Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Videos
  • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2021

      Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2021

      Read More Next
    • Best Midwest Family Vacations

      Best Midwest Family Vacations

      Read More Next
    • 25 Top Easy-Care Plants for Midwest Gardens

      25 Top Easy-Care Plants for Midwest Gardens

      Plant these low-maintenance perennials and shrubs—including hostas, peonies, yarrow, daylilies, catmint and switchgrass—for a carefree Midwest garden. Read More Next
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    50 Midwest Resorts We Love

    50 Midwest Resorts We Love

    Our favorite Midwest resort destinations range from cozy lakeside lodges to indoor water park behemoths. Dive in to check out our top picks for a fabulous Midwest getaway.
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Around the Region
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Midwest Living March/April 2021 Recipes

    Midwest Living March/April 2021 Recipes

    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    30 Ideas to Dress Up Your Deck

    30 Ideas to Dress Up Your Deck

    Furnish your deck or patio with accessories and designs that add comfort and style to outdoor living. Here are 30 suggestions to get you started.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    10 Trendy Plants for Midwest Gardens in 2021

    10 Trendy Plants for Midwest Gardens in 2021

    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See All Holidays & Entertaining
    50 Easy Spring Decorating Ideas

    50 Easy Spring Decorating Ideas

    Add pretty spring flair to your home with our ideas for centerpieces, table settings, door decorations, Easter egg displays and more.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine's Day
    • Christmas
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
  • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

    Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

    See All Spring Getaways Sweepstakes
    • Best Vacation Sweepstakes
    • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Homes
  3. Decorating Ideas
  4. 20 Ways to Recycle Everyday Materials

20 Ways to Recycle Everyday Materials

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated August 28, 2020
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Mason jar lights above outdoor dining area

Cans, egg cartons, jars, maps, rusted kitchenware, corks, light bulbs, broken dishes, old drawers—you can recycle all these into useful or decorative items for your home or garden.

Start Slideshow

1 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Suspended charm

Mason jar lights above outdoor dining area

Tea lights set in sand inside Mason jars add light and charm to an outdoor patio. The carefully hung lights dangle above a dining table and seating area. To make your own, use twine and s hooks to hang the jars from thier handles.

1 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Tag it

Tag it

Mark your sprouts with these easy-to-make plant labels made from recycled items from around the house. Canning lids and plastic plant pots quickly become clever hanging tags; 9-gauge aluminum wire makes an easy-to-bend stake. Just pound a nail hole in a canning lid and label it with a permanent marker. (To use the tag again next year, spray with polyurethane.) For the plastic tags, cut any shape from last year's plant pots and label with a silver marker.

2 of 21

3 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Map-tastic decor

Map-tastic decor

Want a stylish way to pay homage to your favorite travel destinations or the places you've lived? Apply maps to home accents, such as side tables or shadow boxes. Any atlas pages or city or state maps will do-and their pastel hues inspire a coordinating color scheme. Don't have a map stash? Find fun vintage options online or at antiques shops. Think of it as decorating in the right direction.

Patchwork paper: For bargain wallpaper, cover an accent wall with pages pulled from atlases. Starting in the middle of the wall, apply one page using decoupage adhesive. Repeat, overlapping edges, until the wall is covered. Note: This application is permanent. For a similar yet temporary effect, decoupage pages to large plywood or foam-core boards, and hang or lean them against a wall.

Mapped-out furniture: An old painted cabinet quickly becomes a conversation piece when you decoupage a single state map to the front. To continue the travel theme, display books, mementos, postcards and photos from favorite trips.

3 of 21

Advertisement

4 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Egg carton storage

Egg carton storage

Organizing solutions don't come much cheaper than an egg carton! Use the egg side for small items such as pins, thumb tacks, staples and batteries. The larger side holds scissors and pencils.

4 of 21

5 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Canned goods

Canned goods

Cans and paint add clever storage. Clean and spray-paint cans in coordinating colors. Arrange them geometrically or whimsically, attaching each to the wall with a single screw through the bottom or with heavy-duty wall-mounting tape.

5 of 21

6 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Pot pizzazz

Pot pizzazz

Revitalize terra-cotta flowerpots with a coat of bright paint and some rub-on accents. We used scrapbooking stickers to add playful patterns to our containers.

6 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Keys to success

Keys to success

Repurpose an old drawer for storage that's not out of sight. Screw cup hooks into the bottom of the drawer, then hang on the wall on a large sawtooth picture hanger.

7 of 21

8 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Creative cans

Creative cans

Make attractive storage containers from soup cans, coffee tins and other containers. Just attach decorative paper with spray adhesive or double-stick tape. Corral pens, pencils, scissors and other supplies. Change out the paper seasonally if you like!

