Some of you in the Pack Rat universe may be new to the concept of making something out of more or less nothing, but I have a sneaking suspicion that most of us are seasoned pros, or at least long time fans of the recycled craft movement. It’s been around forever, since our great great grandmothers (and probably their mothers before them) squeezed every last drop of use out of their belongings. But seeing reused materials turned into high end, high concept design seems to be a relatively new phenomenon. There even is a new name for it, “Upcycling.” Upcycling differs from plain old recycling in that you are taking something that socially (and perhaps artistically) has very little value and create from it something with greater value. Okay, before you all nod off over my little lesson, shoot over to the unofficial Upcycle Art website and check it out. Their soda bottle light is beautiful and their milk carton coin purses are cute enough to give as gifts (see them below). Also, you may want to check out the winners of the Etsy upcycle contest from earlier this year. It’s enough to get you elbow deep in trash.