Here in the suburbs, a car is an absolute must have item. While I would love to ride a bike or take public transportation sometimes, it doesn’t happen very often. In order to safely drive my car, I need a good set of tires on it. That means I have to put new tires on my car regularly, leaving 4 mostly still in good shape tires that need a new home. I usually ask the auto facility to recycle them but there are plenty of cool things to do with old tires if you want to be creative.
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Cool Things to Do with Old Tires
If you are heading out on a road trip any time soon, get your tires checked by a professional. Car maintenance is one of many car traveling tips to remember before you start your vacation. Here are just a few ways to recycle old tires if you find yourself with a few spares ones in your garage!
I am going to share a few crafty and creative ways to reuse old tires that you may find helpful. Keep in mind that if YOU are not crafty, others in your area may be. Please don’t send old tires to landfills. If you absolutely have no use for them, list them on Craiglist and see if someone near by can use them.
Turn them into a cool sandbox
All you really need to do for a DIY tire sandbox is to paint a tire with outdoor paint and fill it with sand. You can add an umbrella over it to block some of the sun if you want as well. Check out I Heart Naptime for full directions!
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Make a tire swing for your child
A tire swing is a classic childhood toy. Make sure you hang the swing on a sturdy branch and teach your kids the safest way to play on it. 12 kids on one tire swing will only lead to an accident!
Reuse Old Tires For Home Decoration
Check out the video below from Home Decorating Tips & Ideas on what you can do with old tires in your home decoration projects.
Make Your Own Tire Patio Table
A tire patio table is a great way to use old tires. All you need to do is paint two tires with outdoor paint. Then, add a round glass table top to it. Yes, you can actually buy a round glass table top on Amazon. It is a simple way to reuse old tires and turn them into a useful piece of furniture.
Make your own container garden
Old tires make great planters, however, I really advise against using them to grow food. I would much rather see food in ceramic pots or directly in the ground than in an old rubber tire. They are wonderful for planting flowers in, however, and if you paint them first, it adds a nice touch of whimsy to your yard.
How do you paint a tire garden?
- Wash the tires before you paint them and make sure they dry completely.
- Prime the tires with a spray primer to help the paint stick better.
- Choose the right paint. Use a durable, non-toxic outdoor paint.
- Use light colors. This will help keep your plants cool in the heat of summer.
- Be creative. Let the kids help out or use stencils to make polka dots.
Build tire garden stairs
If you are wondering what to do with old tires and have a hilly area that you would like to install steps in, skip the wood or stone. Add rubber tires instead. You can paint them first for greater visual appeal or leave them as is. If you are looking for frugal landscaping ideas, this one will save you a ton of money!
More upcycling tips:
- 10 Empty Beer Bottle Uses to Save Time and Money!
- What To Do With Empty Perfume Bottles After Your Favorite Scent Is Gone
- Our Renovated Linen Chest Bedding Storage Project
Make a tire dog bed
If you are looking for cool things to do with old tires and you have a small dog, consider building a DIY dog bed out of it. Check out Practically Functional for directions on how to do it.
Make a Tire Recycling Bin
What can you do with old tires? You can turn a stack of 3 old tires into a recycling bin or trash can! Just stack your tires (3 is probably best but maybe 4 if you are tall!). Then, open a trash bag and put it into the middle just like you would a regular trash can. Voila! An instant place to put your recycling! If you are new to recycling, check out my recycling resources for a few tips.
Use one in your exercise routine
There are a ton of ways to incorporate a tire into your workout routine. Check out Bodybuilding.com for a long list of ways to exercise with a tire! Saving money on exercise equipment is one of many workout tips that I highly recommend!
Donate Them
If you can’t think of any cool things to do with old tires that you actually WANT to do, there are several charitable organizations that may be able to use them. If they are still in good shape, charities may be able to take them. They may also be shredded up for use as playground equipment. Call your local auto shop to find out where they send their tires. You may be able to utilize the same resources.
Where can I dispose of old tires?
If you are wondering what to do with old car tires and just aren’t crafty, you still need to get rid of them, right? What do you do with old tires if you don’t want them any more?
Recycle old tires locally
Check out Earth 911. They will tell you how to recycle tires so that they don’t end up in a landfill! And if you are looking for more creative upcycling projects, check out my post on Creative Ways to Reuse Old Windows!
Is it illegal to sell old tires?
Maybe you have a tire that is still fairly decent to use. Can you sell old tires to other people? Well, it isn’t illegal, however, you do have a bit of liability going on there. You have a responsibility to ensure that the tire is in safe condition when sold so be careful when deciding what to do with your used tires.
Does the dump take tires?
Generally, no. You can’t bring tires to the dump or toss them into a dumpster. Well, you can I guess if you don’t get caught but you aren’t supposed to. They have to be separated from other trash so find a way to recycle or donate them whenever possible. What do YOU do with old tires? Check out my eco-friendly backyard design tips for more inspiration.
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Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire and has worked in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging and freelance writing to share this knowledge with others. Learn more about her HERE.
These are great ideas! My dad used to use old tires when he planted potatoes. When it was time to harvest, he just pulled up the tires!
We would put a tire on some plastic mesh to keep out bugs. put 1/2 potatoes on the plastic & fill tire with good rich soil + water. Lay another tire on top. When potato plants appear, fill that next tire with moresoil. Repeat maybe 3 or 4 times.
I have seen that done before. Worries me a bit with the rubber chemicals and edible plants? I like planting flowers in them though
Great ideas. I love recycling old things, keeps them out of the landfill for one but re purposing is just a fun thing to do. My Mom recently found a small tire and put a plant in it and hung it up.
Wonderful upcycling suggestions! I loved the tire swing at my local park when I was young, so the thought of recreating that for my own children is especially fun.
OMG that dig is sooo cute! What breed is it?
Dog
Oh fun! Tire swings are a classic, and I love the idea of painting old tires to turn them into colorful planters!
These are so cool! My old neighbor use to add flowers to his old tires like above and boy was it cute! He also made his kids a tire swing that still hangs to this day in his yard, these are some great ideas for used tires!
glad you liked the post…I love finding creative ways to add flowers to the landscape!