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5.30.12

What Goes Around Comes Around: Our 5 Favorite Upcycled Leather Goods

What’s cooler than leather and greener than recycled materials?  This is no riddle, we’re talking about hipster brand Poketo’s upcycled leather envelopes, wallets and accessories.  Leather may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of summer, but there’s certainly no chicer way to travel if you’ve got vacation plans!

We’ve rounded up a few of the best recycled leather goods we could find and we think you’ll like them too.  Some of our favorite finds come from Esty’s amazing shops, so we’ve included a few of our favorite vintage and restyled selections from there.  Etsy shops never fails to surprise us!

One reader will win our Poketo giveaway: win a one-of-a-kind upcycled leather card case by leaving us your best ‘upcycling’ tip below and we’ll select the winner!

 

 

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Comments


  1. Mason jars! Every jar from TJs gets saved as kitchen tupperware. I avoid plastic tupperware containers and have ample storage available.

  2. i save empty jars for drinking, vases, etc. also freezes leftover milk beautifully for baking!

    lynn @ the actor's diet | 05.30.2012 | Reply
  3. I had a old wooden dollhouse from when I was younger, that I decided to paint the entirely white and use as a really cool storage unit for nail polishes, perfumes, and other knick knacks that I had lying around. Its almost charming how each room is reserved as a different cubby hole for a different item. Much better than plain shelves, and it adds to the nostalgia in my room decorations.

    Celina | 05.30.2012 | Reply
  4. My tip would be that nothing is trash! Unless it really is trash. Think about things you can use it for before you throw it away! It can really save you money and make your place more interesting. Also have fun with it!
    Things such as glass bottles(I put cloth binding tape on them as a grip and use as an everyday water bottle)
    Shipping boxes(save it for birthday gifts and such! It’s easy to turn it into a cute little eco box)
    Bricks(seriously!) I use them for bookends and bricks with holes in them I use as pencil holders.

    Christine Phu | 05.30.2012 | Reply
  5. Glass bottles! My hubby and I like wine and spirits quite a bit so I use them for vases and decor as much as possible. I just recently discovered upcycling bottles by outfitting them with a Method spray topper for homemade cleaning solutions. I can’t wait until I’ve gotten rid of all the ugly plastic bottles we have at home. The next step is a glass cutting kit to make my own tumblers.

    Candice | 05.30.2012 | Reply
  6. wrapping paper! Recycle a cute sheet and stick it in a frame – gold or black, with or without a mat. Hang alone above a fireplace, or in a series with several other designs. Cheapest free art ever!

  7. I try to reuse as much as possible.. I have a garage sale every year .. one mans trash is one mans treasure! I also donate items, if clothes are not wearable , we cut them up for rags and I use the buttons for bracelets for my granddaughter & art work. We are cutting down on plastics & we take reusable bags when we shop. I reuse all shipping boxes and brown envelopes.

    Nadine | 05.31.2012 | Reply
  8. I found some old baking tins like bread tins, muffin tins, and ring pans. I planted succulents in them and they are the cutest thing. On my blog.

    Shari | 05.31.2012 | Reply
  9. One of my favorite things to repurpose is yoga mats. When it’s time to upgrade your yoga mat, there are so many things you can do with your old one. You can cut it into pieces to line drawers so things don’t move around. You can make a sleeve for your coffee cup instead of using cardboard ones every day. You can cut it into circles to make coasters or jar openers. You can make a protective laptop/iPad/Kindle case by cutting two pieces a little larger than your device and hot glue three of the sides together. You can cut small pieces and put them under the legs of chairs or tables to protect floors. You can basically use it for any situation where you need to increase grip or provide a cushion. The possibilities are endless!

    Donna F. | 05.31.2012 | Reply
  10. Whenever I have a box from items like beauty gift sets, I always find another use for the boxes instead of simply throwing them away. Most of these boxes tend to be very pretty and decorative already. I recently had a box from a fragrance gift set which my daughter now uses to organize all of her nail polishes.

    Adele | 05.31.2012 | Reply
  11. Have a girlfriends clothes and purses swap party. Or you can swap jewelry. Great way to recycle and get “new” things for your wardrobe!

    Joanne P. | 06.01.2012 | Reply
  12. CONGRATULATIONS, JOANNE! YOU’VE WON OUR POKETO GIVEAWAY!
    THANK YOU READERS FOR ALL THE GREAT TIPS AND TRICKS!

    The Chalkboard | 06.04.2012 | Reply
  13. I am flattered but confused by the top picture which appears to be a doctored one of my products with a few plain envelope purses pasted in. Although there’s no such thing as bad publicity, there is such a thing as misleading publicity. The spotty pouches are mine, not poketo.

    ellen | 11.04.2013 | Reply

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