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Oh! Don't mind me, I'm just shopping for a few new things for my home.
Hey, look at this! And these!
Stay Cheap!
Hey, I'm Jeff Yeager, the ultimate cheapskate and host of The Cheap Life.
Reduce, re-use, recycle.
It's the cheapskate credo!
But today,
'upcycling' is all the rage. That's when you find creative ways to re-use and recycle
would be throw-aways
so that the final product is actually better and more upscale than the original.
*trumpet fanfare*
And you know me,
I'm nothing if I ain't upscale!
Everyone has a few of these laying around. This project is simple and elegant.
Take a basic paving brick,
transplant a cactus or small herb,
add a votive candle, and viola! A lovely upcycled centerpiece.
Or you can decorate with pottery shards, colorful bits of glass, even bottle caps
or old buttons to make a show stopping door stopper.
Looking at every day objects differently is at the heart of
upcycling. For instance, I made this wine rack from the head of an old garden rake.
Dang, I'm good!
When it comes to lamps and lighting, upcycling is definitely a bright idea.
Sure, you can fill your home with boring, expensive department store lamps, but why would
you want to when you can do this?
Or this?
Or, you remember this? LJ: Check us out on Pinterest for more info on all
the projects in this video, and share your craftiest upcycling projects with me
for a chance to win a $50 gift card! Jeff: It's time for a Cheapskate Shout-out!
Dan Phillips, founder of the Houston area building initiative called Phoenix
Commotion,
designs and builds entire homes using recycled and salvaged materials.
Everything from leftover lumber and drywall, to cork and paper mâché floors;
even license plates and cattle bones.
Now many of the homes Dan builds are for low-income families and Phoenix Commotion teaches job skills through it's
apprenticeship program. Thanks for being such a cheapskate champion, Dan.
In honor of the endless upcycling possibilities, I'm adding one more "R" to the
cheapskate credo:
re-think.
So before you throw that away...
I'm Jeff Yeager for The Cheap Life! Stay crafty and stay cheap!
A big cheapskate congratulations to Susan Blook...!
Susan... Beekyl?
...Susanbkl, winner of a $50 gift card for her clever cheapskate
gardening tip!
Be sure to check out some of my other videos,
and don't forget to subscribe; it's free!