Tires are manufactured from durable materials, which do not degrade with time. While this could be considered as a positive aspect, unfortunately, it also means that worn-out tires are not easy to get rid of.
This means that car owners must make sure they correctly dispose of old tires. This can be done by mechanics, who recycle the tires taken off vehicles. However, vehicle owners can also utilize tires for versatile home DIY projects.
A DIY project is not hard to come by, even when you wish to repurpose old tires. With a few extra materials - such as rope, paint, etc. - you will be able to create useful items you will be able to utilize around the house. The possibilities are endless, as there are numerous ways to repurpose old tires without much effort.
What to Do With Old Tires?
Worn-out tires are not easy to get rid of. An old tire should not be thrown out with the rest of the trash, as their rubber materials and internal structure take a long time to naturally degrade. The best way is to repurpose tires you are no longer able to use on your car.
But how can you do that?
Well, there are different DIY tire projects that can be undertaken even by the least crafty person you may know. In this blog post, we will show you a couple of creative DIY projects we would suggest for you to try.
While we will not go into specific details on how you can finish your new project, this article will still allow you to effectively reuse your old tire.
Among others, the three main categories of tire repurposing we will talk about are:
- Upgrade and Improve Home & Garden
- Get Creative For Holidays
- Modify Landscape (shredded tire for roads, walls etc.)
A tire planter, a teeter-totter, a tire swing, garden stairs, outdoor furniture, holiday decorations, fences, etc. could easily be made from old tires. This is of course not a complete list, but it should give you an idea or two of how to reuse old tires.
Upgrade and Improve Home & Garden
The widest application for old tires is to use them as garden decoration. From different types of planters to various outdoor furniture you will be able to upscale your garden and yard.
Planters
Stacked
Stacked planters are not hard to create to make your garden more appealing. For such planters, you will need 1 or more tires, and, if you wish to change their color, paint. To finish this project, the old tire or tires need to be cleaned. When the tire is dry, you can paint them to any color you wish (keep in mind that numerous coats will be needed), or cut them to shape - creating different stack designs.
Once the tires are painted, they need to be arranged, filled with dirt, and the plants can be planted in them. Tires could be organized in versatile stacks, depending on the plans made for the garden. Be sure you have fun when rearranging your new garden.
Hanging
To create a hanging planter, the same steps need to be taken as for stack planters. The tires should be cleaned, painted, and cut if necessary. The difference is that a handing tire planter is hung up with a rope or chain, or it is nailed to a wall. This type of planter is excellent for hanging plants.
The reusing of an old tire into a hanging tire planter can be easily done and fashioned into versatile designs. Some are hung up in a manner that plants are placed only in one area between the two sidewalls. However, some types need a bottom, usually made from wood, as they are hung up vertically.
Furniture
Chairs
Old tires can also be reused as garden chairs. To make a chair by utilizing a tire or two, you will also need additional materials to use as cover. Such DIY projects will allow you to be as creative as you would like to be. Getting an idea for a tire chair online is not hard, and you will be able to make great furniture without much issue.
Whether you use an old chair's frame or extra tires to make the chair to stand on; a wooden plate and cushioning or cut up another tire to make a patchwork for the seating, you will be able to brighten up your garden without issue. The old tires could be painted to match the aesthetic you are going for. Furthermore, their durable frame will make the furniture last longer.
Tables
Making a coffee table is an excellent way to repurpose your tires. As we have mentioned before, old tires can be painted or covered with fabric or rope. This will ensure the new table does not look dirty when you are reusing them as indoor furniture.
A tire coffee table can have wooden legs to stand on, or simply two tires can be used to heighten the table. However, that is not necessary. What is important, is to create a sturdy top. A glass or wood plate can be used for this purpose, which could be bigger than the tire itself. By painting or covering the tire with the desired color, you can easily match the coffee table or "tire table" up with the room's aesthetic.
