Before you toss an empty pickle jar or worn cardboard box into the recycling bin, take a second look. Everyday household trash can easily become practical home decor. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that Americans generate over 290 million tons of municipal solid waste each year. You can divert some of that waste into useful projects with basic tools and simple craft supplies.
Save cash and build practical household items with these 29 upcycled crafts that will transform your trash into treasure.
1. Twine-Wrapped Glass Jar Lanterns
Turn empty pasta sauce and pickle jars into rustic lanterns. Clean the jars, wrap natural jute twine around the glass, and secure the ends with hot glue. Place a battery-operated tea light inside to illuminate your patio table or fireplace mantel.
2. Painted Tin Can Herb Planters
Give empty soup and vegetable cans a second life as windowsill planters. Drill two small drainage holes into the bottom of each can with a metal drill bit. Paint the exterior with two coats of acrylic paint, seal the surface with a clear waterproof sealer, fill the can with potting soil, and plant fresh herbs like basil or mint.
3. Wine Cork Bath Mat
Save your natural wine corks instead of tossing them out. Slice roughly 150 corks in half lengthwise with a utility knife to create flat backings. Glue the cork halves in a herringbone pattern onto a non-slip rubber shelf liner to make a water-resistant bath mat.
4. Old T-Shirt Macrame Plant Hanger
Gather stained or worn-out cotton t-shirts from your closet. Cut the fabric into long, continuous one-inch strips, then pull them taut to form t-shirt yarn. Knot eight strands together with basic macrame knots to create a sturdy hanger for potted houseplants.
5. Cardboard Tube Seed Starter Pots
Toilet paper rolls make practical, biodegradable planting containers. Cut four half-inch vertical slits into the base of each roll, fold the flaps inward like a box bottom, and fill the tube with seed-starting mix. When the seedlings sprout, plant the entire cardboard tube directly into garden soil. The cardboard breaks down naturally in the dirt.
6. Plastic Bottle Self-Dispensing Bird Feeder
Feed local backyard birds without buying plastic hardware at the store. Push two wooden spoons horizontally through opposite sides of a clean two-liter soda bottle to create perches and seed trays. Fill the bottle with sunflower seeds, screw the cap on tight, and hang the feeder from a tree branch with twine.
7. Cereal Box Desktop Organizers
Organize desk clutter with empty breakfast cereal boxes. Cut the boxes diagonally across the top half to replicate standard magazine holders. Wrap the cardboard in adhesive contact paper or leftover wallpaper to build uniform office storage bins.
8. Denim Pocket Wall Hanging Organizer
Repurpose worn denim jeans before tossing them into the trash. Cut out the back pockets with a half-inch border, then glue or stitch them onto a scrap canvas or wooden board. This hanging organizer stores pens, scissors, glasses, and charging cables on your wall.
9. Egg Carton Floral Wreath
Cardboard egg cartons provide ideal petal shapes when you cut them apart. Snip individual egg cups into scalloped petals, layer them together, and paint them with acrylic craft paint. Glue the cardboard flowers onto an embroidery hoop or wire frame for a handmade spring wreath. If you want more seasonal home projects, explore our guide to easy fall crafts for adults.
10. Vintage Book Page Botanical Wall Art
Rescue damaged or unbound vintage paperbacks from thrift store discount bins. Feed individual yellowed text pages through a standard inkjet printer to print botanical or anatomical illustrations directly over the print. Place the finished prints into thrift store frames to create custom wall art for pennies.
11. Burned-Out Light Bulb Hanging Terrariums
Reclaim incandescent light bulbs before you throw them away. Hollow out the metal contact points and internal filament using needle-nose pliers and heavy work gloves. Fill the glass globe with fine sand, small pebbles, and miniature air plants, then suspend the bulb with thin craft wire.
12. Wooden Pallet Rustic Coffee Table
Pick up clean wooden shipping pallets behind local retail stores with permission. Sand the rough lumber smooth, apply a coat of walnut wood stain, and screw four heavy-duty caster wheels into the corners. You get a functional low-profile coffee table for the price of caster hardware.
13. Rolled Magazine Drink Coasters
Repurpose glossy magazine pages before sending them to the recycling bin. Tear the pages into uniform strips, roll them into tight paper tubes, and coil them into flat disks with craft glue along the seams. Brush the finished disks with clear resin or waterproof varnish to seal the paper against drink condensation.
14. Metal Bottle Cap Mosaic Trivet
Save metal bottle caps from sodas and bottled drinks. Arrange the caps inside a round cork trivet base and fill the gaps with standard craft grout. Wipe away excess grout with a damp sponge to produce a heat-safe trivet for hot cookware.
