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#upcycling — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #upcycling, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Elektroschrott vermeiden, Bildung fördern: PCS für alle zeigt, wie soziale Gerechtigkeit und Umweltschutz zusammengehen. Die Zeichnungen der Kinder symbolisieren das schön

    pcsfueralle.at

    Avoiding electronic waste, promoting education: PCS for all shows how social justice and environmental protection go together

    #Umweltschutz #Muellvermeidung #Refurbished #Nachhaltigkeit #Sustainability #GreenIT #Upcycling #Kreislaufwirtschaft #Environmental_protection #Waste_prevention #PCsfürAlle

  2. Je refais mon stock, ressourcerie hier 🤸‍♀️✨️ j'avais déjà vidé leur inventaire de cuillères donc il y en avait peu...

    Plein de beau matériaux pour jouer 🤩

    #upcycling

  3. 8 Amazon Supplies We Used for Upcycling Mid-Century Modern Thrift-Store Furniture

    Upcycling thrift-store furniture sounds like a hobby for people with a garage, a truck, and unlimited patience. It isn’t. My friend does this most weekends, and he’s not handy in any traditional sense. He just knows which eight things to buy and in what order to use them. I’m the one who can barely assemble flat-pack shelving, and even I could follow along once he laid it out.

    He hunts flea markets for mid-century modern pieces specifically. Walnut credenzas, teak side tables, and the occasional beech dining chair with good bones and a bad finish. He brought one home last month, a scratched-up dresser that looked like it had survived three moves and a basement flood. Two weekends later, it looked like something out of a 1962 catalog. Same eight products every time.

    Why Bother Upcycling Thrift-Store Furniture When New Furniture Ships in Two Days?

    Because the new stuff is worse, honestly. A lot of mass-market furniture built today uses veneered particleboard that can’t survive one move, let alone forty years. The dresser my friend found was made from solid walnut with a dovetailed drawer construction that no $300 flat-pack piece will ever match. Vintage mid-century modern furniture has become genuinely expensive at auction and in vintage shops, which makes a $40 thrift-store find with the right bones a real financial win, not just a sentimental one.

    There’s also a supply problem worth mentioning. Original Danish and American mid-century pieces are getting harder to find in good condition, since decades of amateur refinishing have ruined plenty of them. Learning to do it right, instead of slapping on the wrong stripper or sanding through a paper-thin veneer, actually protects what’s left of the supply.

    The Two-Hour Rule: How to Decide What’s Worth Saving

    My friend has a rule he swears by, and I’m going to steal his name for it here: the Two-Hour Rule. Before buying anything, he spends two minutes checking the piece for three things. Structural soundness (do the joints wobble, are the legs solid), veneer condition (is it lifting, bubbling, or missing in chunks), and hardware availability (can he replace what’s broken without ordering a custom part from overseas).

    If a piece fails on structure, he walks away, no matter how good the finish looks. Structural problems eat hours you don’t get back. Veneer damage is fixable if it’s minor and deal-breaking if it’s not. Hardware is almost always solvable, which is the one category these eight Amazon supplies actually cover directly.

    The Eight Things That Actually Matter

    Every one of these has been used, more than once, on a real piece of furniture pulled from a thrift store or a curb. None of them are exotic. That’s sort of the point.

    1. Dura-Gold Sandpaper Variety Pack, around $13.99

    A Dura-Gold sandpaper variety pack is a hook-and-loop assortment covering grits from 80 to 320. You need the coarse grits for stripped wood and heavy scratches and the fine grits for the final pass before stain or wax. Buying single sheets one grit at a time is a waste of money and a waste of trips to the hardware store. My friend goes through nearly a full pack per piece, so don’t buy the smallest bundle you can find.

    2. Citristrip Paint and Varnish Stripping Gel, around $16.98 per quart

    Citristrip paint and varnish stripping gel is the one product he refuses to substitute. It strips old lacquer, shellac, and paint without the harsh fumes of older strippers, and it stays wet on the surface for up to 24 hours, which matters when you’re working on multiple layers of old finish. He applies it thick, lets it sit under plastic wrap, then scrapes with a plastic putty knife so he doesn’t gouge the veneer underneath.