Ottomans
To match your new coffee table, make an ottoman. An old tire is perfect to be made into an ottoman! It already has the needed shape and you'd have a piece of multi-functional furniture with just a few steps. Covering the tire with rope or some type of material is the best way to go about creating this DIY project.
To create an ottoman, a covering is needed. Cushioning can be glued to a wood plate and covered with the same material as the tire itself. This will allow you to remove the lid and stack items inside the newly created ottoman. Due to this ottomans offer excellent storage space. When the lid is placed on the tire, the furniture offers an excellent seating arrangement.
Playground
Swing
A swing is basically an effortless way to make sure your kids are having fun. If you have a tire laying about, a great way to reuse it is to create a tire swing the kids can enjoy. This idea could be easily realized without much fuss. Get the tire, clean it, paint it, and select the strongest tree in your yard!
Okay, it might not be that simple. You will need to buy a durable rope or chains to hang the tire up in the tree. The rope or chain needs to be strong enough to withstand the weight of the person the swing is intended for, in order to prevent injury. However, when done right kids will enjoy the opportunity to play outdoors.
Sandbox
A sandbox is an excellent addition to your child's playground. If you have a truck or tractor tire, use it to create a sandbox for the kids! This is one of the easiest DIY projects you can do. However, if you are feeling creative, you can still paint, cut, and rearrange the tire as you please.
You just need to turn the tire on its side and fill it with sand and toys. The rest of the decorations are just additional. A larger tire is better for a sandbox, but you can also cut up and arrange passenger vehicle tires to make a bigger box. Such outdoor fun is not comparable to anything.
Teeter-Totter
Kids also love teeter-totters and tires are often reused are parts of this outdoor toy. The simplest way to create this is to cut the tire in two and secure a wooden plank to the cut area. This will allow the half-tire to roll from one side to the other, depending on which side the pressure is affecting. We do not wish to go into the specific science of children's toys, however.
To make this toy, which gives a perfect activity for kids to enjoy outdoors, you might need some stronger materials. The tire structure and the wooden plank need to withstand the children's weight, and the two parts have to be safely attached to one another. This could be achieved with the use of industrial glue or by screwing the parts together.
Get Creative For Holidays
Christmas Decorations
No matter whether you have bicycle or tractor tires laying around, you can repurpose them into Christmas decorations with ease.
If you have tires in versatile sizes available to you, a Christmas tree can be effortlessly made from them. Clean, paint and stack the tires on top of each other - from the largest to the smallest - and arrange Christmas lights around them. For an added touch, you can also hang ornaments on them. For a unique-looking tire tree, paint the tires an aesthetic color.
Staying on the topic of Christmas trees, you can also make a base for your tree in order to reuse an old tire. Smaller tires make excellent tree stands, which provide additional stability to the entire Christmas tree and its breakable ornaments. After the Holiday season, if you do not wish to put the tire stand in storage for next year, you can just plant flowers in it to brighten your garden.
One of the ways to repurpose old tires into Christmas decorations is to make them into giant outdoor ornaments. Clean and paint the tires to the color you wish. Use a wooden plate to cover the rim area, which should be painted the same color. With a simple cut-out, basic sketches can be spray-painted onto the plank as well. Glue a paper cap on the tread area and you have yourself a huge garden ornament.
By trying out one or more of these DIY projects you will make sure that wintertime in your garden will be as jolly as the season itself!
Halloween Decorations
From giant jack-o-lanterns to menacing tire spiders, you can effortless provide a spooky garden aesthetic by using old tires.
The black color of tires gives an excellent base for making hanging spiders for your front porch. The tires just need to be cut and turned inside out to create a spider-like appearance. These tire spiders can be hung from or mounted on the wall for extra creepy factors.
One of the best ideas we have seen is to create a murder scene - not a real one of course. All you will need are a few old tires, straw, fake blood, a pair of jeans, and a pair of boots. Stack at least three tires on each other and fill them with straw. Fill the jeans with straw too and place them into the topmost tire. Add more straw to make sure the jeans do not fall out. Add the boots at the end of the jean legs and generously sprinkle fake blood on your construction. Viola, a fake murder scene!
