Upcycling has become increasingly popular in recent years, and with good reason. In uncertain economic times, people are always on the lookout for simple ways to repurpose things that would normally wind up being thrown away. For some people, finding increasingly clever ways to repurpose everyday items has become almost an obsession.

Inventive ways to put things you plan to throw away into good use.

Here are a number of fabulous upcycling ideas you can put into use, starting today!

1. Instant planters!

If you’re interested in growing some of your own food cheaply, a great, simple solution is to repurpose empty coffee cans. A bit of paint can turn them into decorative, perfectly functional planters. You can use these  to grow anything your hear desires.

2. Additional Closet Space

If storage for clothes and other items is at a premium in your home, there’s a shockingly simple solution. An old folding chair is all you need. Simply mount it to the wall and unfold it into its “sitting” position. This will not only serve as a perfectly usable shelf but also a rod to hang clothes on.

3. Instant Shelf

If you need a quick way to create an instant shelf, simply scour Craigslist’s free section for free bedroom furniture. You can pull the drawers out of any chest of drawers and mount them onto a wall. With a wooden slat placed in the center, you can create two shelves for your room in a matter of minutes.

4. Instant Bulletin Board

The same idea with free furniture can also be used to make an instant bulletin board. Just take a drawer out from a chest of drawers you picked up for free, glue some cork board into the bottom of it, and mount it on the wall. Done!

5. Drinking glasses

With a Dremel tool and a bit of patience, you can cut the tops off glass beer or soda bottles and grind the edges smooth. This creating a distinctive set of glasses you can use for your next dinner party.

6.Quick Throw Pillows

If you have a collection of old tee shirts (especially tee shirts with fun designs or sayings on them) and are handy with needle and thread, you can turn these into fun throw pillows in no time flat. If you don’t have proper stuffing for the pillow, you can even use other old tee shirts, or any bits of old cloth you have handy. You can use he exact same idea with any old sweaters you might have.

7. Apothecary Jars

You can create an instant, vintage-looking apothecary jar by taking an empty pickle jar and gluing an unused drawer pull onto the top. This is a quick and super-easy way to take items that might have otherwise found their way into the garbage, and giving them a new lease on life.

There are, of course, tons of other ideas like this. Only your imagination can limit you. Therefore, use these ideas to get your mind turning on the subject. And as you start looking around your house at the things you plan to throw away, you’ll start thinking of all sorts of crazy and inventive upcycling uses to put them to!