10 Creative Ways To Upcycle Kitchenware

When you think of kitchen waste, you likely think of food. According to RTS, in America alone, around 120 billion pounds of food heads to landfills every year. While it's true that food waste is a major issue in the U.S. and around the world, food isn't the only waste to come out of the kitchen. Kitchenware, like baking tins, saucepans, and broken crockery, often gets thrown away, too. In the U.K., data gathered by the EPA in 2023 found that nearly 30% of consumers throw homeware items into the trash instead of finding another use for them.

Sending things to the landfill unnecessarily has a cascading effect on the environment. Landfills are a major source of emissions like methane and carbon dioxide, and they also disrupt wildlife and leach toxins into the soil. It might seem like a small action, but if every household in the U.S. could repurpose simple items like bakeware and saucepans, a ton of items would be kept out of landfills. 

The good news? Repurposing and upcycling kitchenware can be fun and rewarding, too. In fact, in many cases, it can actually support the environment. Upcycled kitchenware can also offer practical solutions to storage and organization problems. Feeling inspired? Read on to find new ways to repurpose your old kitchenware, from upcycled terrariums to mug candles.

Tea originated in China, and for centuries, people drank it in small bowls. It was the Europeans who added the handles and decorated them with floral designs around the 17th century. While they may be known for their elegance (vintage teacups especially), not everybody's a fan of tea. Luckily, there are other ways to enjoy the craftsmanship of teacups, even if you don't drink tea. Think turning them into planters. 

You can plant all sorts of greenery in teacups, but it's best to choose ones that don't need a whole lot of room, unless you happen to have a giant teacup on hand. Succulents are a good option, as they can stay in small spaces for a long time and don't need to be repotted often. If you've got a set of teacups on hand, you could also make your own teacup herb garden in your kitchen.

However, if you're going to use your teacup as a planter, it's important to make sure there is drainage for your plants. Without proper drainage, the water can cause the roots to rot, and that's not something you want. You can drill holes in porcelain or ceramic using the right tools. Specialized drill bits will also work on China, but make sure to keep the cups cool by placing them in water and drilling very slowly.

Let's be honest: life is messy. If you want to tame a messy desk, workbench, or jewelry drawer, sure, you could go out and buy yourself an expensive organizer. But a much cheaper option is to repurpose a muffin or cupcake tin that you don't use anymore.

The deep cups are perfect for baking sweet treats, but they can also help you organize many different things, from screws and bolts to earrings, rings, and even small bits of stationery — like pencil sharpeners, erasers, and drawing pins. If you or your kids are into LEGO, it's also a great way of keeping the bricks tidy and color-coded. It's also perfect for storing small crafting supplies, like buttons and baubles.

If you don't need an organizer but do want to repurpose your muffin tin, there are also many other ways to keep it out of the trash, like having it double as an ice tray. The blocks of ice will be bigger, of course, but they can be used in everything from water jugs to punch bowls. Another added benefit is that the ice will be large enough to freeze a juicy slice of lemon inside. If you're planning to start germinating seeds, muffin tins can also double as handy propagation trays.

There are many benefits to having your own fire pit. They're perfect for autumn when you want to enjoy the outdoors, stargaze, and stay cozy at the same time. You can also cook countless foods over an open fire, like eggplant, stuffed mushrooms, and even frozen pizza. Besides, who doesn't love roasting marshmallows during summer?

If you want a firepit, you have a few options. You can buy a new one from the store, of course, or scour eBay or Facebook Marketplace for a second-hand bargain. But if you've got the carpentry skills, you could also take an old frying or skillet pan and make your own. This involves carving slots into the bottom with a saw, attaching metal legs, and adding a wooden handle for safe handling of the ashes. If you're going to do this, note that cast iron pans are particularly suited to very high temperatures. You can drill through cast iron, too, but again, you'll need the right gear on hand, like protective eyewear, gloves, and a black oxide drill bit.

Not into big DIY projects? You can also paint and decorate old frying pans and turn them into unique wall hangings. And once again, frying pans are handy for the garden, too. They can be turned into makeshift planters or even bird baths.

Speaking of bird baths, another great DIY option for providing your local birds with somewhere to wash and cool off in an old saucepan lid. This is because they are very shallow with slightly sloped edges. While store-bought bird baths are often deep, actually, most birds prefer shallow pools of water, like the streams they might find in the wild. DIY bird baths can be made from many different materials, as well as saucepan lids. Trashcan lids, shallow serving bowls, and large teacup saucers can also do the trick.

When you've made your upcycled bird bath, make sure to place it near a spot that birds frequently visit, like trees, bushes, and shrubs. But don't put it too close, as the birds will like to have a clear view of what's going on around them as they bathe and drink. Make sure to place it high up so the birds can bathe without feeling concerned about local predators.

Keep your bird bath hygienic for your birds by regularly emptying it, cleaning it, and topping it up with fresh water. Soon, you'll have your own set of regular visitors splashing about in your DIY bird bath, and it's all thanks to an old saucepan lid.

If your mug cupboard is looking a little full, it can be difficult to force yourself to have a clearout. In fact, according to research conducted by Heinz Cup Soup (via The Telegraph), it's normal to feel attached to your mugs. The survey found that almost 60% of people feel some sort of emotional attachment to them. This is likely because mugs are comforting, or they may make us feel nostalgic.

But don't worry if your mug has reached the end of its drinking life. There are other options, and they don't involve the trash can. In fact, mugs can become everything from stationery organizers to makeup brush holders to, you guessed it, planters. But they also make perfect candle holders, too.

