15 Crafting Materials You've Never Tried

Be a Designer MacGyver: Transform everyday materials and ready-for-the-trash items into clever home decor projects.

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Photo By: Layla Palmer

Photo By: Melissa Edgemont

Photo By: Rachel Faucett

Creative Crafting Materials

Feeling crafty? Before you take a trip to the craft store, consider upcycling what you already have at home instead. Many common household items — from tin cans to old T-shirts — can be transformed into chic, functional home accents. Browse our gallery for 15 clever ways to craft with everyday materials. First up: light bulbs. Turn your burnt-out bulbs into tiny terrariums like Juliette Melton of The Hipster Home did here.

Tin Cans

Before you recycle, why not upcycle? Rescue vegetable cans and coffee tins and repurpose them as colorful utensil storage bins. Dress them up with paint and washi tape, then use a "S" hook to attach to a kitchen towel bar.

More Ideas: 12 Decorative Ways to Upcycle Tin Cans

Wine Crates

Like milk crates, these sturdy boxes are surprisingly simple to transform and have a certain rustic flair. Turn the vessel for your bulk wine purchases into mobile toy boxes like Brian Patrick Flynn did here.

Get the How-To: Mobile Wooden Crate Toy Storage

Garden Tools

Bring your green thumb indoors by repurposing old garden tools as home decor. Have a leaky watering can? Turn it into a planter. Garden tools with broken handles can be repurposed, too, like this rake-turned-jewelry rack.

More Ideas: 24 Pin-Worthy Jewelry Storage Ideas

Neckties

Old silk neckties are a thrift-store staple. Give retro ties new life by using them to tie back curtains like designer Brian Patrick Flynn did here. Discover more DIY curtain tieback ideas that don't look cheap.

Get the How-To: How to Use Neckties As Curtain Tiebacks

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Vintage Scarves

This common thrift store find isn’t just for retro fashionistas – you can also transform it into home decor. Pick a brilliant pattern and let it stand on its own as art like designer Hilari Younger did here, or transform it into a pillow, table runner and more.

Old Books

Bibliophiles, stay with me: Book crafts aren't for your rare or treasured tomes, but there are plenty of ways to repurpose damaged or unwanted volumes. Turn a book into an unexpected succulent planter with our step-by-step instructions.

Get the How-To: How to Make a Vintage Book Planter

License Plates

Snip up some old license plates and put them to work on your fridge as magnets, like Brian Patrick Flynn did here. Just be sure to use steel plates (not aluminum) so the magnets stick!

Get the How-To: How to Make Magnets From Old License Plates

Baby Food Jars

Once you've collected a few of these pint-sized jars, paint in ombre hues and wire together to make a hanging vase or planter. See more creative ways to upcycle your kids' castoffs.

Get the How-To: Upcycle Baby Food Jars Into Hanging Ombre Vases

From: Michelle Edgemont

Decoupage Map Kids' Chairs

Plain wooden chairs for little explorers are a lot more appealing after a decoupage map makeover! Follow Brian Patrick Flynn’s tutorial and jazz up your kids’ bedrooms or playrooms on the cheap.

Get the How-To: Upcycle a Plain Kids' Chair With a Decoupaged Map

Coffee Filters

Coffee filters are good for more than just a fresh cup of joe. Dip (fresh) filters in fabric dye to create a colorful, flower-inspired piece of temporary wall art.

Get the How-To: How to Make Floral Wall Art With Coffee Filters

From: Michelle Edgemont

Old T-Shirts

You know that overflowing drawer of free T-shirts? Turn them into something functional, like this recycled shirt rug. Find more ways to reuse old shirts here.

Get the How-To: How to Make a Recycled T-Shirt Rug

From: Michelle Edgemont

Leather Belts

They're not just a stylish accessory: Leather belts can be used for everything from curtain tiebacks to woven benches to rustic drawer pulls.

Get the How-To: How to Use Leather Belts As Curtain Tiebacks

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Vintage Suitcases

These time-worn treasures can hold more than socks and underwear — try fitting the bottom half of a suitcase with a custom cushion to create a comfortable, stylish bed for Fido. Get more DIY dog bed ideas your pup will adore.

Get the How-To: How to Make a Vintage Suitcase Pet Bed

Duct Tape

Okay, you've probably heard of duct tape crafts. But take a cue from Rachel Faucett of Handmade Charlotte and think outside the, ahem, roll — she used it to create a chevron border, bed skirt and more.

More Ideas: Budget-Friendly Duct Tape Decorations for Kids' Rooms

15 Crafting Materials You've Never Tried

Related To:

Shop This Look

Creative Crafting Materials

Tin Cans

Wine Crates

Garden Tools

Neckties

Vintage Scarves

Old Books

License Plates

Baby Food Jars

Decoupage Map Kids' Chairs

Coffee Filters

Old T-Shirts

Leather Belts

Vintage Suitcases

Duct Tape

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