    3. FamoWood Original Wood Filler, around $10.99 per pint

    Thrift-store furniture almost always has a chip, a gouge, or an old repair gone wrong somewhere. The FamoWood Original wood filler dries fast, sands smooth, and takes stain without turning into a visible blotch. He matches the color to the wood before applying it, since filler that’s too light or too dark is the fastest way to make a repair obvious instead of invisible.

    4. Minwax Wood Finish Oil-Based Stain, around $13.98 per quart

    He keeps Special Walnut and Provincial on hand, both classic tones for mid-century pieces. On bare, stripped wood, a single coat brings back color that decades of sun exposure or a bad prior refinish stripped away. He always tests on the inside of a drawer front first, because walnut and teak absorb stain unevenly depending on grain direction. It’s best to check out the different Minwax Wood Finish Oil-Based Stain options on Amazon yourself.

    5. Watco Danish Oil, around $21.98 per quart

    Watco Danish Oil is his preferred finish for anything with real veneer worth showing off, not painting over. Danish oil soaks into the wood instead of sitting on top of it, so it enhances the grain rather than masking it under a plastic-feeling topcoat. It also forgives future scratches better than polyurethane, since a quick re-oiling blends new damage right back in.

    6. Minwax Paste Finishing Wax, around $15.98 per pound

    Once the oil or stain has cured, wax is the final protective layer and the thing that gives a piece that soft, hand-rubbed sheen instead of a plastic shine. He applies Minwax Paste Finishing Wax in thin coats with a rag, buffs after twenty minutes, and repeats twice. It’s genuinely satisfying work, and it’s the step most beginners skip, which is a mistake.

    7. Mid-Century Hairpin Legs, set of four, around $32.99

    Sometimes the legs are the problem, not the wood. Original hairpin or tapered dowel legs get lost, cracked, or replaced with something that doesn’t fit the era. A set of new steel hairpin legs solves this instantly and reads as authentic once it’s under a properly refinished top. He always checks the mounting plate size against the original hardware before ordering. On Amazon, you can find a wide range of different styles of mid-century hairpin legs.

    8. Rust-Oleum Chalked Ultra Matte Furniture Paint, around $18.98 per quart

    Not every piece deserves to stay natural wood. Painted pieces, laminate surfaces, or wood with veneer damage too extensive to save all get this treatment instead. The Rust-Oleum chalked ultra-matte furniture paint finish reads as intentional and modern rather than “craft project,” which matters a lot for a mid-century modern aesthetic that leans clean and understated.

    The Reveal Test: Do This Before You Commit to Anything

    Before stripping an entire piece, my friend tests a hidden corner first, usually the back of a leg or the inside of a drawer rail. He calls it the Reveal Test. A small patch of stripper tells you what’s actually under the finish: solid wood worth an oil finish, thin veneer that needs a gentler touch, or damage bad enough that paint is the only sensible option.

    Skipping this step is how people ruin good furniture. Sand through a walnut veneer that’s a sixteenth of an inch thick, and there’s no fixing it. The Reveal Test costs five minutes and saves entire projects.

    The Grain-First Principle: Oil or Paint?

    Here’s the framework he uses to decide, and it’s simpler than it sounds. If the wood grain is solid, undamaged, and worth looking at, oil wins every time. If the veneer is patchy, mismatched, or already damaged beyond a clean repair, paint wins. He calls this the Grain-First Principle, and it stops the common mistake of painting over genuinely beautiful walnut just because stripping felt like too much work.

    This single decision determines which four of the eight supplies you’ll actually use on a given piece. You rarely need both the stain and the chalk paint on the same project.

