10 Recyclables You Can Transform Into Beautiful Home Decor

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!