Where to Find Furniture to Upcycle?

So it’s all well and good knowing what you want to upcycle and how to upcycle. But what we need to know is where to find furniture to upcycle? For example, you might want to upcycle a desk or chair but you need to get said desk or chair in order to upcycle it.

Wicker Paradise’s upcycled trolley.

Where to find furniture to upcycle? – Online marketplaces

There are a few different options you have when it comes to the acquisition of materials for upcycling furniture. First, one option is to search through local classified markets. Online markets such as the facebook marketplace and shpock are great places to start with potentially free items to take away. Other sources for potentially free places to find where to find furniture to upcycle such as gumtree or freecycle.

Where to find furniture to upcycle? – Asking friends and family

Another option is to ask around any friends, families or neighbours if they have anything they need to get rid of. Someone wanting to take parts such as old furniture of peoples hands is great as many people won’t bother to go to the skip or pay to dispose of something. As an upcycler we would obviously prefer to stop anything going to the skip if we can help it. One of the main reasons for the upcycling process is preventing the disposal of products. Anything we can do to reuse materials and reduce the amount of waste in this world can make an impact. A great feature of upcycling is to show off what amazing work that can be done with things that were potentially going to landfill.

Where to find furniture to upcycle? – Ask nearby businesses

Another idea on where to find furniture to upcycle is to ask nearby businesses. There are many business parks and industrial estates around where you may find these businesses have scrap materials they want to get rid of. A quick google search, email or phone call to a local businesses could be a great way to get the material you need. Projects that make use of material which usually is sent to the skip is a massive win for upcycling. Using these materials will benefit the environment. Local businesses will also benefit. And if you own a shop or want to sell your upcycled products then you aswell!

Where to find furniture to upcycle? – Charity shops and car boot sales

A few options to get some cheap materials are to search in charity shops and car boot sales. These have both become havens for finding treasure in many industries. However, one way people like to get rid of their unwanted furniture and other bits and pieces is by giving it away to charity or selling it at a car boot sale. A benefit of this is that whilst getting a product ready for upcycling you are also giving to charity (double win!). Also, car boot sales are found locally which helps from making long drives trying to find material you are after. Both these options are great ways of looking where to find furniture to upcycle.

Pallets are great for upcycling.

How do you upcycle wood furniture?

Wood furniture is great for recycling as it is easy to work with. It’s easy to see why wooden furniture is one of the most popular choices when it comes to upcycling. Well now you know where to find furniture to upcycle, it’s time to know how to upcycle wood furniture. First, you will need to know if the wood furniture you are going to work on is good enough quality to work on. Have a look at this post for further information on checking the wood quality of the furniture. For specifics on how to upcycle wooden furniture and how to upcycle in general read here.

Upcycling options

Painting the wooden furniture is an option. Another option is to apply an adhesive contact paper of a cool design or pattern. You can also perform some nice upholstery if you want to make a chair or something like that. There are some fascinating upcycling furniture projects on instagram and pinterest to look at for some great inspiration. You will find great inspiration looking at some amazing designs found there. Also, why not ask on the forum for ideas and advice on the projects you want to start. Keep your eye out on the blog for some great upcycling ideas.

How do you upcycle an old table?

Upcycling an old table can be completed just like upcycling any other wooden furniture. First, you will need to know where to find furniture to upcycle. Also, is this already a table or will you be building a table from other materials. Next, you will either have to plan your design or plan your table build. If you are stuck for table design ideas, you can find inspiration on instagram and pinterest. If you are considering building the table yourself, make sure you have all the right equipment and materials. The beauty of upcycling is that you can make it as simple or as complicated as you want. It’s always upto you, as a creative reuser, to do things how you see fit. If you are unsure at any point please ask for advice on the forum.

If you only have a table top and you want some trendy legs to go with it, there are many stores willing to sell different styles of table legs to go with your design. On the other hand, as an upcycler, you can always just make your own legs if you are comfortable enough to do so. The creation of a table top and legs to go with it defines what upcycling is all about. This will make your piece totally unique.

Where can I sell my upcycled furniture?

Many people have started making a living from upcycling. In recent times, an increase movement towards being green and more environmentally friendly this has directly helped the upcycling movement. Coupled with fascinating designs people have made, upcycling does appear to be quite a lucrative business prospect. Lots of people do take pride in their DIY work and some may want to make a living out of it. You will now see many upcycling shops out there all selling their fabulously upcycled pieces. As stated earlier, an upcycled piece of furniture is absolutely unique and bespoke, hence the prices.

You can see that people selling their upcycled furniture have put hours and hours of blood, sweat and tears into their work and this creates amazing results. Of course, who wouldn’t want to buy furniture like this that you cannot get anywhere else. Another thing is that some people may struggle to get the time to upcycle but love the designs and the environmental impact. They would much rather support an small local business than a batch produced design that everyone has. In conclusion, there is no end to the sales you could achieve selling your own upcycled furniture. Not to mention if you’ve started to develop a bit of an addiction, selling your pieces are a great way to create more space.

Online stores

You will find the majority of small upcycling shops on etsy. Etsy have become renowned for their craft based online stores which anyone can start selling from. Also, the larger companies such as amazon and ebay can also be used. However, as etsy is known for the craft and home made culture, you may find preference selling on there. Although, amazon and ebay will have more buyers, etsy would seem to be a more dedicated audience to sell to.

There are countless outdoor markets and events which you may want to sell your brilliantly upcycled goods. Many people make a living from travelling around setting up their stalls and selling their home made products. However, remember to select your markets wisely and in line with your pricing structure. For example, you will be less likely to sell at a car boot sale where everyone else is selling their products at a much lower price. It’s more likely than if you are looking for where to find furniture to upcycle, it will be at a car boot sale.