Pinterest has captured the attention of the Do-It-Yourself world with thousands of crafts and projects that feature object upcycling. Upcycling is the process of converting useless products into new materials or products of better quality. The goal of upcycling is to prevent wasting potentially useful materials by making use of  existing ones. This reduces the consumption of new raw materials, reducing  air pollution, water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and also reduces energy usage.

      Think about all the odd items lying about that can be used as planters in the garden. Take the old rusty toolbox and fill it with pansies.   Use an old guitar and hang it on the wall with ivy geranium trailing out of it. Grab wicker baskets, old shoes or a toy dump truck and fill it with summer flowers to add charm in your garden.

      The garden is not the only location that upcycling can be creative.  Take for instance the tin cans that remain after we have eaten our green beans or used our coffee grounds. Recycling them is not an option - throwing them away is not an environmentally friendly choice - upcycling them instead can lead to a creative container garden, an organized desk or a beautiful  centerpiece for a party. Mason jars and empty glass bottles can all be used similarly. 

     Ace is now on Pinterest-

so head to 

http://pinterest.com/acehardware/ and search for an upcycling idea that catches your eye. Let your inner creativity flow and with a few tools and additional materials, you can re-purpose old items to new uses. 

     Whether you call in recycling or upcycling think of the satisfaction of  Doing-It-Yourself and creatively saving money!  

 ~Telma Weatherford

    Today people have become extremely crafty and eco-friendly when it comes to DIY projects. One unique object that has made an impression on many, mostly women, are pallets.

     Pallets can be used for a variety of things: 

•  Vertical gardening
•  A part of your home décor to hang pictures from
•  Have sayings painted on them
•  Furniture to sit on
•  Gardening tool rack
•  Bookshelf
• Coat rack
• Shoe rack and so much more.

     Social media sites, like Pinterest, show DIY projects and with pallets it makes them look rustic and stylish all at the same time.

     From rough edged and dirty to stylish and rustic here are a few items that we carry to help you along the way:

• Sander or sand paper
• Paint and Primer
• Brushes
• Hooks
• Nails
• Hand saw if you want to cut them in half

   So with a little TLC you can take a dirty pallet and turn it into a stylish re-purposed piece.  

~Kimberly Koops