Cheese graters are a pretty fun kitchen item. Not for the reasons you might expect though. While grating cheese itself isn’t that exciting, it turns out that there are dozens of other uses for cheese graters that have nothing to do with cheese at all. They can be upcycled in all kinds of cool ways and transformed into something completely different.
From cheese grater flower pots to cheese grater lanterns, we’ve gathered 16 of our favorite ideas to share with you today.
Make sure to check out the videos at the bottom of the page too for an additional cheese grater DIY projects.
1. Office Supplies Organizer
You can use cheese graters to store all sorts of things. This thrifty individual uses them to organize her office supplies. The handle divides up the space, allowing you to store things like pencils on one side and scissors on the other. Additionally, they are made of metal, so the outside can be used as a magnetic memo board.
2. Earring Holder
The littles grater slots are the perfect place to hang earrings. It’s so much better than tossing all of your earrings in a jewelry box or drawer and hoping they don’t get mixed up. It helps keep your pairs of earrings together and prevents them from getting lost.
3. Table Clock
Converting your cheese grater into a table clock is a little more complicated than some other DIY crafts, however, this seller on Etsy proves it is definitely possible. It would be the perfect clock to set on a shelf in your kitchen. While it might be a little too imprecise to use for keeping track of cooking times, it definitely looks cool.
4. Grater Wreath
A cheese grater can make for a really nice decorative wall item. Just tie a little bow around it, mount it, and fill it up with a dried flower bouquet. That’s all it takes to make your own grater wreath. They have a simple farmhouse look that would go great in any country home.
5. Flower Pot
The other option is to convert your cheese grater into an actual flower pot for live flowers. Attach it to the outside of your home in an area that receives some sunlight. The holes are small enough to keep the dirt in, while still allowing for excess water to drain out the bottom.
6. Herb Planter
You don’t have to just limit yourself to using cheese graters as pots for flowers either. It’s okay to get a little creative with it. This person certainly did! They converted their cheese graters into hanging herb planters. It’s a pretty neat idea.
7. Kitchen Pendant Light
Cheese graters work really well as lighting fixtures. If you have hanging pendant lights in your home, all you have to do to attach them to a grater is to drill a hole in the handle and thread them through. The open bottom and slots in the sides create great mood lighting for a rustic country dining room.
8. Grater Lanterns
If the idea of doing electrical work scares you, you can also opt for a more natural approach and make cheese grater lanterns instead. These would be really amazing to set up out on the patio on a nice summer night under the stars. It would be so romantic.
9. Chandelier
Have you ever seen a chandelier made entirely out cheese graters before? It’s definitely a first for us. This one was spotted in New York City. It is pretty much the mother of all cheese grater lighting projects and one of the most unique things we’ve ever stumbled upon.
10. Kitchen Organizer
Place a cheese grater up on the wall in your kitchen and you’ll instantly have a stylish new place to store things like spatulas, spoons, and other cooking items. The handle on the bottom also makes for an excellent place to hang up kitchen towels.
11. Art Station
While this idea is similar to the office and kitchen cheese grater organizers, there is a slight twist, literally! Multiple cheese graters are mounted to the side of a spinning wooden pillar. This allows for easy access to whatever art supplies you need at any given moment while you are posted up at your art station.
12. Lamp Shade
If you find the right antique table lamp, cheese graters actually look pretty incredible as lampshades. We recommend using a cylindrical grater for this purpose. Most of the time, they should be able to be plopped right on top, but depending on the lamp, there is a possibility you might have to do a little bit of retrofitting.
13. Birdhouse
This birdhouse is a total work of art! It has a super whimsical appearance and we love the bent fork they used as a perch on the front of it. Although, if birds were to actually live inside this metal grater house, the roof full of holes would probably be somewhat concerning. It wouldn’t keep the rain out very well.
14. Flower Vase
This cheese grater vase is a really clever way of displaying fresh flowers. They can simply be threaded through the slots in the side. If you would like to keep the flowers fresh for longer, you can place a small dish of water on the inside allowing the stems to get some extra hydration.
15. Candelabra
This artist turned a couple of rotary grater blades into a beautiful candelabra. It would be great to have one of these in case the electricity ever went out, or for the rare occasions when you are simply feeling a little medieval and want to take a trip back in time. The idea of walking around a dark castle with a candelabra makes us a little nostalgic.
16. Picture Stand
Cheese graters are perfect for displaying pictures. If it is not a freestanding grater, you will need to attach a little piece of wood on the back to prop it up. If you would like, you can also paint the grater. An additional similar project is to turn a cheese grater into a recipe stand.
As you can see, there are all sorts of creative ways to take your old cheese graters and convert them for other uses. Hopefully, this list gave you some good ideas and was able to get your gears turning a little bit. What fun new ways to upcycle cheese graters can you come up with and which on this list were your favorites? We would like to know.
Check out the video tutorial below to learn how to turn a cheese grater into a farmhouse lamp.
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Enjoy another video tutorial to make your own customized jewelry holder.
What an easy and fun project that turns out looking fantastic!
