Giving forgotten items a new life for Upcycling Day

18 Jun 2026

Upcycling Day, on June 24, is an annual international celebration that promotes transforming discarded items into new, useful products. It encourages environmental sustainability and waste reduction by keeping materials out of landfills.

If you’ve got an old table, desk, cabinet, spare pallets, or anything that needs a bit of love, we can show you how to give it a brand-new life! Most projects will follow similar steps, which involve a bit of prep, primer and your chosen paint or stain, plus an optional top coat.

Take a look at these two popular projects for some inspiration:

Making your own bench bar

This portable bench, made from wooden upcycled pallets, is equally useful as a kitchen island, a garage work bench or a drinks bar. Ours is painted in Resene Spanish Green with a timber top stained in Resene Colorwood Dark Rimu. Click here for the steps to make your own bench out of pallets.

Upcycling a vintage cabinet

This family heirloom was too precious to give up. Check out how Sarah Beedell transformed her grandfather’s cabinet into a stylish bedside coffee unit. With the help of Resene Welcome and Resene Colorwood Matai, the cabinet has been given a new life while keeping the memory of her loved one close. Click here to see the project and steps.

Published: 18 Jun 2026