upCYCLE January 14 2015, 2 Comments

DIY is blowing up Pinterest...and our Pinterest is not immune.  We are particularly interested in repurposing to create useful items (not so much into the bike wheel becomes a clock, or gears stack into a Christmas tree).

This tutorial uses old tires, blocks of wood and rubber cement (plus a drawer pull and some wood stain if you want to be fancy) to make unique stampers.  These could go well with paper bags or brown kraft paper to make cool cards or gift wrap.

If you've got some old drop bars, you can make a bike hanger.  Simple ones are easy, or you can evoke the whole decorate-with-antlers craze.

In the Portland area, Bike Farm has regular crafting nights for folks who want to get together and create with bike gear.  This group also holds a yearly sale, which is not exclusive to upcycling, but has lots of it to offer.  If you are locationally challenged, it would be worth it to give Bike Farm a call, they're well-networked and can probably help you connect with someone near you.

Panniers are great for commuting, and making your own by upcycling a backpack may be just the thing you're looking for.

Pallets can make all kinds of things on the cheap...hop on the trend and make a bike rack by pulling out a few slats (though we wouldn't ever recommend locking your bike to a pallet!)  Watch out for loose nails and keep this in a well-protected yard or tidy garage.  

If you've been to all the fancy suburb garage sales and still not found the bike trailer of your dreams, this complex but cool pallet trailer idea may be just what you need.