Reuse & Recycling

Woven straw bag with red elephant design, held by person in jeans and white top.

8 Eco-Friendly Things You Should Always Have in Your Bag

When you’re on the go all the time, it’s easy to be overly (almost accidentally) wasteful. Not-so-eco-friendly disposables—think plastic bottles of water, tissue, and shopping bags—often become the go-to when we’re running around in a rush. That’s why it pays to stock up on compact, eco-conscious items ahead of time, so they’re already in your bag in a pinch.

Caroline Biggs

May 3, 2019

Before and After: This $46 Wood Dresser Transformation Is Absolutely Stunning

A reader found this old dresser in an alley and knew right away that she’d hit the jackpot. And after hours of scrubbing and sprucing, this dresser is even more beautiful than the day it was built. Here’s how reader Krissy Gilhooly tells the story of this exciting discovery: I found this piece abandoned in the alley behind our house. When I first saw it, I was expecting it to be rickety and have sticky drawers, as most furniture is when it’s thrown away.

Tess Wilson

May 3, 2019

Before and After: This $60 Lane Cedar Chest Makeover Is Remarkable

When Nicole Goodreau and her fiancé spotted this mid-century Lane cedar chest at their local Goodwill for $30, they knew they had to have it. While the existing army green color and retro knobs didn’t fit their home’s modern aesthetic, they were confident that, with a little elbow grease, they could transform it into the perfect storage piece for their petite city apartment.

Jessica Isaac

May 3, 2019

The One Thing You Should Never Leave the House Without

With recent plastic bag bans and eco-conscious movements sweeping the nation, now’s the time to plan ahead so you don’t find yourself in a pinch in the checkout line. Sprinkle your life with reusable bags: Keep one in your car, purse, and office so you never leave the house without one. And while you’re at it, why fill your cabinets, drawers, storage nooks with mediocre bags you only bought last minute out of necessity at the grocery store?

Jessica Isaac

May 3, 2019

Stop Recycling Your Empty Glass Liquor and Wine Bottles

While we’re not suggesting you hoard all of your glass liquor bottles—please, recycle that mountain of two buck Chuck empties—sometimes a glass bottle comes along that’s too pretty to toss. And when that happens, there are several ways you can choose to repurpose it. Here are some of our favorites: For serving water: If it’s good enough for some of my favorite restaurants, it’s good enough for me.

Caylin Harris

May 3, 2019

Before and After: Who Knew a $75 Craigslist Find Could Look This Good?

This tall, vintage, secondhand dresser needed a little wood filler and a lot of love, so its new owner gave it all that and a gorgeous coat of paint that totally transformed its look. The new owner of this dresser, who bought it on Craigslist for $75, described it as “a glossy cherry wood… ick!” It did, however, have nice lines, antique charm, and plenty of refined details without too much old-fashioned folderol.

Tess Wilson

May 3, 2019

Wishing for a Colorful Smeg Fridge? Here’s How To Paint a Vintage Refrigerator Instead

Everyone loves the look of a vintage refrigerator — especially a colorful model. If you’re really lucky, you bring home a brand new Smeg, or Big Chill for your kitchen. But if you’re a purist, or on a slimmer budget, you make your dream of a colorful vintage refrigerator come true for much, much less by rolling up your sleeves and doin’ it yourself.

Ashley Poskin

Apr 30, 2019

A Truck Bed Goes From Garage To Guest Room

Project by: Dona Location: Shelter Island, New York My husband’s hoarding habit paid off. Once I learned that the bed of a truck is the same size as a queen mattress we took his rusting 1965 Chevrolet truck and turned it into a guest bed! We worked on this project together, it required sawing the cab (now it’s the headboard) in half; sawing the tailgate off the truck body; wire brushing the rust off , etc. We carried the pieces into the house where we put the truck together again.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Apr 30, 2019

Drafts No More: How To Add Weatherstripping to Your Doors

Keep the cold out (and the heat in) with these simple tricks!

