Home - Hammer Addict

When you have run out of things to do with an old tire that’s just lying around, it can be tempting to toss it into the recycling bin and call it a day. Who wants an old, useless tire taking up room in the garage, anyway? Well, think again. An old tire can be repurposed into some truly incredible things that can completely change the aesthetic of a room or make it more convenient. What can I do with an old tire? Here are 18 great things you can do with an old tire: Tire Swing Playground Equipment Furniture Planters Flip-FlopsWork Out EquipmentOutdoor StaircaseRelaxing HammockSandboxCosplay ArmorUmbrella StandWreathHouseStorage Bin Obstacle CourseCar-Themed Room DecorBeltDoormat To find products to help with these ideas, look here. So, before you go and kick your tire to the curb, why not consider making one of these DIY crafts? Some are very simple and only require a few materials. Others, on the other hand, may be a bit more tricky for the amateur DIY-er. Either way, you are bound to find a repurposing craft that is right up your alley, whether it’s extreme or a simple makeover for the yard. 18 Things To Do With Your Old Tires Ready to find a new way to enjoy an old tire? We have compiled a list of the top 18 things to do with old tires that will completely shock you and excite you. From full-blown houses to lovely decor that can be placed right in your living room, we have it all. Let’s take a closer look at these unique and cool ideas for repurposing old tires. 1. Tire Swing We’re going to start off with the most obvious idea. Why? Because this is the easiest way to repurpose an old tire, and it’s a great choice if you have kids or grandkids to occupy in the backyard. The beloved tire swing will get them off their screens and out in nature, where they will enjoy endless hours of chuckling. The best thing about the tire swing idea is that it is so easy. Realistically, you could tie some rope to the tire, hang it on a tree, and be ready to swing. And while you can keep it this simple and surprise your kiddos with a gift that keeps on giving, why stop there? Consider decorating your tire swing to make it more personalized. For instance, if you have kids that love all things princessy, take a crack at your art skills and paint the tire pink with a pretty princess crown on top. You might have animal lovers, so turn the tire into a cool, slimy frog. It is a lot easier than you think--just paint it green and toss on some eyes and a mouth, and they’ll be thrilled. 2. Playground Equipment If there is one thing almost everyone has seen at a playground, at one time or another, is playground equipment made from tires. It’s not hard to understand why. Tires are sturdy enough so that they are able to take on the weight of the kids, but not so sturdy that they will cause serious injury if a child accidentally falls onto it. Now, with playground equipment, you have a few different options. Here are our top three picks for playground equipment made with old tires: Climber. You can create a climber that kids will love using tires secured to poles, slabs of wood, or something else that will be able to stand up and hold the weight of the tires and kids. You can even nix the stabilizers altogether and toss a couple of tires indirectly on top of each other, which is a great option for youngsters who aren’t able to climb yet.Add to existing playground equipment. Make climbing up playground equipment more interesting and challenging by building a ladder out of rope and tires strung together. Shred them for safety around playground equipment. Tires are often used around playgrounds for safety. If you are dealing with an area that might not be as safe as you’d like it to be, such as too much concrete or dirt lying around, then cover it up with some old shredded tires, and you give your child a safe place to fall. 3. Furniture Another option for old tires is furniture. And there are truly endless possibilities when it comes to repurposing tires for furniture. I mean, why should you have to go out and buy an entirely new ottoman when you can use an old tire and a few other materials and save hundreds? It sounds like a win-win situation. Now, much like the playground equipment, there are a few different options that may pique your interest. You can make these as inquisitive or as simple as you’d like. Let’s take a closer look: Dog bed. So your pup doesn’t have a place of his own to lay down and relax? That’s sad- but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re not in the market to go out and purchase a doggy bed, you can create an old tire into a cozy spot. Place a blanket or pillow inside and viola! A spot your furry best friend will adore. Ottoman. Perhaps one of the most popular options is the ottoman. Ottomans might not be something you find in every home, considering the price, so this DIY method is a hit. You can make an ottoman by painting and stacking old tires, or you can crochet something magnificent around the tire to suit your specific decorating taste.Side Table. The side table can be done in the exact same way as the ottoman. Keep it simple with a few coats of paint, or utilize your creativity to the maximum with some knitting or crocheting.Tube Chair. Is your child begging you for a place to relax when he’s playing his video games? Are you looking for a cozy spot to nestle up with your favorite romance novel? Consider making a tube chair with the tire. It’s one chair that’s either left as is, doused in paint, or wrapped in yarn. Toss a pillow inside and get ready for maximum comfort.Mirror. Last but not least, we have the mirror. Now, this option will require you to go out and purchase a mirror that fits into the tire, but it’s worth it. The roadside mirror attraction adds some old-world charm to any room it’s placed in, and you can make it any color or theme you want. 4. Planters Have you thought about getting into gardening, but don’t know where to start? Well, if you have an old tire lying around, it might be exactly what you need to propel yourself to get started. After all, you can easily repurpose tires to be beautiful planters simply by painting the tire and tossing some flowers inside. Yes, it’s that easy, and you might be surprised how beautiful it looks. You can leave the planters on the ground and feel confident in your choice. But if you’re looking to switch things up a bit or simply don’t have room to place planters on the floor, you can also turn an old tire to a hanging planter using a bit of rope! These lovely planters sport your lush greenery and floral in a unique way that’s bound to be an eye-catcher. 