Upcycling
Our Upcycling team, based at The Depot, consists of two professional upcyclers and more than 40 talented volunteers. Together, they transform furniture donations and second-hand homeware into one of a kind, statement pieces for your home.
From an upcycled table to recovering the chairs to go with it, our Upcycling team's creativeness in producing preloved products supports our commitment to sustainability by reducing landfill waste. On top of that, the income generated from the resale of these items helps to raise vital funds, enabling Garden House Hospice Care to continue providing its specialist, compassionate care in North Hertfordshire and surrounding villages in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
What is upcycling?
Upcycling is the process of renovating unwanted or discarded items into products of higher value, quality, or purpose. Unlike recycling, which often breaks materials down into raw components, upcycling preserves existing materials and extends their lifespan. This includes:
Sanding
Painting and decorating
Sewing and embroidery
Carpentry
Upholstery
Our services
Transforming furniture donations
Following a house clearance or furniture collection, our Upcycling team will rescue items such as dressing tables, wardrobes, sideboards and chest of drawers and breathe new life into them. Whether it’s a vibrant seasonal makeover or restoring something back to its raw state, the preloved goods are then sold in The Depot Shop and our flagship stores in Letchworth, Baldock and Hitchin.
Upcycling fabric and upholstery
There’s no end to our team’s talent - they also accept donations of fabric and wallpaper to create a range of high quality upcycled products, including tote bags, wash bags and cushion covers. They’ll even upholster chairs and footstools, leaving them as good as new - or perhaps as good as old if sticking to a popular antique or vintage style!
Upcycling workshops
The team hold regular workshops to share their upcycling skills and help raise even more funds for our Hospice. These include seasonal events such as Mother’s Day flower arranging and Christmas wreath making, as well as workshops to help you build up your own upcycling knowledge to use at home.
Upcycling workshops coming soon!
