Sometimes you just get tired of your old silverware set and buy a new one. But, what do you do with your old set of silverware? They’re perfectly useable, so obviously you wouldn’t want to throw it away. Luckily, there are several ways you can recycle silverware into something fun and useful.
Ten Ways to Recycle Silverware #1: Place Card Holder
You can easily recycle your old silverware into a place card holder. All you have to do is take a fork and bend the tines so that the fork will stand up. Take two tines and bend them forward and bend two back. Then curl the ends of the tines so that they can hold the place card.
Ten Ways to Recycle Silverware #2: Unique Picture Frames
An extremely easy way to recycle silverware is to use it to create picture frames to be hung in your kitchen. Just buy an inexpensive picture frame and overlap the pieces of silverware around the frame, with one piece glued to each side. This is a great frame for pictures of your kid’s making cookies.
Ten Ways to Recycle Silverware #3: Cake Decorating Tools
You can even recycle silverware into cake decorating tools. For example, a spoon can make beautiful peaks on a frosted cake. Just place the back of the spoon against the frosting and pull away, while flicking your wrist upwards.
Ten Ways to Recycle Silverware #4: Napkin Rings
Another way to recycle silverware is to make napkin rings. Just bend the thinner pieces into a circle. The handle and end of the silverware will be above and below each other so that you don’t have an exact circle, but instead the beginnings of a spiral shape. Then just pull your cloth napkins through the rings. These make a great conversation piece.
Ten Ways to Recycle Silverware #5: Creative Utensil Holder
If you want to add a little fun to your kitchen, why not create a utensil holder out of your silverware? For taller canisters, you will want to use butter knives. These you can easily overlap as you glue them onto the canister. With smaller canisters, you can use forks and spoons, just be sure to get them close enough to hide the canister underneath. If you wanted to, you could spray paint the silverware another color. This even works great with mismatched pieces of silverware.
Ten Ways to Recycle Silverware #6: Craft Supplies
Another way you can recycle silverware is to make the pieces into craft supplies. For example, dip the ends of spoons into paint to create half moon shapes. You could even dip the tines of a fork into paint and keep overlapping the stamp in a circle to make a beautiful flower.
Ten Ways to Recycle Silverware #7: Abstract Art
Forks can be turned into the stems of flowers, at least in an abstract way. Take the tines of the fork and bend them so that they create the top of the stem. The handle will serve as the long part of the stem. At the top, you can glue silk rose buds, daisies, or you could even use other materials around your home to create an even more abstract piece.
Ten Ways to Recycle Silverware #8: Business Card Holder
If you work in the food industry, you may want to recycle your silverware into business card holders. Take the outer two tines of a fork and bend the forward. Then just slide your business cards in between the bent and unbent tines. This will look great on your office desk at work or home.
Ten Ways to Recycle Silverware #9: Kitschy Wind Chime
This would make a great gift for someone who just loves the kitschy look. The first thing you need to do is drill small holes into the ends of the silverware. Take a medium sized metal ring that also has holes drilled into it. Run pieces of fishing wire through two holes opposite from each other until you have filled the ring. Tie silverware onto the ends of the wires. Last, attach a hook to the top so that the wind chime can be hung outside.
Ten Ways to Recycle Silverware #10: Picnics and Lunches
Last, but not least, the perfect way to recycle your old silverware is to pack it in your picnic basket or lunch box. Real silverware is always superior to plastic and if it accidentally gets thrown away it won’t be a big deal.
