Five upcycling office projects you can start today

Does your office or home workspace need a bit of a revamp? We’ve picked five upcycling office projects you can start today to inspire you!

Is the space where you work looking a bit tired? Perhaps your hand me down desk is looking a little worn (less shabby chic, and more just shabby…!), or the chair you sit on needs a spruce up?

Instead of heading down to Ikea and picking up some brand new furniture with very little personality, take some time to upcycle elements in your office and turn it into a space that reflects you.

Five upcycling office projects you can start today

To inspire you, business wirer Patrick Vernon has picked five upcycling projects you can start today.

1) Pallet seating

Most work spaces need at minimum a desk, a chair and some basic storage. But have you ever considered another seating area for those moments when you need a brake from your screen and space to think?

That’s where pallet seating comes in. It’s so easy to DIY – check out these designs and consider creating something similar. You can pick up pallets from farms in your local area, or fruit and veg sellers. Remember to give them a good scrub before using!

Create your seating to your desired size and shape (nail guns and a saw are the best tools for this job) then attach some wheels to the bottom so the furniture is easily maneuverable – like these castors from Tente UK.

Once they’re finished you can use this area for when you want to catch up on a podcast between jobs, or perhaps when you’ve had a busy morning and need somewhere to take that afternoon nap!

2) Craft storage

Many home offices and workspaces are used for crafting, and if this is the case for your space then you’re going to love this next upcycling idea.

Take an old spice rack and jars and clean thoroughly. Paint the holder in a colour of your choice, and use the jars to hold your small craft supplies, such as pom poms, sequins, thread.

Or you can use the spice jars for stationery, filling them with with drawing pins, paperclips and sharpeners.

3) Tin can storage

How many perfectly good tins do you throw away a week? Why not transform them into desk storage for your pens and other stationery instead?

Simply take an old can, clean it thoroughly and peel the label off. Then take some paint – pastel colours always look great and work in any space – then paint halfway up the can. Leave to dry and voila, you have some fantastic new desk storage to keep everything neat and tidy.

4) Cork noticeboard

Do you love wine? Need somewhere to put those post-it note reminders throughout the day? Or just fancy a space where you can pin your favourite photos and mementos?

If so, this tutorial from Nifty is for you! Using old wine corks and a photo frame border it shows you how to create a fun, unusual noticeboard that can be customised to complement your office space.

5) Phone holder

Your phone is probably within handy reach when you’re working. nSo why not give it its very own holder to ensure you never miss a call?

Using toilet roll tubes, washi tape and some drawing pins you can create a holder that looks great and does the job. Simply cover the toilet roll tube in the tape, cut out a neat space for your phone to sit inside and then push four pins into the bottom of the tube to act as feet and support the device so it can stand upright.

Alternatively, if you’re a Game of Thrones fan then this DIY holder may be right up your street!