57 Times Artists Took Trash And Made It Into Treasure
I love art in all forms, but I’ve always had a special appreciation for artists who can make something incredible out of materials other people would throw away. There’s something extra satisfying about creativity that also cuts down on waste and gives old junk a second life.
That’s what makes these upcycled pieces so impressive. They’re not just beautiful or clever, they’re built from scraps, discarded objects, and things most of us would never look at twice.
These artists took trash and turned it into treasure, and the results are genuinely amazing.
1. This Art Made Out Of Waste Electrical Wires
2. Made Monopoly Mirror Out Of Old Monopoly Board
3. My Wife Painted Some Bread Bag Clip Things
4. I Made A Sun Catcher Using My Empty Insulin Vials
5. I Made This Doll Out Of Fabric Scraps
6. Self Prescribed Art Therapy By GBS Survivor. All Made From Recycled Skateboards
7. Made A Bunch Of Things From Some Damaged Jeans I Was Given
8. Headphones + Neck Tie
9. “Hokusai’s Great Wave”, Me, Recycled Wine Foils On Wood Block, 2020
10. Tricerahops Sculpture At Ninkasi – Recycled Chrome Motorcycle Parts
11. I Made A Teddy Bear Out Of My Old Jeans
12. I Made A Dress From A 1990s Vintage Bed Sheet
13. Wall Art From Old T-Shirts
14. I Made This Years Gift Wrapping With Paper Aldi Bags, A Magazine I Found For Free, And Old Ribbon From My Craft Stash
15. The Lone Prince, Recycled Materials On Glass
16. Recycled-Newspaper Wings, Papier-Mache Clay
17. I Created Wall Art Out Of An Abandoned Piano
18. Cocktail Glass Made From A Mountain Valley Water Bottle
19. I Turned An Old Suitcase Into A Cat Bed
20. I’ve Made More Street Scenes In Recycled Paint Cans
21. A Cigarette Vending Machine Recycled Into An Art Vending Machine
22. Charizard Wall Art, 100% Recycled Pokemon Cards. Who Should I Make Next?
23. I Made This 10ft Scarf Out Of Yarn Waste
24. Painting Outdoor Garden Art
25. Christmas Decorations Made From A Tomato Puree Tube
26. I Made Some Pencil Cases And Makeup Bags From A Vintage Garfield Bedsheet
27. Reclaiming My Kids Old Toys Into Art
28. Sparkly Party Confetti
29. Recently Made A Poster From Boxes Of Sneakers I Wear Everyday. Never Plan To Sell Them Nor Do I Use The Boxes For Display So Recycled Them Into Some Art
30. I Upcycle Vhs Cases Into Lamps. This Is My Latest Edition – Aliens 1986 Japanese Cover Art
31. I Made This Snail Out Of Things I Picked Up Off The Beach
32. Made This With Recycled Items! A Plastic Cookie Container, Milk Cartons, Old Clothes, Wine Corks
33. These Rucksacks Are Made From A Small Percentage Of The Endless Packaging That I Recycle/ Hope It Gets Recycled
34. I Made Neverlight Grove Completely Out Of Recycled Materials And Finally Finished It
35. Brussel Art Man Made Of Coca Cola Tins
36. Broken Glass Art That I Made
37. Tires Recycled As A Minion Garden Art
38. I Made This Upcycled Makeup Pouch Out Of A Blue Jean
39. Couldn’t Resist, Not Very Often You Get A Big Box To Play With
40. Can’t Afford LEGO
41. Skyscraper (The Bruges Whale) – Studio KCA. Plastic Sculpture Of A Whale In The Utrecht Canal Catharijnesingel, The Netherlands
42. Perpetuum, Me, Recycled Materials, 2023
43. Wings, Recycled Cups
44. My Ex-Boyfriend Trashed My Vinyl- So I Made A Collage
45. A Wind Vane With A Sea Ball For The Windart Exhibition In Travemunde
46. Trash Talking Turtle
47. Stephanie’s Hedgehog – Made Out Of A Book Someone Had Thrown Away! So Impressed By All The Recycled Art Creators
48. Wanna Know How I Perceive Q! Antoine?
49. Marco Cavallo Del XXI Secolo – Edoardo Malagigi
50. I Made This From None Recyclable Crisp Packets, Its Pretty Impractical But Designed To Be A Statement
51. Voodoo In Wondrland, By Me, Mixed Reused Materials, 2022
52. A Monolith I Made From Tree Bark And Recycling Bin Junk
53. Soda Tab Chain I Made A Few Years Ago
54. Rubbish Art, Bank Of America, London
55. Scratch, Me, Reused Amazon Cardboard Boxes, 2021
56. I Recycled Plugs That Didn’t Fit Me To Make A Nice 2” Pair
57. A Paper Monsters Made From Recycled Cardboard And Cardstock, Painted With Watercolors
