31 Clever Ways To Repurpose Common Household Items
We all repurpose common household items. You probably are using an old tissue box to hold trash bags or an empty popcorn tin as a trash can.

Here are 31 ways to repurpose or upcycle ordinary household items into useful stuff around the house to solve a storage problem or create cute home decor.
How do you repurpose things at home?
It begins with ideas and needs.
Let’s say you need better storage for your canned good in your pantry. You don’t want to buy expensive organizers. The solution is to make your own and repurpose something around the house you are not using into something you need. This is called Upcycling and it is a great way to save on the household budget.
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How many different ways can you repurpose common wipes containers?
Wash it out and use it for crayon storage, great for car trips, Lego storage, Makeup storage, a travel first aid kit, and many more. You tell me in the comments how you repurpose wipes containers.
Coffee containers repurposed into holders for screws, nuts, and bolts are always handy in the workshop or garage. They can also become pretty upcycled into kitchen canisters.ย
We are all in search of creative ways to reuse ordinary household items, aren’t we? This list will lead you to more than 31 new ideas you may be able to use in your own home.
31 Clever New Uses For Ordinary Household Items
DIY Tea Cup Sconce Planter
A great way to make cheap outdoor decor is to use a broken wall sconce to make a pretty flower planter for the front porch.
Thrift Shop Junk Pumpkins
A couple of aluminum layer cake pans from the thrift shop have new life when they become pumpkins for cute Fall decor
How To Create An Organized Junk Drawer For Free
Small cardboard boxes make great storage containers to create an organized junk drawer in the kitchen.
DIY Coffee Container Tiki Statues
An outdoor Tiki decor space needs a little tiki decor, so here is a clever idea for aย DIY coffee container tiki statue!
DIY See Rock City Barn Birdhouse
An old thrift store toy becomes a cute Bird house
DIY Fabric Covered Flower Containers to Match Porch Pillows
Empty food cans become planters porch decor! These match the porch furniture pillows!
DIY Travel Jewelry Box โฆ with Upcycled Mobile Phone Box
See how an empty cell phone box becomes a DIY travel jewelry box! So clever!
Upcycle Plaid Shirts Into Home Decor
Old plaid shirts make fun home decor pieces! Minimal sewing skills required for these upcycle projects.
Spoon Flowers for the Spring
Make these easy spoon flowers for spring using plastic spoons and pom poms.
DIY Framed Peg Board
A thrift store picture frame easily becomes Craft Room Storage!
DIY Garden Signs from Fan Blades
That old ceiling fan can come in handy with this cute and clever idea!
Americana Mason Jar Lid Coasters
Mason Jar Lids become coasters in this simple and easy upcycle project.
Water Bottle Fairy Garden Well - Kid-friendly Recycled Craft Project
A water bottle becomes Fairy Garden decor!
DIY Solar Directional Deck Lighting
Another idea for repurposing an old wall sconce light. Outdoor deck solar lighting
DIY Mason Jar Wall Vases - Thrift Store Upcycle
Mason Jars are so versatile and here is living proof with this pretty DIY wall decor.
How To Make Milk Jug Bird Houses
This idea is for the kiddos. Milk Jugs become bird houses or bird feeders.
How To Make A Faux Suede Planter From A Popcorn Tin
Repurpose that empty popcorn tin from Christmas into a planter!
DIY Can Organizer for Pantry
Magazine organizers are transitioned into kitchen storage!
Mason Jar Lid Santa Ornament
Would you believe this Santa began as a Mason Jar lid? Yes! Isn't he adorable!
DIY Book Page Star Ornaments
Book pages make really pretty decor items like these Book page Star Ornaments!
Cheap Organization with Coffee and Krylon
The best upcyle of plastic coffee cans I have seen!
How To Make A Two Tier Pin Cushion
Would you believe this Two Tier Pin cushion for the sewing room is made with common household items! Yes it is!
Tin Can Tool Caddy
Another clever and fun use for repurposed food cans!
Upcycle An Enamelware Canner Pot Into A Large Flower Container
Has that old canner pot seen better days? Don't toss it! Make a flower pot with it!
Upcycled Denim Tic Tac Toe Tutorial - A Noughts and Crosses Game
Turn those old jeans into a family game.
DIY Two Tier Spinning Craft Room Storage Tray
Old baking pans become craft room storage with a few little touches.
Woman Transforms Pair Of Old $2 Crutches Into A Gorgeous Shelf For Her Home
Reuse empty milk jugs for starting seeds before the Spring garden season.
DIY Corduroy Fall Leaf Pillow
Turn an old skirt into a pretty Fall pillow.
