25 Great Trash-to-Treasure Crafts

These homemade crafts will recycle your old bottle caps and make something meaningful and beautiful for you to wear. Make one for your friend so that you can wear them together!

Use some old mason jars to give your plants a new home. The best part is that you can see the roots and soil right through the glass container, so you'll know exactly how your plants are doing. 

These adorable wine glass charms will help you to know which glass of wine is yours. Plus, it's a great conversation starter. People will be amazed that you made them yourself out of recycled bottle caps!

Attach this stunning butterfly craft to your best friend's birthday present to give it a bit of class. She'll never be able to guess that it was made from a soda can!

This tasteful bit of art is made with recycled plastic bottle tops. It's wonderful to make something beautiful out of what would otherwise just be garbage.

Cute and easy, these soda can animals are a great craft for kids and adults alike. Decorate your house with these funny animals and know that you are making use of a can that would otherwise probably end up in a landfill.

These easily recognizable coasters will make guests smile. Show off your love for your favorite soda brands with these homemade coasters. Because soda companies change their logos, you can make multiple ones over time to show your longtime devotion to your soda of choice.

Recycle water bottles into fun pink flower bracelets with this craft project from Tiffany Windsor.

Upcycle some water bottles into storage instead of letting them sit in land fills. You can have an organized craft room while being green if you recycle containers with water bottle storage.

Instead of sending more plastic to the landfill, turn a plastic bottle into a fun and functional birdfeeder crafted like a birdhouse. This is a great green craft from Heidi Borchers for using the occasional plastic bottle.

Here's a fun classroom project that reinforces the importance of recycling. Encourage kids to save bottle caps and small lids in other neat shapes and sizes, too.

Even plastic bottle lids can be recycled for fantastic art projects like this one from Heidi Borchers of Inspired at Home. Turn the lids into a contemporary art canvas that's sophisticated but easy enough for kids to do!

This project is a great example of a green craft that is fun and easy. You don't have to spend a ton of money on your craft creations. Instead, save up materials you have around the house. It's a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle!

Finally, make use of your brown paper bags from the grocery store with this creative trash to treasure craft! It guides you through every step to make your old brown paper bags into attractive homemade placemats.

Use old paper to decorate otherwise boring pens.  Use your creativity to make each pen a little different. Before long, you'll have a favorite for every day of the week!

This may be one of the easiest crafts you've ever done. All you need is a cork panel from the craft store and some old colorful magazines.

Tired of buying holiday bows every single year?  Well, break the cycle once and for all. These attractive gift wrap bows are made completely out of old magazine paper.  Save money, demonstrate your creativity, and get the job done all at the same time!

Pizza boxes have no real use after they are thrown away, so rescue them with this artistic craft. Turn your pizza boxes into canvases that will hold your creative thoughts. Even use scraps of old paper to make a collage!

Make paper beads from recycled paper bags and use them to make pretty bracelets. Learn how to make friendship bracelets while making paper beads with this craft tutorial!

Reduce, reuse and recycle with this jewelry making craft. Try something new and make Brown Paper Bay Beads and Pendant from Cynthia Gagen. It's a fun project that's totally green.

Learn how to decoupage and make cardboard magazine holders with this cardboard box craft. Decoupage and paint a cereal box to turn it into a decorative storage craft.

This adorable container is made from an old plastic container. Make use of what would usually be thrown away by transforming it into something beautiful!

Enjoy your oatmeal every morning? Well, use that container after you are done to make a great pencil holder. Decorate it in your own unique way to make it 100% yours.

If you live in a tiny apartment or just want to save on space in your kitchen, grab some old tin cans and give this unique craft a try.

There is nothing like the feeling of nurturing new life. Take an old yogurt cup and make a bud vase out of it. Not only will it look attractive and be fun to make, but it also saves the yogurt container from spending an eternity in a landfill.

Make use of an old cookie tin to make this neat container for whatever treasures you may want to keep. Decorate it any way you want! It's all up to you, the artist!

Reuse the boxes from your last Amazon order to make these cute storage containers. Why spend $20 on a container from Target when you can make one for free? Seriously though.

If you can't bear to part with those ill-fitting jeans, use them to create something completely new. Scrap fabric crafts are a great way to save on fabric and breathe new life into old or sentimental items. Carry this tote to the mall or grocery store - it's big enough to hold all of your essentials.

Bought one too many placemats? Save it and use it to create a pretty purse. This sewing pattern shows that crafts from recycled materials can be just as stylish as their store-bought counterparts.

Never lose an expensive piece of jewelry again. This case will help you stay organized when traveling. If you are looking for quick and easy trash to treasure ideas, you'll love this fun project.

No yarn? No problem. Kids and adults alike love these easy recycled crafts and this one is super easy. In fact, you can make this project in just minutes, making it the afternoon project. If you have old shirts, you can make all kinds of trash to treasure crafts.

For these scrap fabric crafts, you won't need to buy anything. Use what you already have and create this delightful bag. This is also a great gift idea for a fashionable friend.

Looking for crafts from recycled materials? You're sure to love this eco-friendly and frugal craft idea. In fact, you can store all of your sewing essentials in this case, making organization a snap.

Make your own floor covering with some old T-shirts or leftover pieces of fabric that you have in your craft room. It's easy, and best of all, it's free!