    What the Full Kit Costs, and What It Replaces

    SupplyApprox. PriceWhat It’s ForDura-Gold Sandpaper Variety Pack$13.99Surface prep, from coarse to fine gritCitristrip Stripping Gel (quart)$16.98Removing old paint, lacquer, or varnishFamoWood Wood Filler (pint)$10.99Repairing chips, gouges, and old damageMinwax Wood Finish Stain (quart)$13.98Restoring color to bare, stripped woodWatco Danish Oil (quart)$21.98Enhancing and protecting real wood grainMinwax Paste Finishing Wax (1 lb)$15.98Final protective sheen after oil or stainMid-Century Hairpin Legs (set of 4)$32.99Replacing missing or damaged original legsRust-Oleum Chalked Ultra Matte Paint (quart)$18.98Painted finish for damaged or laminate pieces

    Total cost sits at roughly $145 for supplies that will restore several pieces of furniture, not just one. Compare that to the price of a single new solid-wood dresser, and the math for upcycling thrift-store furniture starts to look obvious.

    Three Mistakes That Cost Us Time

    First mistake: skipping the Reveal Test and sanding straight through a veneer on a side table that couldn’t be repaired afterward. Second mistake: applying stain over wood that still had old wax residue trapped in the grain, which caused blotching that took an extra round of stripping to fix. Third mistake, and this one was mine, using a paint roller instead of a brush on chalk paint, which left texture that wasn’t part of the plan.

    None of these are dramatic failures. They’re the kind of thing you learn once and never repeat, which is honestly most of what upcycling thrift-store furniture teaches you.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is Citristrip safe to use indoors?
    Yes, with ventilation. It’s less harsh than older methylene-chloride-based strippers, but open a window and wear gloves regardless.

    How do I know if a piece is real veneer or solid wood?
    Check the edges and the underside. Solid wood shows consistent grain all the way through; veneer shows a thin layer over a different material at the seams.

    Can I use chalk paint over a piece that still has its original finish?
    Usually yes, with a light sanding first for adhesion. Chalk paint is forgiving about minimal prep, which is part of its appeal.

    What’s the real cost difference between upcycling and buying new?
    A full supply kit runs about $145 and can refinish multiple pieces. A single comparable solid-wood dresser can run several times that.

    Do hairpin legs fit any piece of furniture?
    Only if the mounting plate matches your existing hole pattern, or you’re comfortable drilling new ones. Always measure before ordering.

    Should I always use oil instead of paint on mid-century furniture?
    No. Follow the Grain-First Principle: oil for solid, attractive wood, paint for damaged veneer or already-painted surfaces.

    Don’t hesitate to browse WE AND THE COLOR’s Interior Design category for more.

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    #amazon #AmazonSupplies #craftsmanship #DIY #furniture #interiorDesign #MidCenturyModern #upcycling #vintageFurniture
  4. Energiekollektiv unterstützt Menschen mit weniger Geld mit Balkonkraftwerken, denn so gehen nachhaltige finanzielle Unterstützung und Klimaschutz Hand in Hand.

    Willst du ein Balkonkraftwerk spenden, oder brauchst du eines?
    Alle Infos hier

    energiekollektiv.at/
    #Umweltschutz #Muellvermeidung #Refurbished #Nachhaltigkeit #Sustainability #GreenIT #Upcycling #Kreislaufwirtschaft #Environmental_protection #Waste_prevention #PCsfürAlle

  5. We collect used computers, refurbish them, and distribute them absolutely free of charge and with minimal requirements to individuals, schools, or NGOs who cannot afford the equipment. We are all volunteers and do not receive any grants or similar funding. pcsfueralle.at
    #sustainability
    #environmental_protection
    #waste_prevention
    #upcycling #education
    #equalopportunities
    #school

  6. wir konnten dem Roten Kreuz in Jagodina, Serbien und einer Schule dort wieder mal mit Computern helfen. Danke fürs arrangieren und vorbereiten der Geräte, Milos Es ist übrigens eine Schule die Milos besucht hat - so schließt sich der Kreis immer wieder. Mehr Info über Milos und seine Arbeit bei uns pcsfueralle.at/team/milo-miloh #bildung
    #chancengleichheit
    #schule #nachhaltigkeit
    #umweltschutz
    #muellvermeidung
    #upcycling #education
    #equalopportunities
    #school

