Even though it seems like you should toss those old CDs into the trash, stop right there! You can repurpose those old CDs and use them as Christmas decorations. Do this by purchasing plain ornaments. Then, you can glue the fragments of the CD onto the ornament. You can get even more creative and turn them into a mosaic ornament by breaking up the pieces unevenly and gluing them onto the ornament in random places (Creme De La Craft).
It may sound like a surprise, but you can repurpose your broken crayons by creating new ones! All you have to do is take the broken crayons, put them in a muffin tin, toss them in the oven, and let them cool. The crayons will melt together in the oven and will form a new crayon. You can use the old crayons to make fun, multicolored ones. To do this, preheat the oven to 275 degrees, peel the paper off, and put them in the oven for 7-8 minutes (Little Bins For Little Hands).
Instead of throwing away plastic bags and contributing to the pollution problem, reuse the plastic bags as protective packing material. It’s a lot less messy than protective packing material and is better for the environment. For example, if you have small bowls, you can easily wrap the bowls in plastic bags and place them in the box. You can also do this with picture frames and mugs (Instructables).
Your children will love this one! If you have an old, inoperable, or broken entertainment center, you can turn it into a play kitchen for your kids. Do this by painting the entertainment center, and adding necessary decorations and accessories to it to make it look cute. This is a great way to repurpose an item that would end up in the trash, while also giving your children a gift. They’ll love their mini kitchen as much as you love your actual kitchen. You could even decorate it to match your kitchen, so they have a mini replica (eHow).
Using floor tiles is an excellent tool for making art projects. Create a fabulous mosaic masterpiece using broken or old floor tiles. Glue this onto a large canvas and hang it up in your room. You can also glue the pieces onto an old nightstand to give it a brand-new mosaic top. If you have multicolored tiles, you can strategically place them to make a beautiful design that’ll add some personality to your living room (Pinterest).
Most of us have an old, outdated dresser somewhere in our house that doesn’t fit with the rest of our furniture. Instead of tossing it into the trash, you can use some of your artsy, handy skills and turn it into a bend. Best of all, you can use the t-shirt pillows you’ve repurposed to decorate your brand-new bench (Photokapi).
Just because you used your shoe boxes for shoes, doesn’t mean they have to stay like that. They’re the perfect size for storing a multitude of items, like toiletries, jewelry, and other small things. You can decorate the shoe box with paint, markers, or craft paper to give it a special pop. These will look great on a shelf in your room. You can also use them to store Christmas lights, create wall shelves or decorate the walls of your bedroom (Inspiration For Moms).
The mesh bags that vegetables came in don’t have to end up in the trash. Repurpose them to clean your kitchenware. You can turn them into a scrubber by wadding them into a ball and cleaning pots, pans, and countertops. They’re great at getting dried food off of pans that don’t seem to come off with a sponge (My Frugal Home).
Just because your chair is broken, doesn’t mean you have to throw it out. That’s an entire piece of furniture waiting to be reused. You can do this by breaking down the chair and cutting the pieces into funky hangers to hang items on your wall. Paint them for an added touch of color and flavor (Prodigal Pieces).
Dropping fine China and watching it smash could ruin your entire day. But just because your heart and that piece of China are broken, doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. You can repurpose China, glue it back together, and use it as kitchen art. Place the pieces into a picture frame. This is also a fun project you can do with your kids, especially if you accidentally broke a bunch of China. Something good may come out of something bad! (DIY N Crafts)
If that old wicker basket is falling apart at the seams, you could easily upcycle it and use it to store recyclables. It’s a lot nicer than having a brightly colored recycling bin. You’re also reusing an old item in your home, which means you’re saving on waste. If you have multiple wicker baskets, you can use one for cans, one for glass, and one for plastic. If you still feel like using the wicker basket, you could paint it to turn it into something bright and beautiful, or cut it and use it as a headboard (Bob Vila).
Instead of buying fire starters, repurpose old cardboard tubes and toss them into the flames. They’re great as fire starters, as the flame catches quickly. Stuff them with wax paper so they burn for longer. This means you’ll have a fire for quite some time! If you don’t have a place to make a fire but ended up with tons of cardboard tubes, you can use them to keep pants crease-free (15 Acre Homestead).
Old bicycle wheels are fantastic vintage decorations you can hang on your walls or use to hang other items. If you stick them on your ceiling, you can hang pots and plants off of them. Spray them with white paint to give them an extra special touch. The more bicycle tires you have, the more creative you can be. With multiple bicycle tires, you can hang them in a pattern across your wall and paint them in different colors (Pinterest).
You’ve probably never thought twice about saving a butter wrapper. We’re here to tell you that you need to save them! You can use them to separate burger patties. The buttery residue will prevent the paper from sticking to the meat, and give them an additional buttery flavor. You can also place the butter wrappers in the fridge and save them for later use (Women World).
Once you’ve finished your dish soap or ketchup, you can clean it out and fill it with pancake batter. The other side of the soap bottle is perfect for dispensing pancake batter onto a pan. This is a mess-free way of making your favorite breakfast. No more having to spend half an hour cleaning the kitchen after making chocolate chip pancakes! (Cubby At Home).
You may wonder why we added shower curtains to this list. That’s because you can turn easily shower curtains into outdoor tablecloths. Once you’re done with that old, raggedy tablecloth, bring it outside and use it for a picnic or an outdoor barbecue. Make sure to give it a good rinse before eating it (Pinterest).
If your umbrella breaks, don’t fret. You can repurpose it and use it as a reusable grocery bag! This is a fun way to turn trash into treasure. Easily sew on cloth handles to make it into a bag you can carry on your shoulder. Simply cut the fabric into the size of a bag and sew the open ends and handle (Everyday Crafty Goodness).
Don’t throw away those bottle caps anymore! You can easily repurpose them and turn them into mini candles or tea lights. This is a fantastic party or event decoration. If you’re having guests over at your house, you can clean up the bottle caps, add them to a wick, and melt crayon wax over them. The more bottle caps you have, the more mini candles you’ll get. You can place these around your home for a warm, cozy atmosphere during the winter months. Paint them white or black to match the other furniture in your house (Pinterest).