What do most people do with old or unwanted furniture? In the past, theyโd 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 thatโs changed with todayโs 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 weโd 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:



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kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com
1) Skateboard Grill
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.


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Involvery
2) Window Picture Frame
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.


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Cottage Instincts
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.


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yosemitebob
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.


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Involvery
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.


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Involvery
6) Busy Board
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.
7) Crutch Shelves
This is another incredibly inventive project. It uses two upsidedown crutches. Shelves are are placed in between the crutches to hold items.


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Involvery
8) Kitchen Chair Bench
Donโt toss out those old kitchen chairs. Turn them into a bench. Learn how it was done here.


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Spoonful of Imagination
9) Lamp Table
Got an old lamp and an old dish? Youโre halfway to having a lamp table. Learn how to make this project here.


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The Shabby Creek Cottage
10) Shaker Mason Jar
Youโll want to start saving your parmesean cheese lids. They fit mason jars perfectly. Use this repurposed creation to store things like flour or sugar.


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Involvery
11) Cabinet Door Shelf
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.


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My Repurposed Life
12) Refridgerator Ice Chest
Is your refridgerator broken? Itโs not done for. You can turn it into an ice chest. Learn how to make one here.


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Instructables
13) Shop Sign
Have an old crib? You can use the sides as a shop or farmerโs market sign. Learn how to make the conversion here.


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Prodigal Pieces
14) Rake Utensil Holder
This is another cool rake project. Hang a rake head on your wall. Hang those utensils that donโt fit in the drawer from it.


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Love in a Mason Jar
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.


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Involvery
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.


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Viral Slacker
17) Cable Spool Bookcase
Cable spools may look like pieces of junk. But they arenโt. They can be turned into a cool coffee table that holds books.


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Viral Slacker
18) Chair Shelf
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.


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Viral Slacker
19) Bookcase Sandbox
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.


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The Homes I Have Made
20) Garage Storage
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.


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Viral Slacker
21) Dresser Kitchen Island
Got an old dresser. It can be repurosed into a beautiful kitchen island. Learn how here.


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Viral Slacker
22) Headboard Bench
Donโt get rid of that old headboard. It will make a great bench. Learn how to make the transformation here.


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H20 Bungalow
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.


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Viral Slacker
24) Cabinet/Play Kitchen
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.


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Easy Peasy Pie
25) Spool Clock
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.


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Reclaimed Time
26) Mason Jar Chandlier
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.


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Instructables
27) Broken Lamps to Fancy Solar Lamps
Lots of solar lamps arenโt the nicest looking things. But you can change that with some DIY magic. Learn how to repurpose old lamps into fancy solar lamps here.


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Redo It Yourself
28) Dresser Day Bench
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.


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zelfmaak-ideetjes.nl
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.


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Sawdust 2 Stitches
30) Four Door Shed
Is this tiny shed adorable or what? Itโs made from four told doors. Learn how to make it here.


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The Owner Builder Network
31) Door Headboard
This headboard looks very expensive. But it wasnโt. It was made from an old door. Get the details on this project here.


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Infarrantly Creative
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.


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DIY Network
33) Old Drawer Foot Rest
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.


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Beyond the Picket Fence
34) TV Center to Baby Station
This used to be a TV center. Now itโs 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.


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kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com
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.


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Home Hinges
36) Ladder Towel Rack
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.


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Funky Junk Interiors
37) Drawer Shelf
Got some unused drawers? Hang them on the wall. Theyโll make perfect hanging shelves.


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theperfectshadeofgrey
38) Door Clock
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.


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Rod Works
39) Patio Nook
This patio nook is so adorable. It was made from four doors topped with a roof. The doors are just hinged together.



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kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com
40) Armoire Chicken Coop
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.


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Pinterest
41) Bookshelf Doll House
This doll house used to be a bookshelf. Just add some dividers and wall paper. Glue some windows and add your doll house furniture.


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larotska
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.


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mycreativedays.porch.com
43) Door Arbor Walkway
You can make a beautiful arbor walkway from doors. Just add some stablizing feet and a top. Learn how to make one here.


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kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com
44) Door Porch Swing
Thereโs nothing like being on a swing on a nice day. You can make one from old doors. Learn how here.


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lindyandtony.wordpress.com
45) Toolbox Towel Hanger
Repurpose your old wooden toolboxes into a towel rack. Just hang it on the wall upsidedown. Hang your towel over the toolbox handle.


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Pinterest
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.


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kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com
47) Baby Crib Desk
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.


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A Little Learning For Two
48) Door Coffee Bar
This coffee station is simply adorable. It was made from an old door and table. A shelf was added for extra storage.


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Honey Suckle Hobbies
49) Bread Box Childrenโs Desk
This is a really clever idea for a bread box. Just attach some legs to the bottom. Now itโs a desk.


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Better After
50) Changing Table Potting Bench
This used to be a changing table. Now itโs a darling potting table. Learn how to make a simple one here.


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Prodigal Pieces