What do most people do with old or unwanted furniture? In the past, they’d either kick it to the curb and leave it for the garbageman or try to sell it for a few bucks at a tag sale. But that’s changed with today’s DIY culture.
Now you can bring your old furniture and other household items back to life. All you need is a little creativity. And maybe some DIY know-how.
People are upcycling their old furniture and turning them into brand new creations. And the results are absolutely stunning. We thought we’d give you some inspiration for the unwanted pieces in your home.
Here are 50 ways to upcycle old furniture and other items in your house:
Why have a boring grill when you can make a skateboard grill? This uses a small table frame with skateboard decks attached to it. A hole was cut into the top to accomodate the grill.
What a cute idea for a photo display. Just hang some old windows on the wall. Place pictures in the middle of the glass. This creates a great focal point in the home.
3) Rake Wine Glass Holder
This is another great farmhouse chic decor idea. Just hang the end of a rake on the wall. Hang your wine glass from the rake.
4) Colander Light Fixture
Need a new light fixture? You can make one if you have an old colander and some tools. These things sell for about
$70 online. Just follow the instructions
here and make your own instead.
5) Cheese Grater Vase Towel Holder
This idea is so cute for a home with farmhouse decor. Just hang a cheese grater upsidedown on your wall. Plop some flowers in the top and a towel on the bottom.
This is kind of brilliant. It turns old household items like a toilet paper roll, calculator, and a keyboard into a sensory busy board for children. Learn how to make one
here.
This is another incredibly inventive project. It uses two upsidedown crutches. Shelves are are placed in between the crutches to hold items.
Don’t toss out those old kitchen chairs. Turn them into a bench. Learn how it was done
here.
Got an old lamp and an old dish? You’re halfway to having a lamp table. Learn how to make this project
here.
You’ll want to start saving your parmesean cheese lids. They fit mason jars perfectly. Use this repurposed creation to store things like flour or sugar.
This shelf used to be a cabinet door. Just add a ledge and some door hooks to the bottom. Get details on this project
here.
12) Refridgerator Ice Chest
Is your refridgerator broken? It’s not done for. You can turn it into an ice chest. Learn how to make one
here.
Have an old crib? You can use the sides as a shop or farmer’s market sign. Learn how to make the conversion
here.
This is another cool rake project. Hang a rake head on your wall. Hang those utensils that don’t fit in the drawer from it.
15) Crib Mattress Wall Organizer
Getting rid of that crib mattress? How about turning it into a cool wall organizer? Just rip out the spring part and hang it on the wall. Use clothespins to hang stuff from it.
16) Vintage TV Cabinet Dog Bed
That broken vintage TV can still be put to good use. Take out all the guts. Add a cushion and turn it into a little dog bed. Chateau Henri is just too cute.
Cable spools may look like pieces of junk. But they aren’t. They can be turned into a cool coffee table that holds books.
You might not even realize that this hanging shelf was once a chair. The back was sliced off and a piece of the seat was used to make the shelf. Then it was hung from the wall.
You might want to think twice before getting rid of that old bookcase. It can be repurposed into a sandbox for the kids or grandkids. Learn how to repurpose your bookcase into a sandbox
here.
Old filing cabinets are great for keeping your garden and outdoor tools in place. Just flip it over, add some casters, and pegboard to the sides. You can find the tutorial for this project
here.
21) Dresser Kitchen Island
Got an old dresser. It can be repurosed into a beautiful kitchen island. Learn how
here.
Don’t get rid of that old headboard. It will make a great bench. Learn how to make the transformation
here.
23) Bookcase Baby/Pet Closet
You can easily turn an old bookcase into a baby or pet clothes closet. Just remove some of the shelves and use tension rods to hang your clothes from.
You can transform old cabinets into a beautiful customized play kitchen. This will require some tools but the result is so cute. Learn how it was done
here.
Have an old spool lying around? Cut the top off of it and put a hole in the middle. Give it a coat of paint and some numbers. Fit a working clock mechanism in the middle.
You can make a rustic looking chandlier from some mason jars. You just need some hanging light fixtures. Learn how to make this one
here.
27) Broken Lamps to Fancy Solar Lamps
Lots of solar lamps aren’t the nicest looking things. But you can change that with some DIY magic. Learn how to repurpose old lamps into fancy solar lamps
here.
That old broken dresser might still have some life in it. It can be repurposed into a lovely day bench. Learn how to turn a dresser into a bench
here.
29) Cabinet to Kitchen Island/Garbage and Recycling Center
A store-bought piece like this would cost you hundreds or more. But this one was made from an old cabinet. Learn how to make it
here.
Is this tiny shed adorable or what? It’s made from four told doors. Learn how to make it
here.
This headboard looks very expensive. But it wasn’t. It was made from an old door. Get the details on this project
here.
32) Metal Chair Tree Table
Getting rid of some old metal office chairs? Unscrew the bottoms and attach them to some tree slices. Learn how to make these awesome tables
here.
Put your old drawers to use. They can be made into a cute foot rest. It also hides storage. Get the details on how it was made
here.
34) TV Center to Baby Station
This used to be a TV center. Now it’s this convenient baby station. The center has a comfy place to change the baby. The sides have baskets for storage and tension rods to hang clothes from.
35) TV to Book Shelf Table
This project is a simple conversion. Just pull out the TV guts. Add some dividers to create storage space.
Old wooden ladders can be reurposed. Just sand it down and give it a new paint job. It can be placed in the bathroom as a towel rack.
Got some unused drawers? Hang them on the wall. They’ll make perfect hanging shelves.
This is a really cute clock made from a door. The top inner portion of the door was chopped off. Then the clock pieces were added to finish off the project.
This patio nook is so adorable. It was made from four doors topped with a roof. The doors are just hinged together.
This armoire was repurposed into a chicken coup. A hole was put into the side along with a ladder for the chickens to climb up. It was also painted with a farm theme.
This doll house used to be a bookshelf. Just add some dividers and wall paper. Glue some windows and add your doll house furniture.
42) Bookshelf Coat Locker
Use a bookshelf to create little cubbies for your jacket. Cut off the ends and flip it on its side. Add some feet, decorate, and add hooks.
You can make a beautiful arbor walkway from doors. Just add some stablizing feet and a top. Learn how to make one
here.
There’s nothing like being on a swing on a nice day. You can make one from old doors. Learn how
here.
Repurpose your old wooden toolboxes into a towel rack. Just hang it on the wall upsidedown. Hang your towel over the toolbox handle.
46) French Door Photo Rack
This is another great way to create a focal piece in the home. It places photos inside the window panes of a French door. It was mounted to the wall and knobs were added to hang coats from.
Have your children outgrown their crib? Take down one side of it and use it as a desk. Learn how this project was made
here.
This coffee station is simply adorable. It was made from an old door and table. A shelf was added for extra storage.
49) Bread Box Children’s Desk
This is a really clever idea for a bread box. Just attach some legs to the bottom. Now it’s a desk.
50) Changing Table Potting Bench
This used to be a changing table. Now it’s a darling potting table. Learn how to make a simple one
here.
