Did you know that your recycling bin is full of beautiful home decor? I’m not even talking about making art from garbage, although I’ve seen some pretty unique creations. I’m talking about gorgeous home decor you can hang on your walls and people will think you spent a ton of money on it from Pottery Barn or Anthropologie. That kind of beautiful home decor. And it all starts with the recycling bin.
If you’re looking to create beautiful home decor on a budget, reusing common household recyclables that would otherwise be thrown away will cost you next to nothing! Not only will your home look totally classy and chic without spending a ton of money, but you can feel good about reusing items, giving them new life, and keeping things out of the landfill. So see, we’re saving the environment by crafting. That pretty much makes crafters essential to the earth’s survival. But let’s try to be humble about it, ok? 😉
For example, my glitter glass jar with tissue paper flowers cost me nothing to make, as I already had all of the supplies on hand. It adds a beautiful touch of color to the home, and I was able to give new life to a few items that would have otherwise been discarded. That’s a huge win in my opinion!
Really, all it takes is a little bit of time and effort, and maybe some paint and glue, and you have beautiful home decor that nobody will have guessed originally came from the recycling bin or trash can. We hardly even notice the beauty in these everyday recyclables until they’re transformed into something amazing. So the next time you go to toss one of these things out, maybe rethink what other fantastic creations it might be revamped into, and add it to your craft project list!
1. Toilet Paper Rolls
Did you know that a little bit of paint and glue are all it takes to transform toilet paper and paper towel rolls into beautiful wall decor? I had toilet paper roll art on my walls for a long time, and not one person who came to my house knew that it was made from toilet paper rolls unless we told them. This is definitely one of those crafting materials that I save up for projects. It’s not like they’re hard to come by!
Projects to consider making from toilet paper rolls:
Wreath made from toilet paper rolls
Toilet paper roll wall art
Mirror framed with toilet paper rolls
2. Cereal Boxes
Cereal boxes are perfect for turning into neat decor around the house. I love using cereal boxes for crafting templates, and they also make great organizers. Just a little scrapbook paper or fabric can completely transform a plain old cereal box into a beautiful and functional decoration!
Projects to consider making from cereal boxes:
Cereal box turned into a magazine bin
Paper mache monograms from cereal boxes
Cereal box photo mats
3. Glass Bottles/Jars
Though some of the most popular repurposing crafts of glass bottles involve mason jars, you can easily apply those same techniques to any glass food jar you have. Glass jars are perfect for turning into beautiful storage, and they also make great vases and centerpieces for holidays and parties.
Projects to consider making from glass jars:
Glitter glass jars
Wine bottle vases
Glass bottles turned into vases
4. Cardboard Boxes
We always seem to have an abundance of boxes (hello Amazon Prime), so I am always trying to come up with fun and creative ways to reuse our boxes. I like to keep a few different sizes on hand for our own mailing needs, but the rest of them get to be repurposed into fun decorations and crafts!
Projects to consider making from cardboard boxes:
Twine wrapped basket made from a cardboard box
Cardboard box turned into window valance
Monogram letters from cardboard boxes
5. Shoe Boxes
The crafts you can make from shoe boxes are similar to those you can make from cardboard boxes, but with the added bonus of a nice lid! Shoe boxes make great storage containers, and you can easily spruce them up by covering them with paint, fabric, or scrapbook paper. That’s one more reason to go shoe shopping (because we could all use more excuses to go shoe shopping)!
Projects to consider making from shoe boxes:
Electronic charging station from a shoe box
Shoe box turned into gorgeous storage box
Office caddy from a shoe box
6. Egg Cartons
We love eggs, so I’m always looking for ways to reuse our egg cartons. Believe it or not, you can actually make some gorgeous home decor from egg cartons. A pair of scissors and some paint, and you can transform an ordinary egg carton into beautiful flowers, among other things.
Projects to consider making from egg cartons:
Egg carton transformed into flower lights
Beautiful egg carton wreath (translated into English)
7. Tissue Paper
Tissue paper makes for great crafting material. The best part is you can usually find it in any array of colors and patterns. I always hate to throw out tissue paper we receive in gift bags, so I try to reuse it for our own gifting purposes, or transform it into beautiful home decorations.
Projects to consider making from tissue paper:
Colorful tissue paper flowers
Wreath made from tissue paper
Tissue paper party pom poms
8. Books
I’m not sure if we’re book hoarders or what, but for some reason we have an abundance of books that we’ll never read. Every time we get rid of a stack of books, two new stacks appear in its place. While we try to donate the majority of our unused books to the local library, some books are just too worn or beat up to warrant being read again, which makes them perfect for crafting purposes, as there are some really neat projects you can make from an old book!
Projects to consider making from books:
Paint old books to create beautiful decorations
Decorative balls made from book pages
Make a wreath from book pages
9. Coffee Filters
My husband is a huge coffee addict, so of course we have an abundance of coffee filters. Though these projects require the filters to be unused, I don’t think he’ll notice if a few go missing in the name of crafting. It’s for a good cause, after all!