Play up the Halloween spirits and create tire jack-o-lanterns! Paint the tires orange, and once the orange paint is dry add a black jack-o-lantern face. Tires can either be stacked on one another to make a bit one, or they can be cut, turned inside out, and be used in that manner. Make sure you do not actually light them up, as tires are quite flammable.
Modify Landscape
Fences
Instead of throwing old tires into the trash, make a tire fence out of them. All you will need are a bunch of tires and dirt, rubble, and cardboard to fill the tires. The tires must be filled with something to improve their stability and durability.
Another way to use tires as fences is to cut out the tread area. The tread area provides a single strand, which can be used instead of wooden planks on a fence.
Walkways
Many states recycle old tires to upgrade the walkways and roads in cities. However, you can also do that on your own - or with a little help. Old tires can be cut up to pieces in order to create mulch. Mulch can be used to cover different surfaces around your garden or playground area, or they can be mixed with concrete in order to pave your yard.
Stairs
Tires are a great way to make affordable garden stairs. On steep slopes, tires can be placed to provide a non-slip surface and a better footprint. The ground should be leveled a bit, moving higher and higher. The tires placed on the ground will provide the steps of the stairs. These tires have to be filled with dirt and rubble to stabilize them.
Pond
Creating a garden pond from old tires will require some planning, but it is not impossible. The sidewall facing upwards has to be cut off the tire and the tire needs to be dug into the ground, where the pond will be. The tire's inside and the space near it should be covered with waterproof nylon, to prevent water from seeping out.
The area around the tire and new pond's walls and bottom need to be covered. Rounded rocks are an excellent way to do this, as they do not harm the nylon. All that remains is to fill the pond with water, add a water fountain if you want, and plant some flowers around it. There are so many ideas you could use to have fun with the design.
Walls
Tire walls are often used by stated to secure hillsides, while they can also offer excellent shock-absorption on go-kart courts. No matter what your reason is for creating a tire wall, you can rest assured that it will provide excellent stability. To make a tire wall, the same steps need to be followed as for a tire fence.
Bonus Tire Repurposing Options
Wishing Well
Wishing wells are an excellent decoration which could improve your garden's appeal easily. With 2-3 old tires, paint, and some additional woodwork, a wishing well can be effortlessly created. You can also turn it into a tire planter if you wish.
Cartoon & Video Game Characters
If you have some painting skills, nothing is easier than painting old tires to resemble your favorite cartoon or video game characters - or just some cute animals. A trend that has gained some popularity since the movie Despicable Me has come out is to create tire Minions, but bears, frogs, and even the Flash have made appearances.
Water Bowl
While we do not recommend making beds out of used tires for pets, they make excellent water bowls. For smaller animals, car tires are enough. The tire needs to be cleaned painted and a bucket or bowl should be added to the whole. This will make sure they are unable to topple the bowl over.
Bike Stand
Another useful way to reuse an old tire is to make it into a platform for bikes. There are two ways to do this: a messy and a clean way. Either tires can be dug into the ground close to each other, or they can be cut in half and glued to a wooden plank. Both options give the stability needed to keep the bikes upright.
Why Is It Important to Repurpose & Recycle Tires?
Tires are non-biodegradable. This means that nature is not able to "take care" of our tire waste problem. For this reason, it is of the utmost necessity to recycle as many tires as possible.
Whether you contribute to this by paying the state tires fees or the recycling fees, or you take the job into your own hands is not really important. However, we cannot deny that reusing and reshaping old tires to make different masterpieces is an excellent creative outlet. Just make sure you are having fun when utilizing the space and tires you have at your disposal.
Of course, we have not covered all ideas regarding tire recycling. We could talk about this topic for days, without even nearing its end.
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