Upcycling Wallets

Although recycling has certainly become a trendy phenomenon for many different campus clubs, families, and eco-friendly businesses, another trend is also starting to take place. This trend banks in on changing the common perceptive of "recycling" meaning "reusing something to make something else that looks trashier than the original." Because of this common (although primarily false) perception, many individuals are promoting a new concept that is focused on encouraging the trend of re-using recyclable materials while changing others' negative viewpoint of recycling. "Upcycling," as this new trend is dubbed is just like recycling in all of the basic principles, with the main difference that upcycling encourages individuals to re-use common, every materials for more "glorified" purposes. Thus items are not just continuing in their first state of being; instead, they are being promoted up to other uses. Upcycling also does not require individuals to pass their materials through a corporate body in order to change their form; since upcycling is primarily still in the elementary stages of development, it is more of a concept than an officially organized company's work.

Upcycling is most likely taking place all around you, with some companies promoting fun and fashionable items such as purses made out of recycled coke bottle wrappers, old newspapers, or even subway pamphlets and tickets. One fun and easily affordable way to jump on the upcycling train is by making your own wallet. By just grabbing a few old items from around your house, you can turn trash into a fully functional wallet, thus employing the basic principle of upcyling.

Perhaps the oldest and most well-known form up an upcycled wallet is a duct tape wallet. Duct tape, best know for its "fix it all" ability can easily be turned into a fully functional and personalized wallet. To do make your own duct tape wallet, simply use an old wallet as a model for length and pocket dimensions. Once you have measured out the lengths of your desired wallet, stick both sides of the sticky section of the duct tape towards each other so that your wallet is actually functional and not sticking onto anything you put in it or put it near. To make the driver's license pocket, just upcycle some clear packing or strips of scotch tape for a clear covering to this pocket.

Another more innovative and less known method of creating an upcycled wallet is from old strips of corrugated cardboard. Both lifehacker.com and instructables.com are full of great ideas for how to do this best without making a tacky looking wallet. The best designs generally involve cutting strips of craft paper to cover and seal the edges of the wallet, with a coat of leather colored paint and a clear craft varnish to seal it all in.

Hopefully the trend of upcycling will continue as the concept of recycling continues to grow in popularity. However, it remains true that since much of upcycling revolves around individuals taking the initiative to turn their old trash into useful treasures, the success of upcycling lies mainly in the consumer's hands. Go out, clean out your garage, and find creative ways to upcycle articles that will otherwise find themselves filling up nature's landfills.