5 Fun Ways to Upcycle Old Doorknobs

From socks and old towels to sheets and teacups, creative folk have reimagined and repurposed almost everything you can think of. With a little imagination, it seems that nothing needs to end up in the trash or thrift stores, and the items that do can be rescued and given a new lease of life.

Doorknobs are no exception. With shabby chick and farmhouse vintage being a home decorating trend, old doorknobs can find a place dotted around your house in the most unexpected places.

Whether you are wanting to show off your antique shop finds or upcycle a bunch of doorknobs you have lying around your place, here is a list of fun ways to reimagine the humble doorknob.

1. Photo or Name Card Holder

Source: Tarnished Treasures/YouTube

This reincarnation is best suited for doorknobs that have a flattish bottom that allows them to stand upright without toppling over.

Remove any hardware from the doorknob so that only the handle itself remains. By manipulating a length of sturdy wire, you can fashion a coil that permits you to insert a photo into it. A number of doorknobs together would create quite a fun little gallery.

At a vintage-themed dinner table, these doorknobs could be used to display your guests’ names, too.

2. Bud Vase

First of all, remove the connecting rod from the doorknob so that only the handle remains. This upcycle requires nothing more than standing your doorknob so that it sits with the handle facing down and the small hole pointing upwards so as to create a tiny vase-like situation.

Pour a drop of water into the hole and pop in a bud or miniature flower arrangement. Realize that the water will be sucked up very quickly, so add water frequently.

These little vases look beautiful clustered together and would be ideal for table displays at a vintage wedding.

3. Drying Rack for Herbs and Flowers

If you are into drying herbs and flowers, having a stylish place to hang them is simply a bonus. Herbs and flowers can’t help but give that farmhouse look to a space, but you can make this even more intentional by creating a drying rack for them.

Depending on the wall you are working with, you can screw your vintage doorknobs along with their backplate directly into the wall. Alternatively, you could create something similar to the coat rack described above. Once you have your drying rack in place, hang bunches of herbs secured with natural twine from each knob.

Never drill or screw into a wall without an understanding of the material and thickness of the wall. Always check for electrical wires before drilling or screwing into a wall. 

4. Coat Rack

Source: PatonHaus/YouTube

With just a little skill with a drill and driver, you can conjure up a cool coat rack for your hallway or mud room. The great thing is that you can use as many or a few doorknobs as you like.

You will need a length of wood to last as a backing for the doorknob ‘hooks’. This could be a plank left over from a previous project or a specially selected piece of old barn wood. Whatever you chose, mark where you would like the door knobs to go on the plank. Think about the fact that you want space for coats and other paraphernalia.

Drill a hole where you want the doorknob to go and attach it with a screw from the backside of the plank.

This would also look cool in a bathroom with towels and dressing gowns hung from it.

Never drill or screw into a wall without an understanding of the material and thickness of the wall. Always check for electrical wires before drilling or screwing into a wall. 

5. Curtain Tieback

Again, you can use your vintage doorknob on its own or attach it to the wall with its vintage backplate. Either way, you will be creating a stylish and vintage addition to your windows with these upcycled curtain tiebacks.

Fix the doorknobs to the wall on either side of your windows. When you want to hold your curtains open, you can simply hook them around the doorknobs.

Never drill or screw into a wall without an understanding of the material and thickness of the wall. ALwat check for electrical wires before drilling or screwing into a wall. 

Related Content:

• 10 Tips to Upcycle Everything in Your Closet
• 5 (or More) Ways You Can Reuse Food Packaging in Your Garden
• Awesome Trash to Treasure-Recycled Crafts to Gush Over (and Make Yourself!)
• Is Replacing Old Furniture Good For Your Health?
• How to Make Bird Feeders From Recycled Materials

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness of important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing that is designed to be returned and remade repeatedly.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!