NOT a load of rubbish
Upcycler Max McMurdo tells Sam Wylie-Harris why crafters will love beautifying their binned items
UPCYLING is far from new. From a mum freshening up some trousers or a shirt for a younger sibling to the Amish and their quilts, we’ve been doing it forever.
But modern minds have jumped on the trend and the message of transforming the old into something better as practical and clever.
“I really believe that waste can be beautifully upcycled,” said Max McMurdo, eco-designer and TV presenter.
“Just because an item can no longer fulfil its original purpose doesn’t mean it can’t work really well as something else.
“I started upcycling 18 years ago and people didn’t understand what I was doing, they thought I was a mad hippy.”
Chatty and fun, Max lives in a 40ft shipping container which he converted into a floating home and admits it’s the most ambitious thing he has upcycled.
“It’s fantastic and I love it,” he said. “I had the bright idea that if I’m telling people what to do, I must do it on the biggest scale of all and upcycle a home.
“My lampshades are old jelly moulds and my table’s a washing machine drum.”
On Pinterest, a lot of people stick to one material when upcycling but for Max, successful design and upcycling is all about mixing materials, like wood and glass or metal and leather.
He said: “With a wash drum table, I put a light bulb inside that streams out of the holes, with a piece of glass on top.”
Working with reclaimed materials takes creativity and a little bit of effort. But just because you’re upcyling, it doesn’t mean it should be any less beautiful in terms of design and aesthetic.
Max said: “You’ll be amazed how many things you can reuse in a really cool way.”
He has partnered with Heinz for their Handmade with Heinz campaign, which aims to inspire people to upcycle household items and waste – like used tins.
Here’s how to get a foot on the crafting ladder…
Upcycle old pallets into garden furniture
You’ll need: Used wood pallets, castor wheels (available in sets of four), selection of cushions. Steps: Pick up free wood pallets from a shop, industrial estate or farm – don’t be afraid to ask.
Screw castor wheels to each corner of the bottoms of the pal l ets to make them manoeuvrable (they come with holes and are easy to affix).
Double stack the pallets for the right height. Sand the pallets down lightly to avoid splinters, then wax to seal and make them weather resistant. Add some cushions. Top Tip: Amazon sells Cuprinol Garden Furniture Stain Exterior Wood Care (£15) to seal pallets from the weather and keep them looking smarter for longer.
Upcycle a wooden ladder into a shelf
You’ll need: An old wooden ladder, some nick-nacks and anything you want to hang on it. Steps: Find an old wood ladder. A neighbour or a friend might have one. Prop securely against a wall and use as a quirky shelf. You can hang it with anything, including clip-on lights or fairy lights. This also works as a towel rack in bathrooms. Top tip: This one works well for rental properties, as you don’t need to attach anything to walls.
Upcycle old books into a knife block
You’ll need: Four to five old books ( from a charity shop if you don’t have spares), strong string. Steps: Prop books upright, next to each other. Wind a piece of string around them a few times and tie tightly. Pop knives in and place on kitchen top. Top tip: Create art with books by folding pages into a pattern or words. For more on #handmadewithhe inz campaign, check out Heinz UK and Ma x McMurdo on Instagram.