Mugs are especially suited to candle-making if they're made from a heat-resistant material, like porcelain. They should also have thick, smooth walls, and, to reduce the need for a lot of wax, they shouldn't be too large either. Once you've selected the perfect mug (or mugs) for the job, it's easy to start making candles. First, you'll need some wax, which can be made from soy or beeswax. You'll have to boil over hot water until it's completely melted. Next, you'll need a wick, which you place into the mug and then pour the hot wax around. Wait for it to set, and you're pretty much finished. All you'd have to do is trim the wick and light.

If you love the idea of having plants around your home but not the idea of regular watering and maintenance, then a terrarium might be the solution. If made correctly, terrariums are mostly self-sustaining. After you've bought or made yours, they'll need minimal input from you, other than a little bit of water every few months.

Usually housed in glass containers, terrariums often feature rocks, pieces of wood, compost, moss, and specialist plants (like rheophytes). These elements work together to form an ecosystem, and this is what makes the terrarium self-sustaining. For example, the water evaporates from the soil and turns into condensation on the inside of the glass. The condensation then drips back down onto the soil, reducing the need for regular watering from you.

You can buy specialist jars for terrariums, but you don't need anything fancy. To make your own from scratch, you can free up some cupboard space and use old drinking glasses to make them instead. These can be small water glasses or even wine glasses, depending on what you have handy. Note: If you're making a sealed terrarium, you'll need to buy a lid that fits the top of your glass. However, you can also make open terrariums, too. Some of the best plants for open-air terrariums include asparagus ferns, bunny ear cacti, lucky bamboo, and even Venus flytraps.

Not everything can just be tossed in the washing machine without a care in the world. We wish it wasn't the case, but unfortunately, it is. Delicate materials like wool, cashmere, and silk can be damaged in the washing machine and usually fare far better if they're washed by hand instead. However, a few things can make this time-consuming task much easier, and one of them is a colander; yes, just an old kitchen colander will do the trick.

After you've hand-washed your clothes with a small amount of detergent (you can do this in the sink or a bowl), gently rub them to remove stains and allow them to soak; it's time to rinse. This is where your colander comes in. Place one item of clothing in the colander at a time before rinsing it over with the tap or shower head. The water will rinse the item and drain through the colander into the sink or tub beneath.

This is just one way to use an old colander, but this humble kitchen tool has plenty of other DIY uses. You can use them to make kitchen lamps or turn them into yarn holders for use when you're knitting. You can also turn colanders into Christmas decorations or even use them when you're making tie-dye shirts.

A clean, good-looking kitchen can make cooking feel all the more relaxing and fun. And one of the best ways to add a touch of color? It's got to be flower bouquets. Flowers make us feel good, and they bring a nice atmospheric aroma with them, too. If you're running low on vases, several objects around the kitchen can double as a flower-holder. Old wine bottles, for example, can often hold a few stems. Teapots and clean tin cans can work, too. Coffee pots are another good option, especially if they're vintage.

In fact, old pots come in a range of unique styles, which makes them the perfect quirky flower vase. They can be sterling silver or brass, enamel or steel, or made of porcelain and painted with any number designs. Warning: once you've started using coffee and teapots as vases, you might become addicted after seeing how nice they look. If that happens, we have one piece of advice: head to the thrift store and buy more.

Not into flowers? There are other ways to give your old coffee pots a new purpose. You can turn them into a watering can for your indoor plants, for instance. If you've got a glass cafetiere (French press), it could even become a sealed terrarium.

Dropping one of your favorite pieces of crockery can feel disheartening and frustrating. But with kintsugi, the Japanese art of joining things together with gold, you can turn your broken bowl or plate into something even better and more special.

Kintsugi has been practiced in Japan for centuries. Historians aren't sure exactly when it originated, but some theories suggest it became particularly widespread in the 1500s. The story goes that Ashikaga Yoshimasa, a shogun, broke a beloved Chinese tea bowl and sent it away to be fixed. When it came back, it was covered in ugly staples. So, local craftspeople decided to cover the cracks with gold instead. And this, legend has it, is when kintsugi was first practiced.

The idea behind kintsugi is simple: there's beauty in imperfection. Sometimes, by letting them shine, we can create something beautiful. The practice encourages optimism, but it can also make for some pretty aesthetic crockery. Kintsugi takes some practice, but the end result is worth it. To do it from home, you'll need your broken piece of crockery, some adhesive, and gold-colored mica powder. Mix the powder and adhesive to form a gold-colored glue and then stick your pieces together with it. You'll never feel the need to throw out broken or chipped crockery again. Just note that if you're using epoxy or other non-food-safe adhesives, the plate should be used for decoration only.

A knife block can be an important kitchen tool; it helps to keep your blades safely and neatly stored away on the countertop while still keeping them easily accessible for when you're cooking up a storm in the kitchen. However, they're not always suitable for everyone. They can harbor bacteria if they're not cleaned regularly. They can also take up valuable counter space in small spaces. If you're having a clearout and your knife block is (excuse the pun) heading for the chop, before you open the trash can, why not see if there are other ways to reuse it?

A knife block can be repurposed in a few different ways. Arguably, if you work or study from home, one of the best things to do is to move it to your desk for use as a stationery holder. You can use the larger holes for thick markers, and the smaller holes for pens or pencils. The big slot for a large knife? That's perfect for rulers, of course.

You could also turn your knife block into storage for tools or add some pegs at the bottom and turn it into an iPad, phone, or recipe book holder. Another option is to use it to store palette knives for painting instead of kitchen knives or simply pop in some faux flowers to make it into a pretty kitchen decoration.