinking water and for plants, electric toothbrush heads for cleaning shoes, collect items (such as glad wrap, sandwich bags, toothbrush heads and toothpaste) to be melted down and reused by TerraCycle Australia, reuse packaging (boxes, bubble wrap, ribbons), send all unused electronics to Arnies Recon to be reused or resold (removals ewaste from landfill).

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Framed Garments.

CREATED BY LEANNE | Parramatta Square

I upcycle by composting everything. In the last year I was able to divert over 1000kg of produce! I also upcycled an old glass frame to create a piece to remind me of my grandmother with her old shirt.

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Ub-Cycle.

CREATED BY NATHALIE | Parramatta Square We reuse the paper bags from food delivery for grocery shopping, then when they give up, we put them in the compost.

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Spice Jars.

CREATED BY SARAH | Parramatta Square Reuse glass jars for different types of seasoning ingredients.

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Mug Plants.

CREATED BY VANESSA | Parramatta Square

My favourite mug lost it’s handle and became an orchid pot. Pizza boxes which are not great to recycle are weed mats and compost material. And my daughter loves to make origami mobiles when we have out-ofdate brochures! Need more?

I have upcycled a dead hedge by growing tomato and cucumber and loofah vines up it :D organic AND tasty.

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Furniture Upcycle.

CREATED BY ROB | Parramatta Square Upcyling furniture and either keeping it or giving it away is a great way to not always buy new furniture!

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Kindling.

CREATED BY JAMES | Parramatta Square I reuse any spare wood, including packaging for the open fire.

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