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12+ Surprising DIY Projects Made From Upcycled Tires

Listen. You could recycle your old tires, sure. But what if you used them for some fun DIY projects instead? Work with what you have and all that.

These clever hacks saw the potential in old tires and gave them new life!

Create a cute outdoor coffee table.

Madcap Frenzy

This is so simple, but so smart. Using a round piece of glass and some paint, you can turn your old tires into an outdoor coffee table that people will definitely notice.

Make some secret storage seats!

Grillo Designs

This is absolutely genius. Grillo Designs put together these cute tire seats for a kid's room, and they have a secret: they work as storage, too! It's perfect for clutter that you want to put away quickly and forget about it.

Organize toys with an old tire!

Spaceships and Laser Beams

This is perfect for the kid who loves cars. (Or the adult, let's be real.)

You'll need some heavy-duty screws to make this happen, but look how cool it is! It's worth it. Get the instructions here.

Turn them into planters!

How cool is this? The genius of this is in the customization: you can paint the tires whatever color best fits your style! Plus, it just looks cool, you know?

An important note: it's probably best to use these as planters for non-edible plants.

Put it to work.

Root Simple

Hey, it doesn't have to be pretty to be useful. Use an old tire to round up wayward garden materials, like a hose that gets tangled easily! Bam, instant functionality.

Make a bed for your pet!

Practically Functional

This dog bed is genuinely cuter than most beds you can buy in store. The pink paint totally pops, and that dog looks happy as a clam! As a dog? Either way, this upcycle rocks.

Create a sandbox!

I Heart Nap Time

This would make outdoor playtime so fun for your kids. This hack requires a larger than normal tire, but the good news is that you can probably find one for free. Tractor tires are in large supply!

Make a mirror!

Recreations Project

Bet you've never seen anything like this before. This mirror was framed in a painted bike tire, and honestly? It looks amazing. I never would have guessed that was a bike tire!

Make tire stairs!

Cottage Stairs

These garden stairs legitimately look so cool! Old tires really work well outdoors, so using them as stairs or a path is a no-brainer. If I had a yard, I'd totally do this.

Take them to the garbage.

Facebook | Creative Ideas

And put them to work! These garbage and recycling bins are color coded according to what is meant to go in them. Simply remove a full bag and replace it on garbage day!

Make a new bowl for your pets!

Rural Mom

Hello, next upcycling project. This outdoor pet bowl is perfect for easy clean-up, especially if you have a pet who makes a huge mess when they're drinking. It's my cat, I'm talking about my cat.

Make those planters hang.

Home Hacks

Everything about this aesthetic is the epitome of "chef's kiss." The white, the dark green, the astroturf on the walls? I love it.

Making your tire planter hang is a really fun way to make your cacti dizzy. Sounds fun to me!

And, of course, the classic:

Rustic Chic

A tire swing. I mean, is any list complete without this old standby? A tire swing is the swing that childhoods are made of. They're a playground staple, and they're just made of fun.

Make an ottoman!

That Was A What

This one is pretty mind-blowing. Rather than going for an expensive ottoman, why not try DIY-ing one? This ottoman came to life thanks to a tire, some rope, and a lot of patience.