Recycled Tires Uses and DIY Projects

Do you have old, damaged tires you're about to throw out? Don't toss them out just yet. Instead, you should use follow these 7 tips on how to repurpose old tires.

Furniture

Need to buy furniture for your home? Instead of spending money in the mall, you can go the ‘green' way when you recycle used tires.

You can repurpose these to make low-sitting chairs. Just paint it in your preferred color and cover the hole in the middle. Place a pillow or seating pad on top and voila – new lounge chairs!

Another project you should try is making coffee tables or side tables out of old tires.

Put two (or three) on top of each other and make sure they're glued in place. Place a stable wooden or metal surface on top and there you have it – an instant side table.

Tip: You can also make a bigger table by placing 2-3 stacked tires side by side.

If you're up to the challenge, you can also make light fixtures out of upcycled bicycle tires.

To do this, you need to:

1. Affix a glass layer at the bottom part of the tire.
2. Install chains on 3 or 4 areas on the top part of the tire. You can use other sturdy materials to hang the tire as well.
3. Place a light in the middle, making sure that the electric wires are properly connected to power.
4. Hang your ‘tire chandelier' and turn on the unique light you have just created!

Upcycled tires also make for unique shelves for your home.

You can place wooden planks inside it to make a 2- or 3-layered shelf. You can even add more layers depending on what you want to put on them.

After doing so, you can readily install the ‘floating tire shelf' on the wall.

Home Gym Weights

You don't have to sign up for an expensive membership or purchase expensive gym home equipment to work out. As long as you know how to repurpose old tires, you can exercise without spending a lot of money.

For one, you can use tires to create gym weights. Just secure them at both ends of a sturdy metal bar and you're good to go.

If you don't have any metal bar lying around, you can use the tire alone to build your upper body strength. Remember: an average car tire weighs a whopping 27 pounds or 12 kilos – more than enough to tone your muscles.

Playground Material

Instead of buying a swing or seesaw set for your playground, recycled tires should be your DIY go-to's. That's because you can use it to create a complete play place.

As usual, you can transform one into a swing. All you need to do is hang it from a tree (or any other sturdy metal) with some thick ropes or metal chains.

You can also use upcycled tires to make an obstacle course. Children can climb on it or go under it – and put their mental and physical talents to the test.

With some creativity, you can use it to make ride-on animals for kids. All you need to do is paint half-cut tires into zebras, elephants, or serpents. Little kids will definitely love these things.

Tip: If the upcycled bicycle tires you have at hand are too worn, you can still use them. You can have them shredded into rubber mulch.

You can use this to make safe yet economical playground surfaces. With rubber much, there's no need to buy concrete or wood for your DIY playground floors.

Backyard Wall/Fence

Instead of buying and building a fence, you can use recycled use tires to create one.

This DIY project is particularly easy to do, as all you need to do is surround your perimeter with these tires.

Make sure to fill each center with pebbles, gravel, or soil to keep the tires firmly in place. Repeat the process once you've reached the height you want for your wall.

Tip: To make it more aesthetic, you can add plants to the topmost tires. Learn more about this DIY project below.

Outdoor Stairs

Slippery slopes are dangerous, especially if you have children around.

To prevent them from falling over, you should recycle used tires and transform them into outdoor stairs.

The procedure is pretty much like building a tire wall/fence. Place them as steps on the slope, but make sure that you put stabilizing material in the center. It could be dirt, gravel, even cement.

Of course, don't forget to place a non-slip surface on top of each tire. This should keep you from slipping even when the tire steps are wet.

Plant Pots

This is perhaps one of the easiest ways to use upcycled tires. You don't need to do a lot apart from painting the tires.

Then again, this is optional.

To make plant pots, all you need to do is to arrange the tires in your background. You can form a horizontal line or make a layered/pyramid-like structure. The possibilities are endless, really.

Once you have the tires in place, all you need to do is add your plant (and some soil) in the middle.

Outdoor Decors

Upcycled bicycle tires are not only functional, they're decorative as well.

In fact, you can use them to create unique decors for your front or backyard.

In the summer, you can use them to create colorful designs – such as animals or cartoon characters.

If you live in a place where it doesn't snow, you can use these tires to create an artificial snowman. You can even use it to create a large Christmas wreath.

If you have the time and the artistic talent, you can even use tire scraps to make creative masterpieces. Talented people around the world have used these tires to make larger-than-life sculptures of lions, horses, and elephants.

 

As you see, there are many recycled tires uses. With these materials, you can create a variety of things – and do your part for Mother Earth.