Let’s face it. Everybody is trying to be more resourceful these days. Whether it is saving energy, saving the environment, or saving money, we are all interested in doing a little saving wherever possible!

One way to save and to become more resourceful is to try some upcycling. Upcycling generally refers to taking a material that is no longer being used and creating an entirely new higher-quality product or valued piece of art out of it. Upcycling prevents valuable materials from being wasted, and it also reduces the unnecessary environmental impacts of creating new materials for consumption. Upcycling can also be a lot of fun!

Here’s an example of how I upcycled materials in my house to make something new, improved, and very useful. I live in an older home with “charming” older, drafty casement windows. I am always chilly when relaxing on the couch and was considering purchasing a heavy, warm blanket for the winter months. I also have a collection of outdated wool sweaters in storage that I felt too guilty to part with, but the truth is I wasn’t planning on wearing them ever again. The resourceful side of my brain got working and I ended up cutting my sweaters into various squares, stitching the patches together, and upcycling all of that wool into a warm, functional, and stylish quilt! It looks great, and it keeps me warmer than any other blanket in the house!

With 2010 in full swing, and in honor of the “Get Organized” month of January, now might be the perfect time to consider a few upcycling projects of your own. Get creative and think about items stowed away that can be reinvented and put to better use. Have your kids search the house, garage, or yard for items that can be turned into organizational solutions for your learning workspace. The possibilities are endless, but here are a few projects you might want to consider right away:

Wall-Hanging Organizer – Get pencils, supplies, papers and other items off the desk by utilizing a homemade wall hanging organizer. Start with a large piece of sturdy fabric as the backdrop. Search for something in the house that is no longer in use such as an outdated shower curtain, a sturdy blanket, a beach towel, or some sort of canvas that will hold up to the daily use. Be sure to make a rod pocket across the top or devise another way to hang it to the wall before getting too far into the project. Then attach the back pockets of old jeans to the canvas to create the organizing pockets on the hanging. You can also use pockets of shirts or other items of old clothing, but also consider various other sturdy fabrics around the house such as placemats, sheets, cloth napkins, and pieces of leftover fabric from previous sewing projects. Make some pockets small for pencils and other small desk items (jean pockets work great for these), and make other pockets longer for papers, files and larger items. Get the kids involved in finding fabrics that will work. They will love seeing their clever ideas in use every day!

Book Covers – January is time for a fresh start, so why not replace the book covers on your textbooks and also update those old three ring binders? Use old wallpaper, fabrics, t-shirts, placemats, shower curtains, etc. to recover them. Embellish with pockets and fringe. Let your students design their own masterpieces with items found around the house.

Bulletin Boards – Have an old corkboard that is cluttered with outdated papers and projects? Take it down, clear it off, and recover the entire thing with a large piece of fun fabric that reflects your student’s personality and taste. Again, find fabrics from around the house and upcycle them into this fresh, new board. You can also make a crisscross pattern with ribbons to add a decorative touch and also to help hold in loose items. The board’s new look will be sure to inspire organization!

Boxes for Dividers – Since you are in full organization mode now, you probably need dividers, notebook holders, shelves, magazine holders, and drawer organizers. Use old cereal boxes (or any other sturdy boxes left-over from the holidays) to create upright notebook holders (cut the top off at a diagonal to allow easy access). Also use the cardboard to create drawer dividers to avoid the “junk drawer” syndrome. Have a place for everything so clean-up time is painless and easy.

Think Ahead – February is right around the corner, and soon it will be time for Valentine’s cards, gifts and gifts from the heart. Start collecting charming magazine pictures, fun and colorful mail pieces, fabrics, and other household items and start planning an upcycled Valentine’s Day this year!

Hopefully, your upcycling and organizational juices are flowing now. Time to get started! Remember, these projects can be a lot of fun, so be sure to involve your students in the whole process. You can also use the opportunity to talk about upcycling, recycling, and the importance of being resourceful in general. Your students will no doubt come up with clever upcycled solutions, and will be very proud (and more likely to use) these new organizing strategies if they are part of the entire process.

Sandy Philpott is a former educator and owner of Uptown Redesigns (www.uptownredesigns.com), which sells handmade bags and accessories made from upcycled materials.