15. Shrunk Sweater Accent Throw Pillows
Give shrunken wool sweaters a new purpose. Cut the torso into two matching squares, stitch three sides together with a sewing machine, insert a pillow form, and stitch the opening closed by hand. The cable-knit fabric creates a comfortable pillow cover for your sofa.
16. Recycled Newspaper Boutique Gift Bags
Skip store-bought gift wrap and fold your own gift bags from newsprint. Fold several sheets of black-and-white newspaper into rectangular gift bags and reinforce the interior base with a scrap of cardboard. Punch two holes along the top rim and thread jute twine through them to create sturdy carrying handles.
17. Broken China Garden Stepping Stones
Turn broken ceramic plates or chipped coffee mugs into garden stepping stones. Mix quick-setting concrete in a disposable round cake pan, press the colorful ceramic shards into the wet surface, and let the concrete cure fully before placing the stone in your garden pathway.
18. Cardboard Tube Cable Tidy Box
Stop sorting through tangled cords in your desk drawers. Arrange a dozen empty toilet paper tubes vertically inside a shoe box. Roll each charging cord, slide it into its own cardboard slot, and write the cord type on the rim of the tube for instant access.
19. Mason Jar Liquid Soap Dispenser
Convert a standard glass canning jar into a refillable hand soap dispenser. Drill a half-inch hole through the metal lid insert with a stepped drill bit. Insert a soap pump mechanism from an empty plastic container, secure it with waterproof silicone sealant, and fill the jar with liquid hand soap.
20. Plastic Milk Jug Self-Watering Planters
Cut a clean plastic gallon milk jug in half across the middle. Invert the top spout into the bottom base, then thread a thick strand of cotton yarn through the cap opening into the water reservoir below. Fill the top section with potting soil and herbs. The yarn draws moisture upward into the soil continuously, keeping plants hydrated when you leave town.
21. Altoids Mint Tin Watercolor Pocket Palette
Convert a classic metal mint tin into a portable paint set. Glue small plastic paint half-pans into the bottom of the tin, fill them with tube watercolors, and let the paint dry overnight. This compact watercolor kit fits easily inside a pocket for sketching outdoors.
22. Scratched CD Mosaic Mirror Frame
Cut scratched music CDs and DVD discs into small geometric tiles using utility shears. Glue the pieces reflective side up around the border of a flat wooden mirror frame. The reflective backing refracts ambient light in bright patterns around the room.
23. Vintage Teacup Scented Candles
Pick up mismatched vintage teacups from thrift store shelves. Glue a cotton wick to the center of the cup bottom, melt leftover candle stubs or soy wax flakes, and stir in your preferred essential oils. Pour the warm wax directly into the porcelain cup to make individual scented candles.
24. Upcycled Bicycle Wheel Wall Clock
Turn a bent bicycle wheel into an industrial wall clock. Clean away road grime, spray paint the spokes in matte black or metallic paint, and install a battery-powered quartz clock mechanism directly through the center hub. Mount the wheel on your wall to display the time.
25. Old Drawer Front Coat Rack
Reclaim solid wood drawer fronts from discarded furniture. Remove the drawer box, sand the front panel, apply a coat of chalk paint, and screw vintage door knobs evenly across the face. Anchor the finished board to your entryway wall to hold coats, hats, and dog leashes.
26. Repurposed Wooden Ladder Blanket Display
Put an old wooden ladder to work inside your living room. Sand down any rough splinters, wipe away old residue, and lean the ladder flat against a wall. Hang quilts, throws, and linen blankets across each wooden rung to save closet storage space.
27. Shoebox Multi-Device Charging Station
Conceal power cords and power strips with a standard shoebox. Install metal craft grommets along one long side of the box, place a surge protector inside, and thread your individual charging cables through the holes. Cover the outside of the box with decorative paper to keep your nightstand tidy.
28. Wine Bottle Drip-Feed Plant Waterers
Water potted plants automatically with an empty glass wine bottle. Rinse the bottle, fill it to the top with water, and press the neck four inches deep into damp potting soil. The soil pulls moisture from the bottle as it dries, hydrating plant roots for up to two weeks. For more low-cost seasonal activities, check out our collection of summer crafts for elementary kids.
29. Vintage Silverware Wind Chime
Convert tarnished, mismatched silverware into outdoor wind chimes. Drill small holes through the handles of four or five silver-plated spoons and forks. Tie each piece to an upside-down soup ladle or metal whisk with clear fishing line so the utensils strike each other in the wind. If your children want to join your crafting afternoon, explore these fun animal crafts together.
Transform Waste into Useful Decor
Upcycling keeps usable raw materials out of landfills and cuts your spending on household supplies. Every small project helps reduce household trash, whether you plant herbs in an old soup can or build a mosaic frame from scratched discs. Before you throw away your next container or scrap material, consider how you can reuse it. Pick one project from this list, gather your basic supplies, and build something useful today.