What if instead of getting any old new bar stool, you could have a unique piece of furniture that was completely made out of reclaimed parts and showed off the ingenuity of upcycling? How about a unique wall hanging that leaves no carbon footprint?
Upcycling an old bike is a great way to get a creative look that also celebrates your love for cycling. Bikes can even be broken down into their base components to make almost any item you can imagine. The following are 11 items that make full use of bike parts in new and inventive items.
- Bike table The inventive item in this photo makes the best use of repurposed bike wheels. It’s a great outdoor or indoor item for any cycling enthusiast. Old rims form the base of the table, while spokes and cords form the unique pattern under the glass. Even the glass was reclaimed from old windows.
- Bike gear iPhone dock Here’s a wonderful example of how gears were repurposed into a different and unique item. The gears were cleaned and fitted with a wooden insert and docking cable. Reusing gears like this is a great way to celebrate your love for cycling, while giving your home an industrial feel.
- Candlebar This is an inventive use of the handlebar off a racing bike. It balances nicely to hold the candles while providing a sporty look. This would look unique on any cyclist’s dinner table as a centerpiece. It goes to show how versatile handlebars can be.
- Stained glass wheel spinner This project was the winner of the Flea Market Garden ‘Upcycled Spring!’ Contest a couple of years back. And with good reason. A project like this works best with vintage wheels that have a ton of spokes. The crafter got the stained glass from a local crafter and had the glass cut at a nearby glass shop. You can find the full DIY tutorial for this one here.
- Bike horns Here’s a great example of using old bike parts in conceptual art. The mock deer heads are an inventive use to be sure. You could use this to hang anything from bikes to coats to umbrellas. It would be great in an apartment where you can’t leave your bike outside.
- Bike hanger Along the same lines, here’s just a solid bike handle hanger. The stem is attached with solid galvanized piping. The handlebars are even wrapped with inner tube to protect paint on bikes, should you hang your bike from this. It’s recommended that you hang a bike rack like this by stud mounting and with heavy anchors.
- Tire belt This is a great piece if you are vegan and want to go leather-free. Once completed, the black belt honestly just looks like a regular belt. Yet they have a unique texture that would give any outfit repurposed style. This link contains a complete tutorial for making one of your own.
- Bike stool If you want to reuse the full frame of the bike, this is your project. It’s a real conversation-starter of a piece that would look great by a home bar. This bike was just cut apart with a hacksaw and sanded with a metal file. You can find a quick tutorial here.
- Bike part wall hanging This is a great use of old bike chains to keep to a cycling theme. The wood is also salvaged, and it was made with salvaged hardware. The wood was coated with a water-based polyurethane to bring out the grain texture. It would be a great gift for the cycler in your life.
- Bike chain keychain Celebrate your love of cycling everywhere you go. If you don’t want to go big with it, a little bit of bike chain goes a long way in an item like this heart keychain. This is a cute little item that would be a great gift.
- Bike pedal docking stand This stand makes full use of the bike pedal and chain. Again, the hardwood is even salvaged on this item. It comes with a charging cord hole, as well.