Ashley Poskin

Apr 30, 2019

These Genius Coffee Cups Are Made from Actual Coffee

Given the sobering reports on the widespread impact of global pollution, the demand for more eco-friendly reusables is more pressing than ever. In response to the call to protect the environment, Berlin startup Kaffeeform has come up with reusable coffee cups made from used coffee grounds. As Designboom notes, Kaffeeform’s innovative recycling project earned it the Red Dot Product Design Award of 2018.

Kenya Foy

Apr 30, 2019

10 Weird Ways Bed Pillows Can Solve Your Problems

Maybe you’ve had the same bed pillow for ten years and have your sights newly set on some memory foam. Or maybe you’ve got an extra five random pillows stuffed in your closet, just in case, and it’s time to KonMari. As with most things we toss or get rid of these days, old pillows can still be used long after they’ve left their prime days behind. Here are 10 ways this everyday basic can help you out around the house, no matter what condition they’re currently in.

Dabney Frake

Apr 29, 2019

Fast Furniture Is Putting 9.7M Tons in Landfills—and These Artists Are Fed Up

Everyone has heard of “fast fashion,” a term used to capture the quick nature of current fashion trends. It also expresses the wasteful elements that come with it, like harm to the environment, and as a result, our well-being. But this rapid turnover of product doesn’t stop at clothing production—the exact reason why two NYC-based artists are pushing awareness for “fast furniture” through their latest, eye-catching art installation.

Nicoletta Richardson

Apr 18, 2019

Before & After: 15 Creative Kitchen Renovations

There’s a big misconception in the renovating and real estate world that kitchen remodeling needs to be flashy and expensive to be good. That’s simply not true! We’ve found that with a little creativity, some reuse, a new coat of paint — and sometimes not even that much work, kitchen renovations can be not only eco-friendly, but also inexpensive. Here are our 15 best before and after kitchen posts of the year!

Rachel Wray Thompson

Apr 7, 2019

25 New Ways to Reuse Your Old Pill Bottles

There’s a special kind of satisfaction that comes from finding solutions to problems that use things you already have on hand. I’m still very proud of myself for MacGyver-ing a broken pop-up shade canopy with a hair tie and a plastic bag—it’s silly, but it made me feel like I might just have made it in the pioneer days. Taking things you already have and making them more useful isn’t just self-congratulatory, it’s also frugal and earth-friendly.

Shifrah Combiths

Apr 3, 2019

15 Repurposed, Upcycled, and DIY Storage Ideas

There’s nothing we like better than seeing something creatively repurposed into something else—particularly if that ‘something else’ is storage-related.

Cambria Bold

Feb 21, 2019

Isaac and Florence’s Eclectic Zen-Inspired Apartment

Name: Isaac Larose and Florence Provencher Proulx Location: Le Plateau; Montreal, Canada Years lived in: 9 months; Rented If everything you wore looked just like your home, I’d be wearing a kilim rug and antlers on my head — doesn’t sound so cool, right? It’s rare to find a home designed in such an authentic manner that becomes a true reflection of the resident’s personal style, but Isaac and Florence’s home is the exception.

June Bhongjan

Feb 20, 2019

Before and After: A $1300 Pottery Barn Desk Now Has a $60 Doppelgänger

A talented DIYer bought this old desk for $11.25 and managed to transform it into a dead-on knockoff of a $1,299 Pottery Barn desk while adding a clever upgrade in the process. Our intrepid DIYer needed a new desk, but wanted to spend less than $100: I picked up this desk for $11.25 at my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Tess Wilson

Feb 19, 2019

A Genius Hack that Makes Your Retired Toothbrush Better for Cleaning

I went to the dentist today and you know what that means! Yep, another new toothbrush—which means I get to promote (demote?) the one I’m using to my cleaning arsenal. Toothbrushes are the best little tools for cleaning small spaces like window tracks, shower tracks, around the faucets, the drains in the sink, the seams between the vertical and horizontal surfaces of the counter, grout, and so much more.

