10 Surprising Repurposing Ideas for Old Shoes That You’ve Never Thought of

I have a small confession to make…I love shoes!

I have so many pairs of shoes in my closet that there is hardly room for anything else. I can’t help myself!

So, I recently thought that maybe it would be a good idea to go through my massive shoe collection and get rid of a few pairs…just a few, mind you.

And although I typically donate clothing and things like that whenever I get rid of them, I thought that maybe there were repurposed ideas for some of my old shoes.

And I was right – I found 10 surprising repurpose ideas for old shoes that you’ve probably never even considered…I know I haven’t.

Jump to:

• 1. Repurposed Baby Shoe Pin Cushion
• 2. Glamorous DIY Bookends
• 3. Old Flip Flop Welcome Sign
• 4. DIY Hanging Jewelry Rack
• 5. DIY High Heeled Ring Rack Display
• 6. Old Shoe Cactus Planter
• 7. Repurposed Shoe Herb Garden
• 8. DIY Painted Shoes
• 9. Repurposed Boot Birdhouses
• 10. Fun Repurposed Shoe Stepping Stones
• Conclusion

1. Repurposed Baby Shoe Pin Cushion

I love the idea of repurposing baby shoes into something that you can keep forever.

This repurposed baby shoe pin cushion is really simple to make and it’s a wonderful way to preserve those precious little memories.

You could make two of these with just one pair of baby shoes – keep one for yourself and give the other one to grandma. She’ll love it as much as you do. Add this one to your list of ways to repurpose baby clothes.

Tutorial/Source: handmadeharbour

2. Glamorous DIY Bookends

You can turn an old pair of high heels into the most glamorous bookends! You could even do these with old boots or other shoes if that’s what you have. They’re super easy to make and are perfect for your office, or a teenager’s bedroom. Your girls are going to love having these glamorous bookends in their rooms!

Tutorial/Source: hildagotrocks

3. Old Flip Flop Welcome Sign

Turn those old torn or worn flip flops into the perfect welcome sign to hang on your door this summer.

How adorable is this? It’s perfect if you want something colorful and fun for summer décor and it is really easy to make.

If you don’t have flip flops for this one, check your thrift stores where you can get them for about 50 cents a pair or pick up a few cheap dollar pairs from the Dollar Store.

Tutorial/Source: #1 Etsy.com
#2 Etsy.com

4. DIY Hanging Jewelry Rack

This project is so simple and so creative! Turn an old pair of flats into a hanging jewelry rack to store your necklaces and bracelets.

You can decorate the shoes or just leave them as they are. Just hang them up on the wall and add tacks for hanging your chains or you could just stick your earrings into them. This works really well with thin flats and is such a creative DIY jewelry rack idea.

Tutorial/Source: #1 recyclart #2 etsy.com

5. DIY High Heeled Ring Rack Display

Whether you sell jewelry and want something unique to display your rings or you just want a nice little fun ring holder for your dresser, that old high heel will do the trick.

You just have to add the ring holders, which you can find at any hobby store and most business supply stores. These are so much fun and would make excellent gifts for anyone you know who loves shoes…and rings.

Tutorial/Source: thetoastedcoconut

6. Old Shoe Cactus Planter

How about a high heeled shoe turned cactus planter? This is a super easy project and it is perfect for those really tall heels that you may have in the closet. If you have broken the heel on one, this is a great way to use the other one, or you could make a pair of them if you do have two shoes that will work. Turning it into a planter is so easy and these would be great DIY gifts for Mother’s Day.

Tutorial/Source: etsy.com

7. Repurposed Shoe Herb Garden

Turn old shoes into a stunningly unique herb garden. You just have to attach the shoes and boots to an old stump or you could even just sit them around the garden or on cinder blocks, whatever works for you.

Plant your herbs in the shoes or use these as a really unique succulent garden if you want a fun place to house your succulents.

Tutorial/Source: runragnar

8. DIY Painted Shoes

If you have some old white shoes – or any other solid color – that you really don’t want to stop wearing but they have grown dingy or otherwise old, you can simply repurpose them into artwork shoes.

You just have to choose your picture and then turn those shoes into the most creative painting canvas ever. These are fun to make and even more fun to wear and this is an excellent idea for kids’ tennis shoes.

Tutorial/Source: empressofdirt

9. Repurposed Boot Birdhouses

Old cowboy boots make the most adorable birdhouses, don’t you think? I love this idea of repurposing boots into birdhouses and it couldn’t be easier to do.

If you have a few pairs of old boots, you could line your entire fence row with cowboy boot birdhouses or just place them around wherever you need them. DIY birdhouses are so much fun to make and your little birdies will really appreciate the effort!

Tutorial/Source: #1 birdsandblooms #2 Etsy.com

10. Fun Repurposed Shoe Stepping Stones

If you are looking to make some DIY garden stepping stones, think about all of those old shoes that you have inside. You can simply turn those shoes upside down and use them to make the most adorable and creative stepping stones in your neighborhood. You don’t even need to do a lot for this project. Just pick out several pairs of shoes that you can use and then “plant” them in your garden!

Tutorial/Source: outdoormama1

Conclusion

Whether you have a few too many pairs of shoes and you need to weed them out a bit or you have an old pair of shoes that just aren’t wearable any longer, you will definitely find a surprising repurpose idea for them.

From baby shoe pin cushions – to help you permanently commemorate those little feet – to jewelry racks made from shoes and even flower pots, I promise that you are going to love all of these old shoe repurpose ideas.

And you know how much I love to repurpose! Just look at these 10 easy DIYs to repurpose old winter coats.

These are great projects for repurposing your children’s shoes as they grow out of them. You can make so many things from those old shoes, and you don’t even need matching pairs.

If you don’t happen to have a few old shoes that you can use, you can find them at thrift stores really cheap.

Or, there are some great flip flop repurpose projects and you can get cheap flip flops at the Dollar Store for a dollar per pair. Be sure that you also take a look at these 16 amazing things that you can DIY from old hangers.