Upcycled Design Lab Blog

The Trouble With Dogs and Another Pickle Juice Repair - Dogs vs Cats Episode 2

There is a war being waged in our little household. There are no clear rules of engagement, just the relentless battle between the cats and the dogs, to see who can cause the most damage. Innocent nick nacks, furniture and apparel have been caught in the crossfire. Pillows have been mended, wiring replaced, shoes forfeited, plants relocated and floors continually swept to counter the endless barrage of pet hair. As yet no victor has been declared in the epic battle of Dogzillas vs Cat Monsters. It is, however, apparent that the humans have lost. :-) Not quite ready to wave... Read more →

The Trouble With Cats and The Making Of A Pickle Juice Chair - Episode 1 Dogs vs Cats

Would you ever consider recovering your furniture with this stuff? No? Well, maybe you would just like to giggle at the account of someone who did. ***** This is the tale of the great cat claw caper other wise known as the story of how I came to re-cover a chair with pickle juice, gelatin and twine. To be clear there are no typo's or incorrectly auto corrected words in that last sentence and perhaps more importantly I have not been drinking today. Well, not yet. Scouts honer, I really did re-cover a chair with twine and I used all... Read more →

Star Spangled Jewelry Upcycle

Hello, I do hope you had a wonderful fourth of July Weekend, last week, if you are here in the States. Or a lovely week in general if you are elsewhere in the world. If you stopped by last week you will know that l made this crazy pair of flag shoes to wear to a fourth of July party. So in the spirit of, if you are going to do something, why not over do it? I made this jewelry to go along with my other patriotic garb. l mean, why not? l already had the paint. Right? The... Read more →

Upcycled Fourth of July Shoe Fun

It is hard to believe that it is the 4th of July weekend already. The days are getting shorter again and here in Colorado it won't be long before there is a crisp coolness in the evening air signaling the approach of fall. Fall in Colorado is actually a beautiful season but the kid in me still wants summer to last forever. And on that topic (the one about staying young at heart or at least trying too) we have been invited to an annual 4th of July party on Monday. Last year and years previous I have, at the... Read more →