5. Flip-Flops If you are feeling extra crafty, then you might even consider making an old tire into a pair of flip flops. Yes, people have actually been doing this for years, and why wouldn’t they? Tire flip flops are sturdy and reliable. It might not be the most aesthetically pleasing flip flop in the world, but they can certainly serve their purpose in your day-to-day life. Of course, this particular method is going to require a few more materials and tools that you might not have on hand. However, if you want to really dive into the DIY world, then you might want to have these materials in your garage for future crafts, too. You will need the following: An old tireBicycle innertubeShoe GooCardstockJigsawScrollsawDrillChiselScissorsRulerUtility KnifeMarkers Once you have all of the necessary materials, you can create your shoes in a few (fairly) simple steps. Keep in mind, though, that it may take a couple of tries before you nail this project. Always remember, too, that you might want to leave a little extra wiggle room with your initial cut and make adjustments to your foot size later. Create a pattern and cut a small section of the tire. You basically want to decide where your straps are going to be placed. Cut a small section of the tire, but make sure it’s larger than the size of your foot.Apply the template of your shoe to the tire and cut. Cut the appropriate slots for the straps.Cut straps using the bicycle inner tube.Install the straps and secure them. By the end, you will have a pair of magnificently made DIY tire shoes that everyone will be an awe of. And yes, these are sandals you might even be able to take a hike on without worrying about rocks hurting your feet! If you need a visual tutorial, check out this video. 6. Work Out Equipment Don’t have any weights at home, but happen to have an old tire lying around? Well, you don’t need a gym to get a killer workout--just use the tire! It’s no secret that tires are pretty heavy, so you can use them to make an intense, fat-burning workout right from home. No special gym memberships or equipment is necessary. Now, you can simply lift tires up and down and get a great workout. However, you can use tires for a lot of other top-notch workouts, too. Some of our favorites include: Stacking tires to jump over. Consider doing a broad jump with stacked tires.Stacking tires to jump in and out of. With this exercise, you will start inside the tire, squat, jump, and land on the outside of the tire in a squatting position.Tire flip from one side to the other. Start on one side with a tire. Flip the tire over continuously until you reach the other side.Step up and down on the tire. Good old fashioned step-ups are a great way to get some cardio in your life while also working on those legs! Simply step up and down on the tire as fast as you can to increase your heart rate. If you want more ideas, you can find them at Bodybuilding.com. 7. Outdoor Staircase Have you been blessed with a backyard that seems to have an unsightly hill you have no idea what to do with? Big and little hills in the backyard can benefit from a staircase leading to the top, but shelling out hundreds, even thousands of dollars on professionally made staircases don’t seem to fit a whole lot of people’s budgets. Does that mean you’re out of luck? Of course, not. If you have a treasure trove of old tires in your garage, we have found the perfect way to use them: by creating an outdoor staircase using tires placed into the ground. It’s fairly simple: cut the tires in half so that they look somewhat like ‘steps.’ Dig out some of the earth of your backyard so the tire can sit inside of the scooped out area. Secure the tire by placing some soil tightly around it. Continue this process until the end of the hill or area where you would like a DIY outdoor staircase. 8. Relaxing Hammock It seems as though tires have made their way back onto the list of being a great place to sit back and relax. Repurposing your old tire into a hammock is quick and easy and something your kids will adore. Think about it- how many kids have a nice, quiet spot where they can lay down in the sun in their own backyard? To make a tire hammock, cut the tire in half and add some ropes to hang it. You can become as creative or simple as you’d like. Many people will opt to paint the tire a pleasing hue and also add pillows or some type of padding to make the tire more comfortable. You are the master of this DIY relaxing hammock, so feel free to go as minimal or extravagant as you’d like. This could even make a wonderful birthday surprise for a little one who can’t get enough of the outdoors. 9. Sandbox This is probably one of the best ideas of all-time. Why? Because every kid loves a good sandbox, but manufactured sandboxes can be outrageously expensive. If you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on something that your child is going to love, then you might want to consider turning your old tire into a sandbox. Now, there are a few things to keep in mind with this: You can customize it if you’d like. Nobody said you had to decorate it so that it’s customized for your child, but it’s a great idea. It’s not necessary, though, so if you’re not the most artistic individual, then don’t worry about personalizing with colors and decorations.You will have to buy sand. But don’t worry--the sand isn’t too expensive, and it’s still a much cheaper option than going out and buying a brand new sandbox.You will need a lid. Sandboxes are notorious for being kitty litter boxes. To make sure your child’s sandbox doesn’t turn into a poopoo platter, then you should highly consider adding a lid. This could be a piece of padding or plastic, whichever you prefer. The point is to make sure it’s entirely covered when playtime is over. 10. Cosplay Armor Now, if you’re feeling very daring and want to test your DIY skills, then you might want to try making your old tire into cosplay armor. Now, this is going to require a lot of time, materials, and tools on your behalf, but it’s well worth it. This tire armor is bound to be the talk of the town, and everyone is going to want to get their hands on it. To make your own armor, you’re going to need: A heavy and mounted vise¼” Drill bitLeather glovesUtility knifeRagsChalkShop apron To make your armor, you will want to start by drawing out your design. Then, using chalk, place the design directly onto your tire. Mount the tire into the vise and start cutting out your design. You might need to add some holes or spots where you can place washers to keep pieces together, depending on your design. 