Sometimes you want something to solve a problem and it can be so easy to nip to the shop and buy something that will suit. Sometimes you get exactly what you want, other times you have to compromise. Today however, with the landfills of the world bursting at the seams, we have a responsibility to think outside of the box, to reuse what we already have, to make do and to upcycle.
For a while now, I have been buying nuts and other snacks for when I'm in the office. I love these for keeping hunger at bay but felt increasingly uncomfortable with the single use plastic they came in. I wanted to buy a small pot to house my snacks so I could bulk buy or refill my stash at our local zero waste shop so, instead of buying one, I got creative.
Recently trying these John West snacks, I had washed them and was going to recycle them but I suddenly thought that these were a perfect solution. True, I could have just used them as they were but where's the fun in that?!
Here's how I upcycled them...
Materials used:
DecoArt Matte Varnish
DecoArt Americana - Antique Rose, Desert Turquoise, Titanium white, Avocado, Coral Shell
I first mixed equal parts Multi Purpose Sealer with the Americana paint. I could have chosen to basecoat the pots with Chalky Finish paint which does not require any preparation but after using Americana Acrylic to paint items in our office kitchen, I was reminded just how creamy and wonderful this paint is on large surfaces.
I painted the sides and lid (excluding the plastic rim as painting this would make the pot less durable. I chose the colours to match the rim and they worked perfectly!
Once dry, I added the design - I opted for Oriental Blossom and Rosebuds but any of our designs would look great on them :)
Once these were dry, although the Multi Purpose Sealer makes the paint weatherproof and waterproof, I added a couple of coats of Matte varnish as these will spend a lot of time travelling in my handbag.
I have now left the pots to cure for a week or so before I put them to good use. It feels amazing to have been able to create something from nothing, to save useable items from landfill and get creative.
What have you saved from landfill recently?
Love Carol x
No comments
Post a Comment