20 Easy Kitchen Upcycling Ideas

Turn a Soup Tureen Into a Planter

Chipped lip? Lost lid? Don't toss that old tureen; instead give it new life as a decorative cachepot, or overpot, for a houseplant. The plant you use should already be planted in a plastic pot with drainage holes, so all you have to do is place the potted plant inside the tureen whose solid bottom will prevent leaks.

See More Photos: 20 Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air

From: Heather Baird

Storage That's a Bundt Above

Nesting Bundt pans can easily be fashioned into a handy tiered server or organizer with wooden dowels or spindles. Just drill a hole in both ends of a long dowel and add an interior dowel screw to each end. Secure the dowel to the opening in the center of the large bottom pan with a washer and wingnut. Stack the smaller pan on top of the dowel so the end of the screw comes through the hole in the center of the pan. Finish the top with a decorative screw-on finial. Give your tiered server a trendy, farmhouse look by painting the whole assembly with chalk paint, then roughing up the surfaces with sandpaper to add a timeworn charm.

See More Photos: 98 DIY Farmhouse Decorating Ideas

From: Heather Baird

Baking Pan Magnetic Board

Transform an old baking pan or cookie sheet into a magnetic message board. It's easy — just add a coat of gold spray paint and line the inside with pretty fabric using spray adhesive. Attach a hanger to the back using gel superglue and let dry thoroughly. Hang in a visible, high-traffic area of your home and attach notes with stylish magnets.

From: Heather Baird

Vintage Fork Magnets

Old silver-plate forks are gorgeously detailed and plentiful at charity and thrift shops. Add small self-adhesive magnets to the backs to display them on your fridge, a metal filing cabinet or any magnetic surface. The tines can hold business cards, shopping lists or photos. Any size fork will work, but small, child-sized forks are more space-efficient.

From: Heather Baird

Make a Wine Rack Pull Double-Duty

Avid bakers usually have a variety of rolling pins for different uses, and they are all usually situated awkwardly in drawers and cabinets. Their long baton shape makes them extremely difficult to store with other baking tools. A hanging wine bottle rack will perfectly house the pins and free up valuable drawer space.

See More Photos: Create a Chef-Worthy Kitchen With Our Storage Secrets

And, Get Creative With Wine Corks

Wine corks make classy place card holders with just a little trimming. Use a sharp knife or box cutter to trim away 1/4 inch from the long side so the cork lays flat. Cut a shallow divot end-to-end in the top of the cork using a serrated knife. Insert printed place cards and display at place settings. These also look beautiful as food label holders on buffet tables.

From: Heather Baird

Turn Tea Towels Into a Topper

The perfect no-sew kitchen valance may already be at your fingertips — in your stack of kitchen towels. Easily whip up a whimsical valance by clipping drapery rings onto the tops of three or more pretty tea towels. Hang them on a cafe-style drapery rod and arrange in a pleated fashion.

From: Heather Baird

Or, Whimsical Wall Art

Use a boldly printed tea towel as a piece of textile wall art — no framing required. Wooden weighted magnetic hangers clip together in an instant, and provide the quickest way to display a pretty tea towel. This method of creating kitchen art is so easy that you can even quickly swap out the tea towel with the seasons.

From: Heather Baird

Creatively Corral Cookbooks

A simple wire dish rack can act as a home for your go-to cookbooks. Just insert the cookbooks upright between the wire separators. You can even use the utensil basket for storing pencils and page markers.

See More Photos: Create a Chef-Worthy Kitchen With Our Storage Secrets

And, Your Favorite Mags

Don’t toss those family-sized cereal boxes — repurpose them as magazine organizers. Carefully cut the cereal boxes at an angle from the top, using sharp scissors or a craft knife. Cover with wrapping paper, leftover wallpaper or contact paper to keep issues of your favorite mags stylishly organized.

From: Heather Baird

Serve Tea to Our Feathered Friends

Give grandma’s chipped china new purpose as an outdoor bird feeder. Use permanent, outdoor-rated glue to attach a china teacup, on its side, to a saucer. Following manufacturer's instructions, allow the glue to fully set, then fill with seed and hang the bird feeder with ribbon threaded through the teacup handle. Hang near a window so you can keep an eye out for squirrels and enjoy watching our feathered friends help themselves to a snack.