Shifrah Combiths

Feb 19, 2019

One Thing You Need to Know About Recycling Your Christmas Wrapping Paper

Few things inspire more joy than a collection of beautifully wrapped presents under a Christmas tree! The problem with gift wrap, though, is that it’s often not recyclable. Even though the base of most gift wraps is indeed paper, many have overlays like metallic foil or glitter, have tape stuck to them, are saturated with problematic inks or dye, or are so thin that the fibers aren’t useful for recycling.

Ayn-Monique Klahre

Dec 25, 2018

10 Clever Ways to Reuse All Your Old Wool Sweaters

The first whiff of colder weather makes you dream excitedly about boots and cozy sweater outfits. As you run to the closet to dig out your sweaters, you find… moth holes? Don’t throw out those old sweaters though. Sweaters make perfect upcycle material and can be transformed into a myriad of useful (and cute) DIYs. Check out our favorites below. Teapot cozies keep your tea of choice warm as you settle in for a snug night.

Cat Meschia

Oct 18, 2018

Clever Ways to Reuse All Those Used Toilet Paper Roll Tubes

Toilet paper is a fact of life, as are all the tubes that pile up as you go through it. Sure you can recycle those used rolls, but there’s a much better use for all that cardboard. Here are a bunch of ways to stretch out their humble little lives a little further. If you have a ton of gift wrap in your closet, take a break from buying more and find other ways to package presents. These fruit-themed ones are adorable.

Dabney Frake

Sep 28, 2018

Before and After: An Epic Tale of One Estate Sale Mid-Century Sofa

This estate sale sectional had its issues, but what it lacked in legs it made up for in mice. Don’t let the beautiful backdrop distract you: This sofa needed some serious (read: professional) TLC to go from threadbare and disintegrating to refined and rodent-free. Here’s how this sofa was acquired: The day before I moved 1,000 miles to my current home, I spotted a mid-century sectional sofa at an estate sale and bought it for my new place.

Tess Wilson

Sep 22, 2018

7 Creative Ways to Decorate and Stay Organized with Used K-Cups

Are you addicted to single-serve coffee? We can’t blame you. It’s fast, convenient, and of course, delicious, but unfortunately, also super wasteful. (Even the inventor of the Keurig K-Cup has expressed regret over inventing the technology in the first place.

Caroline Biggs

Sep 16, 2018

Before and After: These Cabinets Got a Wes Anderson-Inspired Makeover

Here we have a perfectly nice entryway console, adaptable to nearly any style with the right knobs. But its owner had something a bit more special and a lot more specific in mind… This is absolutely delightful and I wish it were available in a dress, or perhaps a dress/shoe combo. Pink and green go so well together, and they both pair wonderfully with gold, so the trio is totally fabulous.

Tess Wilson

Aug 9, 2018

This Might Be the Most Universal Storage Hack Ever

One of the greatest gifts the internet ever gave us was fellowship. Your fingertips impulsively tap out a random thought, hit send, and seconds later the entirety of Twitter is liking it and retweeting it in solidarity. Like they’re saying through emoji hearts I know the feeling, too.

Taryn Williford

Jul 30, 2018

9 Weird Ways Clothes Hangers Can Solve Your Life’s Problems

They aren't just for closets.

Dabney Frake

Jun 26, 2018

Why Can’t You Recycle Glass Anymore?

Back in the day (maybe sometime in the ’90s, depending on where you lived) you used to have to separate all your recycling. Paper in one bin, glass and plastic in another. Then single-stream recycling, as it’s called, came along and helped even reluctant residents jump on the recycling bandwagon. So today, without a thought, we can toss all our recyclables into a single bin.

Shifrah Combiths

Apr 17, 2018

9 Big Mistakes People Make When Painting Furniture

Don't let these happen on your watch.

Autumn Hachey

Mar 28, 2018

3 Ways IKEA Makes It Easy to Recycle

As if the stylish and affordable home furnishings weren’t enough of a reason to love IKEA, the store made it their mission to create a streamlined recycling process for their customers. Along with their chic assortment of recycling bins for sale, the Swedish super-retailer offers several convenient ways for customers to recycle their old stuff—think: glass, batteries, furniture, and more—while they’re shopping. Don’t believe us?