11. Umbrella Stand There is nothing more annoying than wet umbrellas being tossed into the floor or closet. The drips of water found left and right is enough to make any homeowner crazy. But you’re probably not so upset that you’re willing to go out and spend your hard-earned money on an umbrella stand. So what is your next best choice? Making an umbrella stand out of an old tire. This is probably one of the easiest, yet most convenient options when it comes to repurposing old tires. All you need to do is cut some holes into the top of the tire that is large enough to hold umbrellas. Yes, it’s that simple, and yes, it will save you from ever having to worry about wet umbrellas making contact with your floor ever again. 12. Wreath Wreaths can be incredibly expensive, but with an old tire, a beautiful wreath hanging on your door no longer has to be a hefty expense. You can create a wreath out of an old tire quickly and easily. You don’t even need to cut the tire, but you might want to make it a bit thinner so that it hangs on the door more easily. Now, you can be super creative with your homemade wreath. You can make it match the season, such as placing fall flowers inside the tire and hanging it or make it more personalized by adding the name of your family to the tire and adding some of your favorite things. There are virtually endless possibilities with a DIY old tire wreath, and you can change it whenever you want. 13. House Now, unless you own a tire store that has gone out of business, you will likely never have enough tires to create an entire house. But you might be able to create a miniature-sized home, such as a playhouse, for your little ones. It’s incredibly fun to make, although it’s going to take a good chunk of time and energy to piece it together. The bulk of the tire house is simply going to be stacking tires strategically. Do the best you can to make sure that there are no gaps or holes between the tires as to not let any unwanted light inside. At the end of your building adventure, you will have a house entirely made of tires. Check out this video for more info. 14. Storage Bin Everyone can use an extra storage bin in their home. Whether it’s for toys scattered all over the playroom, yarn that seems to be tossed throughout your living room, or simply some odds and ends that you’d like to conceal, you can make a storage bin out of old tires. You will likely want two, three, or even four old tires to stack on top of each other for ample storage. Now, the storage bin is going to be similar to any other type of furniture you make with tires. Keep it simple by painting the tires or get more creative with designs using yarn and other materials. Make it customized to the room it will be placed. Keep in mind that you will likely want to find a lid to go with your storage bin. This way, you will be able to conceal what is hiding inside of the storage bin more easily. Find a lid or make one yourself if you’re feeling extra crafty! 15. Obstacle Course Whether you’re training your Crossfit team or just want to keep your kids occupied in the backyard, one thing you can do with tires is to create a fun and challenging obstacle course. It doesn’t take a whole lot of planning or effort on your behalf. All you need to do is line up the tires to hop in and out of, and you’re done! 16. Car-Themed Room Decor Are you creating a car-themed room? Whether it’s for your son or for the man cave, one thing you will want to do is implement some pieces of the tire in your room to really grab hold of the car theme. You can use strips of tire throughout the room, such as on top of the windows or on the floor as a rug. 17. Belt Making a DIY belt using an old tire is actually a lot easier than you might think. It only requires a pair of scissors and the buckle of your choice, and you’re ready to rock. Simply cut the tread down on the tire, snip it to the right size that fits around your stomach, and add the buckle. Then, sport your DIY tire belt that’s sturdy and reliable- and awfully rugged. 18. Bike Rack The last thing on our list is a DIY bike rack made from old tires- how nifty is that? Well, we don’t always have a great spot to put our bikes. A lot of the time, they end up tossed to the side in the garage or on the lawn, which isn’t aesthetically pleasing or convenient for the homeowner. That’s why we recommend making a bike rack using old tires. Making this bike rack with old tires is super easy. You can cut them in half and line them up, leaving just enough room for bikes to fit. The best part is the bikes fit tight so you don’t have to worry about them falling on top of each other and breaking any special equipment. Now, it’s easiest to install this bike rack in the dirt where you can sort of bury the old tires and secure them into the ground. If placing on the ground, such as in a garage or on concrete in general, you might consider gluing directly to the ground or placing the tires on a platform so they stay secure. Conclusion Old tires don’t have to go to waste- and they shouldn’t! Re-purposing our world is a great way to stay environmentally friendly. And regardless of that, these old tire re-purposing methods are super cool and convenient. Finish off your look with a pair of homemade tire flip flops or secure your jeans with a tire belt. Get extra crafty and create a house or keep it simple with a handy ottoman or storage bin. The possibilities are endless!

Recent Posts