10 Cool And Useful Ways To Upcycle Your Old Tires

Tire rubber is one of the most wasted materials on Earth. Every year, the average American sends four tires to the landfills. With over 324 million Americans, it adds up fast.

Do Mother Nature a favor and opt to keep your old tires the next time you bring your car in for new tires.

Why? So you can upcycle ‘em! Not into tire swings, but much cooler and more useful household items, such as:

1. Bathroom Sinks

upcycled Tire sinks

Tire sinks at Ford’s Garage, via Reddit user akajaykay

Ford’s Garage, a car-themed burger joint in Florida, generated a lot of buzz with their sinks made out of recycled tires. This looks like the perfect addition to any man cave!

2. Trash Bins

Tire trash bins

Color-coded tire trash bins. Photo credit: Unknown

You can tackle this DIY project in only three steps:

  1. Spray-paint three tires.
  2. Stack them up while binding with glue.
  3. Insert a garbage bag into the hole and use as a trash bin.

Not only do these upcycled trash bins stand out from the sea of factory-made trash bins, but also:

  • Making one will save you at least 50 bucks on a new trash bin
  • You will be helping the environment by keeping at least three tires out of the landfills.
  • You won’t be using up more of the world’s plastic supply on a new trash bin.
  • You can color-code your upcycled trash bins! For example, blue for recycling, yellow for the landfill, and green for composting.

3. Curb Ramps

Tire ramps

A BRIDJIT rolled curb ramp

Put a ramp over your rolled curb driveway and voila! No more flinching while driving your low-clearance car. Curb ramps prevent a rolled curb from scraping the bottom of your beloved car every time you drive over it.

If you’re not up for a DIY project but still want to find a green solution, you can look into getting a BRIDJIT.

At BRIDJIT, we turn ground-up recycled tires into curb ramps. For every curb ramp you buy from us, you’re saving 12 tires from the landfills!

4. Belts

Tire belts

A belt made from an old bicycle tire, via Instructables member Andrea Biffi

This type of project requires some elbow grease, but it’s worth the payoff in the end. You get a comfortable belt slash conversation piece that may last years. You can make a belt with either bicycle tires or car tires.

5. Coffee Tables

upcycled Tire table

A coffee table made from an old tire, via Instructables member bigern00

Add some oomph to your man cave or bachelor pad with a nifty coffee table made out of an old tire. If this project piques your interest, check out this comprehensive tutorial to make your own.

6. Heavy-Duty Dog Bowls

Tire dog bowl

A dog bowl made from an old tire, via Barb Webb

Your pup will be the coolest dog on the block with one of these suckers. Grab an old tire (that’s not off-gassing toxic fumes), a heavy rubber or plastic bucket, some spray paint, and a copy of this tutorial and get right to work. Your pup will thank you during the unveiling of your grand creation.

7. Bike Racks

Tire bike rack

A bunch of old tires make a great bike rack. Photo credit: Unknown

Hold new bike tires upright with old car tires. Tireception! This is a brilliant idea because:

  • This easy project doesn’t require any carpentry.
  • You get to save some tires from the landfill.
  • Its minimal design catches the eye.
  • Did we mention tireception?

8. Stair Treads

upcycled Tire stairs

Outdoor stair treads made from old tires, via Nyssa

Rip up an old car tire and bring your outdoor steps to the next level. A tire that no longer passes the penny test will still provide plenty of grip for your feet during a thunderstorm, a snowstorm, a hail storm, or any other kind of extreme weather.

9. Mini Ponds

Tire pond

You’d never guess these ponds are made of tires. Photo credit: Manuela Waliczek-Raczka

Jazz up your backyard with mini ponds made out of old tires! A good tutorial like this one will have your ponds looking as natural as they come.

10. Subwoofers

Tire speaker

A tire subwoofer, via Сергей Кубяк

Are you ready to make the most awesome subwoofers the world has ever seen? If so, enlist this tutorial to help you try your hand at this cool project!