From: Heather Baird

Repurpose Orphaned Dishware

Spare china plates or platters can be elevated (literally!) with the help of heavyweight stemware. Use a heavy goblet or other sturdy piece of stemware, turned upside down, as a cakestand's base. Top with a vintage plate that sits securely on the glassware's foot. Glue the two pieces together with gel super glue or epoxy for a permanent bond.

From: Heather Baird

Turn a Tin Can Into Countertop Storage

Number 10 cans have lots of upcycle potential, but one of our favorite ways to use them is to make a space-saving utensil holder. Not only does it free up valuable drawer space, but it also keeps your most used utensils handy. Wash and thoroughly dry the can, then cover in self-adhesive washable wallpaper or vinyl shelf liner.

Or, a Fanciful Windsock

Save those soup cans to fashion fun outdoor decor. Cut the top and bottom from a thoroughly washed and dried standard tin can (non-stackable works best). Spray paint or cover the can using durable vinyl-coated contact paper. Use hot glue to attach long, flowing lengths of ribbon to the inside bottom of the can. Punch four holes in the can near the top with a nail and loop twine through the holes. Tie it to a tree branch and watch it sway on a windy day.

From: Heather Baird

Transform a Bottle Into a Soap Dispenser

Green glass olive oil bottles are beautiful and durable — it’s such a shame to just throw them away, so repurpose them as a pretty soap pump, instead. Just clean an olive oil bottle and fill with liquid kitchen soap. Attach a screw-on soap pump or insert an olive oil pour nozzle.

From: Heather Baird

Or, a Scent Diffuser

Vintage soda bottles have a nostalgic charm that works as both decor and as a room freshener when you turn them into a scent diffuser using chopsticks or ordinary bamboo skewers. Just fill a bottle with a simple 3:1 ratio of water to rubbing alcohol, mixed with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Add decorative rocks, beads or glass marbles to the bottom of the bottle, if desired.

From: Heather Baird

Turn Staples Into Emergency Candles

If you have a cotton shoelace, some empty glass jars and vegetable shortening, then you have everything you need to cook up some emergency candles. Melt a large tub of solid vegetable shortening in the microwave or on a stove top, then carefully pour into tall 12-ounce jelly jars. Insert a cotton shoelace or other wicking material into the melted shortening and tie the end to a skewer that rests on the jar’s top edge. When the candle sets firm, use immediately or cover with a lid and store with waterproof matches. Be sure to use fresh (unused) vegetable shortening for an odorless candle.

From: Heather Baird

Sub Cookie Cutters for Napkin Rings

Add a creative touch to your table setting by simply threading napkins through assorted shaped cookie cutters that are similar in size. Shiny silver cookie cutters look beautiful as-is or spray painted to match a color scheme or to complement a theme.

From: Heather Baird

Or, Turn Them Into Picture Frames

Large cookie cutters can be made into unique picture frames for family photos. These are especially cute for candid snaps of kiddos or pets. Use a cutter to trace around a photo and a piece of card stock or cardboard. Cut the photo out and attach it to the board using decoupage medium. Next, attach it to the back of the cutter using hot glue. Add magnets to the back to turn them into adorable fridge magnets, or glue on ribbon for handmade holiday ornaments.

From: Heather Baird

Cheese Grater Earring Holder

If you’re looking for a fun and clever way to display your earring collection, then look no further. Just use a cheese grater. You’ll need a box-style metal cheese grater that stands upright and a can of spray paint in your favorite hue. Simply paint the grater and let it dry thoroughly before using it to display your jewelry.

From: Heather Baird

20 Easy Upcycles for Old Kitchen Gear

Related To:

Shop This Look

Turn a Soup Tureen Into a Planter

Storage That's a Bundt Above

Baking Pan Magnetic Board

Vintage Fork Magnets

Make a Wine Rack Pull Double-Duty

And, Get Creative With Wine Corks

Turn Tea Towels Into a Topper

Or, Whimsical Wall Art

Creatively Corral Cookbooks

And, Your Favorite Mags

Serve Tea to Our Feathered Friends

Repurpose Orphaned Dishware

Turn a Tin Can Into Countertop Storage

Or, a Fanciful Windsock

Transform a Bottle Into a Soap Dispenser

Or, a Scent Diffuser

Turn Staples Into Emergency Candles

Sub Cookie Cutters for Napkin Rings

Or, Turn Them Into Picture Frames

Cheese Grater Earring Holder

Make a New Basket Look Old for Vintage-Style Storage

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