  7. wir konnten dem Roten Kreuz in Jagodina, Serbien und einer Schule dort wieder mal mit Computern helfen. Danke fürs arrangieren und vorbereiten der Geräte, Milos Es ist übrigens eine Schule die Milos besucht hat - so schließt sich der Kreis immer wieder. Mehr Info über Milos und seine Arbeit bei uns pcsfueralle.at/team/milo-miloh #bildung
    #chancengleichheit
    #schule #nachhaltigkeit
    #umweltschutz
    #muellvermeidung
    #upcycling #education
    #equalopportunities
    #school

  8. wir konnten dem Roten Kreuz in Jagodina, Serbien und einer Schule dort wieder mal mit Computern helfen. Danke fürs arrangieren und vorbereiten der Geräte, Milos Es ist übrigens eine Schule die Milos besucht hat - so schließt sich der Kreis immer wieder. Mehr Info über Milos und seine Arbeit bei uns pcsfueralle.at/team/milo-miloh #bildung
    #chancengleichheit
    #schule #nachhaltigkeit
    #umweltschutz
    #muellvermeidung
    #upcycling #education
    #equalopportunities
    #school

  9. wir konnten dem Roten Kreuz in Jagodina, Serbien und einer Schule dort wieder mal mit Computern helfen. Danke fürs arrangieren und vorbereiten der Geräte, Milos Es ist übrigens eine Schule die Milos besucht hat - so schließt sich der Kreis immer wieder. Mehr Info über Milos und seine Arbeit bei uns pcsfueralle.at/team/milo-miloh #bildung
    #chancengleichheit
    #schule #nachhaltigkeit
    #umweltschutz
    #muellvermeidung
    #upcycling #education
    #equalopportunities
    #school

  10. wir konnten dem Roten Kreuz in Jagodina, Serbien und einer Schule dort wieder mal mit Computern helfen. Danke fürs arrangieren und vorbereiten der Geräte, Milos Es ist übrigens eine Schule die Milos besucht hat - so schließt sich der Kreis immer wieder. Mehr Info über Milos und seine Arbeit bei uns pcsfueralle.at/team/milo-miloh #bildung
    #chancengleichheit
    #schule #nachhaltigkeit
    #umweltschutz
    #muellvermeidung
    #upcycling #education
    #equalopportunities
    #school

  11. Wir haben unseren rund 15 Jahre alten Acer Veriton mit neuer Hardware ausgestattet und von unserem lieben Nachbarn @Pulverfass pulverbeschichten lassen.
    Die lackierten Kunststoffteile hat Timo gemacht.
    Als OS ist natürlich LINUX drauf.
    Sieht gar nicht mehr alt aus.

    So sah er vorher aus:
    prom.ua/ua/p1665225850-acer-ve

    #pc #pulverbeschichtung #upcycling #farben #modding #linux

  12. Wir haben unseren rund 15 Jahre alten Acer Veriton mit neuer Hardware ausgestattet und von unserem lieben Nachbarn @Pulverfass pulverbeschichten lassen.
    Die lackierten Kunststoffteile hat Timo gemacht.
    Als OS ist natürlich LINUX drauf.
    Sieht gar nicht mehr alt aus.

    So sah er vorher aus:
    prom.ua/ua/p1665225850-acer-ve

    #pc #pulverbeschichtung #upcycling #farben #modding #linux

  13. Wir haben unseren rund 15 Jahre alten Acer Veriton mit neuer Hardware ausgestattet und von unserem lieben Nachbarn @Pulverfass pulverbeschichten lassen.
    Die lackierten Kunststoffteile hat Timo gemacht.
    Als OS ist natürlich LINUX drauf.
    Sieht gar nicht mehr alt aus.

    So sah er vorher aus:
    prom.ua/ua/p1665225850-acer-ve

    #pc #pulverbeschichtung #upcycling #farben #modding #linux

  14. Wir haben unseren rund 15 Jahre alten Acer Veriton mit neuer Hardware ausgestattet und von unserem lieben Nachbarn @Pulverfass pulverbeschichten lassen.
    Die lackierten Kunststoffteile hat Timo gemacht.
    Als OS ist natürlich LINUX drauf.
    Sieht gar nicht mehr alt aus.