Caroline Biggs

Mar 13, 2018

The Paper-Free Gift Wrapping Technique You Need to Try This Year

I did not grow up in a house that delicately opened gifts on Christmas morning. My mother did not collect all the intact gift wrap, fold it carefully and stash it away for another use. We were savages that ripped open presents with abandon. The more shreds I could get out of each box, the longer the unwrapping lasted, which made me a happier child. (My mother did, however, always save gift boxes—the kind you put shirts and pajama sets in—as well as gift bags because she was no fool.

Arlyn Hernandez

Dec 4, 2017

7 Reasons You Should Hang On To Those Paper Grocery Bags

Here are some fun ways to reuse them.

Amelia Lawrence

Nov 22, 2017

These Swedes Tried Out IKEA-Hacking Each Other (& We Love the Results)

November 1st marks the start of Prettypegs’ PrettyHackathon Auction. Why should this interest you? Well, if you’ve been holding onto those less-than-perfect or basic IKEA pieces in hopes of giving them new, exciting life, we’ve just found the ultimate source for makeover ideas and inspiration.

Amelia Lawrence

Nov 1, 2017

The Amazon Hangover Cure: Handling the Packaging Monster, Sustainably

We’re online shopping more than ever and, unfortunately, that means bringing unwanted waste into our homes in the form of cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, and other packing supplies. (A problem that gets especially frustrating when I discover the refrigerator-sized box on my porch actually just contains the single pack of face wipes I ordered).

Taryn Williford

Oct 22, 2017

Clever Ways to Reuse Clothes Hangers Around the House

No more hanging around in the donation box – give them a new purpose!

Amelia Lawrence

Oct 15, 2017

10 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Recycle or Compost

Want to be more mindful while you’re cleaning? You’ve probably got a good handle on the items you can toss into your recycling bins—paper, plastics, glass, aluminum, etc.—but there are also a lot of specialty programs that allow you to recycle other household items to reduce waste and even help people in need.

Brittney Morgan

Aug 8, 2017

Tesla’s Solar Roof Is Actually Cheaper Than a Normal Roof

Just under six months after announcing its Solar Roof, Tesla has finally put a price tag on those eco-friendly solar tiles that look like the real thing — and they’re actually really affordable. Orders are now being taken for the Tesla Solar Roof at a price of $21.85 per square foot, which is nearly 20 percent less than the cost of a normal roof — even without factoring in the energy savings.

Melissa Massello

Jul 29, 2017

5 Ways You Can Organize with Toilet Paper Rolls (Really!)

Stop right there! Before you throw away your next empty toilet paper roll, consider this: with a little effort, you can probably get so much more use out of it (and keep it out of a landfill). From keeping unruly cords at bay to organizing your favorite makeup tools and jewelry, those cardboard tubes can come in incredibly handy. So, sure, you could toss it in the trash, or, you could use it to make your home a more beautiful, organized place with these projects—you decide.

Brittney Morgan

Jan 7, 2017

Before & After: From Drab Desk to Painted Vanity

I was “gifted” this really simple, but classic desk from my boyfriend to use as a makeup table/vanity. While I loved the character, the desk was pretty beat up. There were imprints and scratches on the top and the knobs mismatched. I decided to take on my first larger project in my new apartment and paint the desk an awesome shade of teal gray.

Nora Taylor

Nov 3, 2015

Before & After: Pineapple Pants to Protective Print

After Meghan impulse purchased these workout leggings while traveling, she decided they were too crazy to wear again, but too cute to toss. Good thing she found those pineapples a new purpose: We’re digging the less intense, but still happy pattern and the neon edging! From Meghan: I bought the pineapples pants as a joke since I knew my friends would get a kick out of them. I had no intention of wearing my pineapple pants after that weekend.

