3.6

Upcycling at Home: Turning Old Laptops into Lamps and Making Art with Waste

This step is all about do-it-yourself upcycling – whether you’re more tech-savvy or artistic – you’ll hopefully be inspired and start to see all those things hiding away at home or work as a goldmine for your next project.

Before you start, make sure you have the right tools, work space, and more importantly, know what you’re doing. You don’t want create a lamp that electricutes its user or upcycle with hazardous materials.

The first video details creative uses for discarded laptop components. You can upcycle speakers into a wall-mounted Bluetooth sound system and use the cooling system to create an LED desk lamp. Screens yield diffusion sheets for custom lighting or tracing backlights. The microphone can become a high-quality headset mic, and the hard drive parts can be turned into an analog laser VU meter or used for storage. The internal batteries and webcams can also be repurposed for power banks and a home security system.

Modern Masterpieces from Old Packaging

The second video showcases Dutch artist Suzanne Jongmans, who creates modern masterpieces inspired by 15th and 16th-century Flemish art. She uses upcycled packaging, such as bubble wrap and styrofoam, to craft intricate clothing and accessories for her subjects, which she then captures in large-format, hyperreal photographs.

This week’s assignment will let you explore the do-it-yourself, hand-ons upcycling further, more in step 3.10.

Further reading, learning and references

DIY Perks https://diyperks.com/

Suzanne Jongmans https://www.suzannejongmans.com/

© Daniel Mossberg, CEMUS, Uppsala University and Sonali Phadke, studio Alternatives and Stephanie Foote