    So sah er vorher aus:
    prom.ua/ua/p1665225850-acer-ve

    #pc #pulverbeschichtung #upcycling #farben #modding #linux

  15. Wir haben unseren rund 15 Jahre alten Acer Veriton mit neuer Hardware ausgestattet und von unserem lieben Nachbarn @Pulverfass pulverbeschichten lassen.
    Die lackierten Kunststoffteile hat Timo gemacht.
    Als OS ist natürlich LINUX drauf.
    Sieht gar nicht mehr alt aus.

    So sah er vorher aus:
    prom.ua/ua/p1665225850-acer-ve

    #pc #pulverbeschichtung #upcycling #farben #modding #linux

  16. Salut,

    Je continue d'essayer de mettre un peu de beau dans cette vie...

    Un autre petit coeur chandelier. J'ai peu d'imagination pour ça je pense, tout ce qui me vient, ce sont des petits 🤍

    Je vous envoie plein d'amour pour affronter cette journée. ..

    100% rebut

    Bonne journée !

    #art #sculpture #chandelier #coeur #heart #candelabre #upcycling #scrap_metal

  17. Bon samedi tout le monde

    2 petits #chandeliers voiliers avec ma belle plaque trouée. Me reste 3 symposiums, 4 chandeliers devraient faire.

    Je passe tranquillement à travers ma belle trouvaille de cour à scrap. Voyez la belle plaque 🤸‍♀️✨️😉

    J'adore faire des voiliers.

    100% rebut

    #art #voilier #sailboat #sculpture #candelabre #chandelier #upcycling #scrap_metal

  18. Un autre petit coeur à prendre pour mes #symposium à venir.

    C'est un #chandelier.

    J'ai cette vieille plaque en acier avec des gros trous que j'avais trouvé à la cour à scrap Ça ne se plie pas.

    100% rebut sauf les 5 bearing.

    Bonne journée !

    #coeur #heart #candelabre #upcycling #art #sculpture #scrap_metal

  19. Was macht man mit Sitz Ersatzteilen?
    Einen #Jeep #Gaming Stuhl als #Upcycling :D

    Ich habe meine beiden Vordersitze ausgetauscht und die übrig gebliebenen Teile formten noch einen kompletten Sitz.
    Weg schmeißen war echt zu schade, als haben wir (mein Sohn und ich) kurzerhand einen Gaming Stuhl daraus gebastelt.

    Leute, das Teil ist richtig gemütlich. Es kommt jetzt noch ein 12V Netzteil darunter, dann kann der auch verstellt werden.

  20. Bon dimanche Masto,

    Il me reste 3 symposiums en 2026. Je ne peux pas que préparer mon exposition pour l'an prochain.

    J'ai fait ça hier. Mes chandeliers sont tjrs populaires. Ils sont plus abordables que des plus grosses pièces et ça fait de jolies ombres. J'adore jouer avec la lumière en plus ✨️ j'en ferai quelques uns pour chaque sympo. Me reste le cleanup...

    Bonne journée !

    #art #chandelier #sculpture #candelabre #scrap_metal #upcycling #coeur #heart

  21. This clothes drier drum was rescued from a skip (did ask first). Its made the perfect big pot for a tiny cherry tree!

    #upcycling
    #gardening
    #sustainability
    #foodgrowing

  22. Made this coffee table from timber I salvaged after Cyclone Alfred crossed Brisbane in March 2025. 🪵

    The main frame uses hardwood reclaimed from old pallets, ebonised to near-black to contrast against the storm-debris hardwood. The central ring was steam-bent from two halves, then topped with glass to protect and finish the piece.

    From disaster debris to something functional.

    #Woodworking #DIY #Upcycling #SustainableDesign #Handmade #Carpentry #Brisbane #CycloneAlfred #RecycledMaterials

  23. Made this coffee table from timber I salvaged after Cyclone Alfred crossed Brisbane in March 2025. 🪵

    The main frame uses hardwood reclaimed from old pallets, ebonised to near-black to contrast against the storm-debris hardwood. The central ring was steam-bent from two halves, then topped with glass to protect and finish the piece.

    From disaster debris to something functional.

    #Woodworking #DIY #Upcycling #SustainableDesign #Handmade #Carpentry #Brisbane #CycloneAlfred #RecycledMaterials