Projects to consider making from coffee filters:
Watercolor coffee filter wreath
Decorative letters from coffee filters
Peonie flowers from coffee filters
10. Wine Corks
Of course I saved the best for last… wine corks! Wine corks never make it near the trash can in our house… they are far too valuable! Everyone in our household knows all wine corks immediately get washed off and become part of my craft stash. I love wine cork crafts and can never get enough of them.
Projects to consider making from wine corks:
Wine cork bulletin board
Vase made from wine corks
Wine cork state-shaped wall art
If you weren’t convinced before, I hope you will definitely consider saving these recyclables and trying one or two of these projects to create your own beautiful, one-of-a-kind home decor. It’s like getting craft supplies for free. And there are few things in life that are better than free craft supplies! The best part is, you’ll be able to add a personalized touch to your home, and you won’t even have to spend an arm and a leg doing it!
If you’d like to try out some of these projects but find your recycling bin lacking in supplies, don’t despair! You can still get your craft on when you get a little creative!
It’s really too easy to turn something that would have been tossed into a treasured decoration you can proudly display in your home. So, what craft supplies will you be rescuing from the recycling bin and turning into your own home decor? Let me know in the comments! And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter below to stay up-to-date with my latest craft and home tips, ideas, and tutorials!
Celeste these are my kinds of projects. The more frugal the better!! And these may have simple materials but there is nothing humble about the outcome. A great roundup!
Thanks, Mary! It’s really too easy to make things with stuff you already have around the house. All it takes is a little creativity and inspiration!
Great round-up of ideas with stuff most people would just toss without thinking twice about giving it a new life! The more thrifty, the better! Visiting from Two Uses Tuesday.
Thanks, Victoria! There are so many ways to get two uses from all of the things! And the best part is they’re free!
Oh my gosh, this is a fantastic round up! Who knew I could make so many pretty things? Thank you so much for linking up at Turn it Up Tuesdays. This info is fantastic. I’ve pinned it and my daughter is already making plans for some crafting!
Thanks, Evelyn! So glad to hear your daughter is ready to get crafting! There are so many things you can make from all of these items!
These are all such great ideas! I saved my wine corks for a long time but never did anything with them and ended up throwing them away. That was before I became a blogger though…once you become a blogger you start saving everything…LOL!
Lol, that is so true, Lisa! I find myself saving a lot more things since I started blogging, because you never know what you can make a project from! Wine cork crafts are some of my favorites, so we definitely stock up on those around here!
Nice roundup Celeste! Very creative features.
Thank you so much, Heather! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This is an awesome round up! I am such a hoarder of all those things but barely ever get around to making things out of them! My husband even knows to ask my permission everytime he has an empty toilet paper roll to throw away… lol…
I have to get to doing some of these!
Pinned and scheduled to share on my facebook 🙂
Thanks, Anika! These crafts are a lot of fun, and the results are just stunning! I definitely recommend trying one or two of them out when you get the chance. My husband also knows better than to question my toilet paper roll obsession, lol!
I agree, it’s great to be able to make something useful and beautiful out of “garbage” or “stuff” that would have ended up in the recycling bin! I love those kind of projects! Thank you so much for linking up at Sweet Inspiration #2! Have a great weekend!
Turning trash into treasure is one of my favorite things about crafting, Katrin! You can give new life and meaning to something that would have otherwise been thrown away!
I always love to upcycle old things!! These ideas are great – thank you for sharing with us at the #HomeMattersParty
Thanks so much, Jamie! Upcycling is a great way to create something fun and unique without even spending any money!
Celeste you are our “People’s Choice Award” recipient over at Sweet Inspiration. Come on over tomorrow and grab your feature button. And thank you for linking up with us.
Thanks so much, Mary! I’m so excited that everyone loved this post so much!
Such awesome creations! I particularly like the egg carton flower lights. I wouldn’t normally include a round-up in my own round-ups but this was just too awesome not to include in my Earth Day post. http://www.purfylle.com/2016/04/36-earth-day-ideas.html
Aren’t those egg carton lights so neat? I love that you included this in your Earth Day roundup!
These are great, it’s so easy to spend a lot of money on craft stuff and things for a homes. I love cardboard boxes of all sizes, my favourite thing to do with them is cover them in fabric and use them for storage 🙂
I love to spruce up some cardboard boxes and use them for storage! There’s nothing better than free craft supplies, right?
Wow! A ton of inspiration here! I am all about reusing! Thanks! Thanks also for linking up at Welcome Home Wednesdays! See you tomorrow!
Thanks, Erin! Hope this gave you some ideas for a future project or two!
We love upcycling. Such a great way to craft on a budget.
That’s so true! Upcycling is a fabulous way to create on a budget!
What a great idea. I love this post.
Thanks for linking up with Share the Wealth Sunday. I’m featuring this as one of my favorite posts of the week!
Thanks so much, Hannah! I’m so glad to hear you loved this so much to feature this!
Oh’ thanks for sharing! I’ve got a great collection of ideas from this post ❤