The Upcycling Trend | Episode |

January 3, 2012

Sally talks with Caviar Mom jewelry designer Allison Markinson about the trend of turning "trash" into treasure.

I first heard about upcycling from green websites and Etsy, as I mentioned. Then smart Danny Seo, of eco- lifestyle expert and Today Show fame, came out with a great book about it - Upcycling: Create Beautiful Things with the Stuff You Already Have. His projects are v v crafty, like: "Turn your old leather belts into a cool doormat (or even a briefcase!); worn-out paperbacks into gorgeous bud vases; tennis balls into a quaint country swing; chopsticks into a handsome trivet, and many more."

Now, of course, it's a totally ubiquitous trend in other arenas.

Allison Markinson's jewelry, made from scraps of discarded leather and such, is a great example of upcycling.

Here are some more tips from Allison, on how you, too, can

BECOME AN UPCYCLING JEWELRY-MAKER:

• Make several rings out of the fingers of an old pair of gloves.
• Cut a band out of the top of a glove and use it as a base for a cuff.
• A shoe strap can make an instant choker.
• Turn your belt into a band of bracelets.
• Take your mothers vintage ear rings and bead them onto a cuff.
• Make a fabulous cocktail ring out of that broken pearl necklace.
• That perfect shell you found on the beach last vacation can be center stage in your cuff.

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Have some more upcycling ideas? Post them to VGL2U for a chance to be featured on a future episode.