Ways to Recycle Your Old Bicycle
We’re all guilty of abandoning our bikes when they no longer serve a purpose, if they’re broken or when we outgrow them. You’ve probably got an old bicycle at home that you no longer use, so why not recycle it into something that you will use? By doing this, you’ll give something a new lease of life and save space.
Reusing and recycling old household items helps the environment, reduces landfill, and encourages the circular economy. After reading this article, it’ll be difficult for you not to see your old bicycle with different eyes. More than a means of transportation, you’ll have several functional decorative accessories that’ll look amazing in your home.
Recycle your old bicycle: eight ideas
When children grow up, old bicycles are discarded and forgotten, But what if we give those abandoned bicycles a new lease of life and a functional purpose? Try the following ideas to make some innovative and easy accessories to decorate your home.
1. Turn it into a planter
Recycle your old bicycle by turning it into a beautiful flower pot. Take advantage of it and fix pots on your old bicycle to recycle and transform it into a colorful display. There are also some vintage-style bicycles with baskets, if you’re lucky enough to have one of these that you no longer use, it’ll make a stunning feature.
Old bicycle baskets and any pots that you add can be painted any color you like. You can also paint the bike in a neutral color to bring out the color of the pots and the plants you’re going to grow. Take advantage of the rest of the bike and trail some vines around it.
2. Create wall decor with bicycle tires
No matter how old they are, bicycle tires can be used by turning them into wall art and decor for your home. Among these options are wall clocks that’ll look great in your living room, balcony, or terrace.
Equally, you can use them to hang and display photographs of your favorite memories. Alternatively, you can use some colored wool to create a dreamcatcher inside the tire. This will be very striking and unique.
3. How about making some lamps?
As we mentioned, old bicycle tires offer many recycling options. One way is to transform the wheels into spectacular bases for lamps.
The wheel spokes will serve as a support for your lamp, which you can place in your living room or dining room. Simply adapt the style according to the designs and colors that you prefer, then secure the lamp to the spokes.
4. Decorations for special events
A vintage-themed wedding, birthday, or baptism in a beautiful garden are special and unique events. You can decorate the space and add to the occasion by recycling your old bicycle. Simply paint it a color that matches your decor and complements the event color scheme.
You can use a few artificial plants to decorate it, as well as some LED lights. Then place your recycled bicycle at the entrance or in a specific space. By doing this, your old bicycle will attract attention and become a talking point.
5. Use your old bicycle to make photo frames
We mentioned it before, but we’re going to expand on this idea in more detail. Recycle your old tires into beautiful, circular picture frames.
Begin by washing and drying the tires thoroughly and painting them in the color you want. It should be clarified that for size and space, smaller bicycle tires work best (such as a child’s bike). Print the photos you want to frame and glue them into your new frame.
6. Recycle your old bicycle by turning it into a coat rack
This is a very simple idea. Bicycles can also double as coat racks and they look great if you hang clothes or coats on them in an organized way.
You can hang hats and accessories on the spokes. This will demand attention, create a focal point and act as a functional and innovative accessory.
7. Make a bench with saddles
The furniture in your home can be renewed thanks to old bicycles. The seats can be removed to adapt them and turn them into a decorative bench for your living room. You can also place them in the garden or on your terrace.
Simply remove the saddles from a few bikes, clean them, and join them together to transform them! You can paint each saddle or upholster it with fabric that matches your decor.
8. Spare parts for your new bike
Finally, recycle your old bike to use as spare parts for your new bike. Bicycles always need repairs and maintenance and having a backup will save you from spending on new and expensive parts. You can use everything from screws, to the saddle, the chain, and the brakes, among other parts.
Recycle your old bicycle: it’s easy, fun and on-trend!
As you’ve read, recycling your old bicycle is very easy. You have the option of using almost all of its pieces and parts in all types of decorations. Give your old bike a new lease of life, and a new purpose and help save the planet at the same time!