Iron halved plastic bottles. The results will bring order to your home.

Everyone should know what recycling is. When things are recycled, raw materials that have already been used are processed and reused. On the other hand, upcycling takes waste materials or used objects and converts or upgrades them for a new purpose.

In the following list you'll find upcycling ideas for items of clothing, plastic bottles or for those little packets of silica gel you find in newly-purchased bags, shoes or jackets.

1. Phone holder 

You can find the video instructions for turning a shampoo bottle into a holder to secure your phone while it charges here

2. Handtowel Teddy

The following video will show you how to make the hand towel teddies shown above.

3. Cushion cover

This video shows you how to make a cushion cover from an old T-shirt.

4. Tie dye shirts

You can find a range of different options for tie-dyeing your shirts in this article.

5. Homemade tool belt 

You can see here how to turn an old pair of jeans into a tool belt.

6. Table mosaic made from CDs

You'll find all the instructions for how to create a mosaic tabletop out of CDs here.

7. Tennis ball gripper

You don't need much to turn a tennis ball into a handy holder. You can see exactly how it's done here.

8. Pen and pencil holders

Find out how to turn cans into beautifully decorative pen holders here.

9. Gift ribbon dispenser

The instructions for turning a can into a practical gift ribbon dispenser can be found here.

10. Bathroom storage

You'll find out how cans can create more order in your bathroom in this article.

11. Dog bed from a sweater

You can find out how to make a comfy spot for your dog from an old sweater here

12. Pen and pencil holders

You can also make pen and pencil holders from plastic bottles cut in half and ironed, not just from cans. The exact process is explained here.

13. Bag sealer

You can use halved plastic bottles for other things besides ordering your pencils. They are great for keeping portions of dried foods in plastic bags. Learn more here.

14. Cup

If you need to make a cup out of a plastic bottle, this article has all the answers.

15. Self-watering plant pot

For the instructions on how to turn a plastic bottle into a self-watering plant pot, see here

16. Dispensing cap

For instructions on how to turn the lid of a plastic bottle into a dispensing cap with a tea light and a kebab stick, check out this article.

17. Silica gel in the photo box

Details of six tips for how silica gel can keep a wide variety of daily items in good condition can be found here

The packets protect the photos from sticking together, and from yellowing.

18. Silica gel in the camera case

Protect your camera from fogged up lenses and moisture damage by placing a few of the little packs in the camera case.

19. Silica gel in the gym bag

To hold back the stink from your used sports shoes, place some silica gel in your kit bag with them.

20. Silica gel for the razor

These little gel packs also protect expensive razor blades from rust.

21. Silica gel in between damp clothing

Whether your clothes are wet from the rain or the swimming pool: a few packets of silica gel in between them will mean you can avoid unpleasant odors.

22. Silica gel for your cutlery

In the cutlery draw, the bags prevent your cutlery from tarnishing.

As you can see, even things that were on their way to the trashcan can still have a useful purpose.

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