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Creative Ways to Upcycle a Bicycle

By Angie Ng

When your beloved old bicycle is no longer useful for road or trail trips, you don’t have to throw it away. There are many ways to upcycle old bicycles into both indoor and outdoor items.

A bicycle is somewhat similar to an old friend or travel companion, and it isn’t easy to say good-bye to old friends. Thankfully, there are some ways to keep your old bicycles with you while repurposing them so that they don’t just take up room in the garage or shed. We’ve organized these into four sections, Garden Decoration, Home Decoration, Furniture and Pedal Powered Items.

Garden Decoration:

One of the most common ways to upcycle an old bicycle is by turning bicycles into planters. They can then be placed against a tree, or even left mobile.


Photo: Alastair Smith/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Another interesting option is to hang them up on walls or fences.


Photo: blog.eleanorsnyc.com

Actually, why not hang them on beams to make more of a statement?


Photo: upcycled-wonders.com

They can also be turned into fountains.


Photo: urbangardensweb.com

If you are having a barbeque or other event, your old bicycle – either with or without plants – can serve as a signpost for guests.


Photo: Pinterest.com

Home Decoration:

Bicycles can also serve as planters for indoor use, but how about turning them into light fixtures?


Photo: recyclart.org

They can also be altered into seasonal decorations when needed.


Photo: Pinterest.com

Sometimes they can be used as artpieces, either by themselves or with embellishments.


Photo: thecoolhunter.net

Furniture:

Bicycles can serve as entire pieces of furniture themselves, as in the case of interesting coat or clothing rack.


Photo: blog.laurelandwolf.com

They can also serve as part of a piece of furniture, such as a shelf or bathroom.


Photo: icreatived.com

Another option is to make a bicycle part of a table.


Photo: fab.com

Pedal Powered Inventions:

Last but not least, using Rock the Bike or other alternatives, it is possible to repurpose your old bicycle into a pedal-powered contraption. For example, it can serve as a Spin Art Station.


Photo: rockthebike.com

Another option is to create a pedal-powered water pump.


Photo: commmunitygardening.blogspot.ch

As you can see, with a little bit of creativity and DIY, you will never have to throw away another bicycle again.