7. Mail bag pouch Once a USPS mail carrier’s bag, this heavy-duty zippered pouch is just the right size to hold your life — ID, cash, kes, credit cards, change. The canvas has been distressed the honest way. Weathered graphics recall its former life (mine says “MA,” which I like), and mine also has a couple black marks, maybe from getting or over or rubbing up against the carrier’s belt... there’s no end of imagining where it’s been.

You can also check out online stores like Etsy for creative homemade products made with secondhand materials. TerraCycle, for instance, has an Etsy shop featuring a variety of items made entirely out of waste!

TerraCycle, a global leader in the collection and repurposing of difficult-to-recycle waste, launched an Etsy.com shop featuring upcycled home and office products straight from the Trenton headquarters. TerraCycle’s design team, the “Design Junkies,” turn common waste into innovative new products, ranging from circuit board coasters to a Capri Sun pouch couch. The TerraCycle on Etsy products are perfect for business offices, home offices, bedroom or living room. And by adding TerraCycle products to your home or office, you’re upping your style while reducing your environmental footprint.

The delightful and clever folks over at Terracycle tell us they’ve opened up an Etsy shop to sell off their office furnishings (so they can be replaced with new handmade items).