How To Profit From DIY Upcycling

Image Credit

The trend of upcycling looks like it’s here to stay, and presuming you’re even a little bit handy when it comes to DIY, upcycling offers a creative, cheap and environmentally friendly way to add a personal touch of character and depth to your home.

There are significant environmental benefits to upcycling, as it minimises the volume of waste being sent to landfill whilst also reducing the need for raw materials (such as wood) which leads to a reduction in air and water pollution, less deforestation, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The social benefits of producing your own items are significant, as upcycling creates a sense of accomplishment and pride whilst being a fantastic channel for self-expression and creativity; the end result being a world away from the mass produced machine made products you would find in most modern homes.  Upcycled products add a layer of depth and character that machine made products rarely contribute toward.

Okay, so we know that upcycling is a cool trend that clearly adds value to one’s home, but is there any money to be made in upcycling from a commercial perspective, and if so, what do you need to get started?

Well, in short, the answer is yes.  With sites like etsy boasting over 30 million items for sale that are hand crafted (some of which upcycled) by people just like you – the time to make money from upcycling has never been better!  This article is going to sum up the five fundamental aspects you require to profit from upcycling.

RAW MATERIALS

To upcycle, you need to start with something.  This can become a fun scavenger hunt whether that’s roaming around the beach, through thrift stores, or even dumpster diving!  

DIY TOOLS

The first thing you’re going to need are some tools, as there’s a limit to what anyone can achieve without the correct tools, particularly a decent saw.  In a recent article, Total Nerds compared the latest circular saws looking at the contrast between circular saws and table saws.  In addition, a decent sewing machine can come in very handy if you are working with fabric.

DIGITAL PRESENCE

The majority of things you are going to sell will be sold via the internet – in particular sites like etsy.com offer a wonderful opportunity for makers to tout their wares, eBay is a huge marketplace, Amazon has some exceptional technology to connect you with the right buyers, and shopify makes selling anything super simple.

CAPTIVATING PHOTOGRAPHS

You’ll want to capture your item in the best light, and one of the most effective ways to do that is to frame it within a suitable context that makes people want to buy – in particular, this context should be one of aspiration and luxury.

A NICHE

Having a niche that you become known for is a great way to position yourself as a boutique leader within a particular subsection of the market; as an example, perhaps your theme is focused on driftwood.  You could take that one step further and focus solely on driftwood mirrors, but the point is, the more well known you become for producing top quality items within a particular category the more recommendations you will get; meaning the more money you will make.

Speak Your Mind

*