8 of 21

9 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Recycle favorite plates

Preserve favorite plates

Do you have an old, unused dish set, or did you break a favorite plate by accident? Give new life to your treasured mementos by creating mosaic pots. Here, classic Blue Willow china creates a pleasing two-color combination. Step-by-step: How to make mosaic garden projects

9 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Sunny display

Sunny display

Floating a single blossom in a jar with a little water makes a charming display. A bow of raffia tops it with flourish.

10 of 21

11 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Cork board

Cork board

Put old wine corks to use in a clever message board. Choose a frame deep enough to house whole corks, or cut the corks lengthwise using an extra-fine razor saw (available at hobby stores). Attach the corks to the frame backing with wood glue.

11 of 21

12 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Birdbath in a flash

Birdbath in a flash

Create a splash with this easy birdbath, made from two terra-cotta pots and a saucer.

What you'll need:
Two different sizes of terra-cotta pots (a 12-inch pot over a 16-inch pot works well)
Large terra-cotta saucer

How to do it: Overturn the pots and stack them, putting the smaller pot on top of the larger one. Set the saucer on top and fill it with water. You'll have an instant attraction for robins, chickadees and other warblers! For a way to decorate your birdbath, see Create Mosaic Magic

12 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Create a centerpiece

Enlightening centerpiece

Not sure what to do with your quirky collectibles? This homeowner's old lightbulbs, in varying colors and shapes, create a striking focal point for the dining room table.

13 of 21

14 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Doorknob decor

Doorknob decor

Glass, marble or metal doorknobs make fun clothes or curtain hooks.Another idea for doorknobs: Turn them into a picture holder. Attach two or three to a wall and prop a picture frame between the knobs and the wall.

14 of 21

15 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Tall refresher

Tall refresher

Pour lemonade or sangria into these jars for containers guests don't have to worry about breaking.

15 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Make your own bookends

Make your own bookends

Stand books in style with creative bookends that play off your decor. Keep the project wallet-friendly by repurposing items or hitting up a crafts store for inexpensive supplies.For this display, fill glass vases with colored floral decor sand to match your color scheme or layer with aquarium gravel or beach glass. Weight vases with enough material so they won't tip. Finish with preserved greens.

16 of 21

17 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Birdbath planter

Birdbath planter

Damaged and broken items may no longer be useful for their original purpose, but they make great art. A damaged birdbath becomes a succulent garden. Add a base of soilless potting mix, plant with succulents and finish with a mulch of Spanish moss. Decorate with your choice of accessories, such as this candy dish planter, compass and spoon.

17 of 21

18 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Color a collection

Color a collection

What a little spray paint can do! Choose a single standout hue to turn a jumbled collection of garage sale finds into a unified display for a wall, mantel or shelf.Start with a group of related (but not necessarily matching) items. You could use a pile of old brass candlesticks, a menagerie of kitschy animal figures or a stack of tarnished trays. Our pick: a variety of dinged-up kitchen gear from antiques and thrift stores. Remove dirt and dust with a damp cloth. Spray on primer, then apply the final color with a light back and forth motion for even coverage. You may need a couple coats for rich, uniform color. (We used Krylon indoor/outdoor Cherry Red paint in gloss, krylon.com).

18 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Reuse an old chair

Reuse an old chair

A coat of paint turns an old chair into a colorful perch for a flower container.

19 of 21

20 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Recycled tiles

Recycled tiles

Inexpensive drainage tiles hold a variety of small plants.

20 of 21

21 of 21

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Ladder display

Ladder display

A vintage ladder adds stylish towel storage in this bath.

21 of 21

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 21 Suspended charm
2 of 21 Tag it
3 of 21 Map-tastic decor
4 of 21 Egg carton storage
5 of 21 Canned goods
6 of 21 Pot pizzazz
7 of 21 Keys to success
8 of 21 Creative cans
9 of 21 Recycle favorite plates
10 of 21 Sunny display
11 of 21 Cork board
12 of 21 Birdbath in a flash
13 of 21 Create a centerpiece
14 of 21 Doorknob decor
15 of 21 Tall refresher
16 of 21 Make your own bookends
17 of 21 Birdbath planter
18 of 21 Color a collection
19 of 21 Reuse an old chair
20 of 21 Recycled tiles
21 of 21 Ladder display

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Midwest Living

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Contact Us
  • Help
  • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
  • Renew this link opens in a new tab
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Affiliate Program
  • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
  • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
  • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
  • Video
  • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Meredith Midwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

View image

20 Ways to Recycle Everyday Materials
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.