Repurpose Mayonnaise Jars Into Pretty Craft Storage Containers
Mayonnaise Jars become pretty storage containers
How To Turn A Stool Into A Side Table
An old bar stool becomes a tall side table.
The next time you empty that gallon milk jug, I hope you have a new idea in mind to repurpose it around the house.
If you enjoyed these 31 common household items repurposed into something useful or decorative, keep scrolling. We are cheap, eh, I mean frugal most of the time so we have more ways to solve storage problems and create home decor with clever repurpose and upcycle projects.
Anytime you DIY your own solutions, there is such a feeling of satisfaction as your reward.
Want More DIY Ideas For Home?
27 Ways To Make Your Own Fall Pumpkins and I just can’t get enough of that Fall napkin pumpkin
Simple and Affordable DIY Wall Decor Ideas you can start making today
Are you looking for beginner Cricut ideas? Here are 21 Crazy Easy Beginner Cricut Projects for you to try
Kids stuck at home need the stuff to do? 13 Things Kids Can Paint on that you don’t need
Make your own affordable home decor with these 20 Mod Podge Projects
7 Useful Ways To Repurpose Jars and they are not just Mason jar repurpose projects
Storage Solutions useing Clothes Hangers in non-traditional ways. I guess you could say we repurpose clothes hangers for other uses.
Great repurposing ideas! Love the tin cans. Thanks for linking up at #SustainableSundays!
Well, those are VERY frugal idea, and very, very clever too! Thanks for sharing at Five Star Frugal, Shirley. Love, Mimi xxx
Love this! I’m always looking for ways to utilize all the “junk” that accumulates around here!
This is such a fun post! I think it’s always great to repurpose and recycle items around the house!! Some great ideas ๐
Thanks for joining us on this past week of “Inspired By Me Mondays!!”
So glad you were able to link up; please be sure to come back again next week ๐
Thanks for the great ideas- pinned it. I need to go check out Hometalk! I have never heard of it before.
Found your blog on the Thrifty Thursday link party and started following on Google +.
Erin
http://theeveryday-mom.blogspot.com/
Thank you Erin. You really should go check out Hometalk! I love that website. There are tons of fabulous ideas there!
Great roundup! I think that pumpkin is adorable!!! I haven’t checked out Hometalk yet, but now I think I just might have to! Thank you for sharing with us at the Merry Monday Link Party!
Amanda, you are welcome. You should go check out Hometalk! It is one of my favorite sites for new ideas.
I love the repurposed coffee canisters! I always feel bad throwing them away because I feel like there must be something I could use them for. Now I’ve got an idea! Thanks for sharing with Hump Day Happenings.
Jenna, I feel the same way. I tossed one recently but I have 3 saved now. I will soon have a complete set and I plan to paint them and fancy them up for storage! Loved that idea!
Fantastic post, Shirley! I’m headed over to check out your board on Hometalk now – So glad it’s working out so well for you there!
I LOVE repurposing stuff! I’m so glad I read your post, because we have four old license plates in our garage, and I’ve been wondering what to do with them. So excited to have a new project idea. Based on your post, I’m going to spend a little more time on Hometalk too. I’ve been to the site, but I didn’t stay around long enough to really figure out what’s going on.
Kate, I’m so glad you found some useful ideas! Hometalk is wonderful, it’s my new favorite place to hang out! I wish I had some old license plates too, that is a cool project!
Oh, I could just kick myself for throwing out that rusty muffin tin a few weeks ago! And I loved the tea-cup planters. These ideas are so inspiring. Thanks for sharing and for linking up at Wake Up Wednesday.
I know Karen! I threw an old muffin tin out recently too! That would be great in the garage with little do-dads in it too. Thank you for stopping by.
Oh my gosh – so many clever crafts!! I love anything to do with pockets – love those jean silverware holders ๐ All great ideas!
Coffee cans? Me? Just because I’m a well-known and admitted coffeeholic? Yep, you bet I have cans, and I love to repurpose them. I use them for potting soil, spreading coffee grounds in the garden, little storage bins, all kinds of things. I recognize that pumpkin cake tin… LOL ,,, haven’t used mine in years. Maybe this cute lil pumpkin would get more use. ๐
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Those coffee canisters are invaluable for repurposing! You should head on over to Hometalk and check out the rest of what she did with that pumpkin cake pan, it’s part of a vignette set.
So many great ideas!!! I do feel the thrift store calling me now… I may not be able to resist!
Krista, I just need to get ready and go right now! I absolutely LOVE those pumpkin cake pans and want to make those for a Fall display! Thanks for stopping by.
Those are some great repurposing ideas, Shirley!
Thanks, Alli. I hope you have time to head over to check them all out! There are some wonderful ideas to be discovered.