Tara Bellucci

Jun 15, 2015

Before & After: Baby Crib Repurposed Into a Headboard

Lucy didn’t have a headboard. And she didn’t have a crib. But when she saw one being thrown away by neighbors the wheels started turning and she snatched it up. But how to make it into a colorful headboard for herself? Clue: she didn’t use paint. Lucy shares: Dilemma: I didn’t have a headboard for my bed, but I also didn’t have the money to spend on one. Solution: My neighbors threw out pieces of a baby crib by the dumpster in my alley. They saw trash.

Carrie McBride

Nov 10, 2014

Before & After: A Mirror Transformation That Will Grow on You

The best before & after projects are those that you will never guess in a million years what they’ll look like. Alex from Northstory completely changes the form and function of these two thrift shop mirrors into a fresh, modern and Scandinavian-inspired planter. Check out the reveal: Totally fabulous and unexpected, right? It takes a special eye and talent to visualize this when spotting those mirrors amongst the junk.

Melissa DiRenzo

Oct 15, 2014

Holiday Inspiration: Book Christmas Trees

The talented ladies at my local public library created a few charming book trees out of a seldom-used set of reference books, a string of lights, and an old, unreadable book. Perhaps you have similar supplies around the house? Your collection of Babysitters’ Club book would make a perky, pastel tree, while the complete works of James Patterson would create a huge and darkly dramatic tree, full of ominous titles such as 1st To Die and Cross Fire.

Tess Wilson

Dec 10, 2013

Before & After: Dial D-I-Y With Vintage Phone Bookend Project

I might belong to the last generation who grew up using these touch tone style handset telephones (aka, the Trimline). I see them pop up regularly at thrift stores, yard sales, and on eBay. They’re commonly found stored away in garages, attics, and closets, disconnected and forgotten.

Gregory Han

Nov 4, 2013

Before & After: Side Table Gets a Herringbone Top On a Budget

Is this “before” image intriguing, or what? Yes, you can see the top of the old crusty side table, but what’s the point of showing it with all those paint sticks on top? This is truly a DIY project I would never have thought of on my own, and I love it!Truly, the folks over at Thistlewood Farms gave this little table an amazing facelift — with paint sticks. They cut them all down to uniform size, applied some stain, and laid them in a herringbone pattern, and the result?

Sarah Dobbins

Feb 19, 2013

Before & After: Brad & Celestyn’s Reclaimed Wood Wall

From Celestyn: This is a pretty great “up-cycle” done by my super talented husband for the front office of our family business, Repla Prints. He broke down old pallets (FREE!!) and aged them by rubbing them with steel wool that had been soaking in apple cider vinegar before putting them onto the wall. He used the ugly existing desk and made an amazing privacy cover around it. The top is 2×6’s glued and clamped together and sanded for a smooth finish.

Tara Bellucci

Feb 15, 2013

Before & After: Stripping Paint to Reveal a Walnut Dresser

Stripping paint often proves time-consuming, frustrating, and sometimes even dangerous — but just as often, it’s worth the effort! This dresser (seen here without its drawers) was found with layers of paint — a thick coat of white being the most recent.The Crafty Canadian (from Crafty in Canada) did some research on the manufacturer and made an educated guess that underneath the layers of paint there would be beautiful solid walnut.

Sarah Dobbins

Aug 7, 2012

Why You Should Keep Your Used Dryer Sheets

While you may have thought dryer sheets have little use beyond the laundry room, there are actually a surprising number of ways they can be used around the home. In fact, they’re phenomenal static reducers, excellent polishers, and perfect for scrubbing grime away from windshields and pans that have spent a day too long in the sink.If you use dryer sheets to keep your clothes lovely-smelling and static-free, don’t throw them away.

Shifrah Combiths

Apr 1, 2008

There Is A Secret Message Hidden In This Candle

Jul 13, 2018

Simple Hacks To Reuse Your Old Pillowcases

Jun 8, 2018

10 Storage Tricks For Small Kitchens

May 23, 2018

7 Things You Should Be Recycling

Jan 5, 2018

AT Test Lab: What Works Best On Coffee Stains?

Sep 26, 2017