10 Easy Ways to Repurpose Old Tires and Wheels

Tires wear out. And when they do, you have to replace them.

What do you do with your old tires and wheels? Well, you could recycle them. But, you can also upcycle them!

Here are ten easy ways to repurpose tires around your house and yard.

1. Tire Tetherball

Do you remember playing tetherball on the school playground? Make your own set to recreate the fun.

You’ll need a tire, three bags of cement, a metal pole, two pieces of rebar that’ll fit inside your tire, and a tetherball with the string.

Drill a hole near the top of your pole so you can attach the ball. Run the string through and tie it tight.

You’ll also need to drill holes for the rebar at the bottom. The rebar helps support the pole. Run the rebar through the pole in an X-shape.

The hardest part is making sure your pole stays straight. You should have one person hold the pole and another pour the mixed up cement into the tire. Make sure you use a trowel to really pack the cement into the edges of the tire. You want to fill it up completely.

Once you’re finished, smooth out the top the best you can. Then, sit back and wait. It takes at least 24-hours for the cement to harden.

When the cement is hard, it’s time to play. Just be careful not to break your glasses!

2. Tire Footstool

Twine turns an old tire into a beautiful footstool. In addition to a tire, you’ll need several hundred yards of twine, scissors, and a hot glue gun. If your roll of twine won’t fit through your tire, you’ll also need a stick or something similar to wrap the twine onto.

Begin by wrapping the twine around a stick. This will act as a spool and help make it easy to wrap your tire.  You can skip this step if your twine roll is small enough to maneuver through your tire.

Set the tire upright on a chair and have a helper hold it there for you. Now, hot glue one end of the twine onto the tire and when it dries, begin wrapping. Just keep unrolling your twine and wrapping it around your tire. If you have enough twine to wrap it twice, you’ll get better coverage.

When you’re finished, cut off the twine and hot glue the end. This will help keep it from unraveling. A cute pillow in the tire adds a soft top, and finishes the footstool.

As a bonus, it doubles as a seat for small children!

3. Wheel Hose Hanger

Wheels make the perfect place to wrap your hoses up and keep them out of your way. You’ll need a couple of lag screws, and your wheel. If you want, you can use spray paint to give the wheel a fresh look.

Decide where you want to hang it up, and how high you want it. You want it to be easy to access.

Then, secure the wheel to the space with the screws and it’s ready to use.

4. Tire Planter

Making a planter like the one pictured below isn’t really easy. It takes quite a bit of strength to flip the tire inside out.

But, there are plenty of other ways to turn a tire into a planter. So if you want to stick with easy, go with one of those suggestions.

Otherwise, you’ll need a tire that’s still attached to a wheel. The wheel creates the pedestal portion of the planter. You’ll also need a sharp knife, some chalk to draw your pattern, and spray paint.

Draw your “petals” on the tire with the chalk, and then use the knife to cut. A quick stab into the rubber will allow you to turn the knife and get started cutting.

Once it’s cut, you’ll need to flip the tire inside out. This is challenging. You may need a buddy to help. But, it is possible! Just keep flipping and you’ll eventually get it.

Then spray pint your tire as desired, fill it up with dirt, and add some flowers.

5. Tire Teeter-Totter

If you have kids, consider making them a tire teeter totter. It comes together quickly. You’ll need a tire, a saw to cut it in half with, a board for the top, two scraps of wood that fit inside your tire, screws and washers, two pieces of thick rope, a drill, and spray paint.

Cut the tire in half and use the screws and washers to attach the board to the cut ends. Drill through the board in the middle so you can attach the rope handles.

Give the board a good sanding to avoid splinters, and spray everything with paint.

6. A Tire Table

For a tire table, you’ll need two tires, paint, and a top. If your table is outdoors and for kids to play with, a round sled makes a fun removable top. If you want a more sophisticated look, go with a round glass top for a more sophisticated look.

Simply paint the tires and let them dry. Now stack them where you want them and add the top.

7. Tire Waterer

Animals tend to knock over their water bowls. One way to help avoid this is by using a tire. Simply find a solid bowl that fits snugly into your tire.

Then fill it up with water and let the animals drink. The chickens and cats share this one.

8. Wheel Stool

A pair of matching wheels, a quick welding job, spray paint, and cushions create an incredibly sturdy stool.

You’ll need to weld the wheels together, to give it stability. Then spray paint it and add the cushion.

9. Tire Tractor

Here’s another one for the kids! You’ll need four tires, a seat of some kind, a steering wheel on a pole, spray paint, and a shovel.

Mark where you want your tractor to be, and place one tire flat on the ground. This will support the seat of your tractor.

Next to the seat, begin digging a hole on either side. You want each to be deep enough to bury a tire halfway. Once you place the tire, fill the hole back up and pack it tightly.

The final tire goes in front of the seat tire. You’ll turn it, as pictured below. Dig another hole and bury this tire halfway too.

Now it’s time to add the seat. This particular tractor used a rusty seat from a broken tractor. You can also use a small kiddie chair that fits inside the tire.

Give everything a good coat of paint. Go over it again if needed.

Now, drill a hole in the steering wheel tire large enough to slide the steering wheel pole through it. Your tractor is complete, and once it’s dry, it’s ready for playing.

10. Tire Bike Rack

How many bikes do you need to park at your place? You can use tires to build your own durable, weather-proof bike rack.

Decide how many tires you’ll need. To have space for parking five bikes, you’ll need six tires. Try to find tires the same size to make your completed project look more uniform.

Dig a trench where you want the bike rack to go. It needs to be deep enough to bury the tires at least halfway, preferably a little more.

Then begin spacing your tires. You’ll want one at each end, and enough space between the rest to have room to park a bike.

Once the tires are spaced correctly, back-fill your hole. Pack the dirt tightly to ensure it’s strong enough to hold the tires up.

Now you’re ready to park the bikes.

Need Tires for a Project?

If you’re ready to complete one of these projects but don’t have any tires, Tear-A-Part is here to help! Swing by today and pick up the tires and wheels you need.