Have you ever completed a flooring renovation, only to find yourself with a surplus of tiles, laminate, or linoleum? It’s a common scenario: you purchase extra just in case, or perhaps miscalculate, and then you’re left wondering what to do with the leftover materials. Often, these perfectly good pieces end up in the trash, simply because homeowners aren’t aware of the incredible potential they hold. But what if those remnants could be transformed into something beautiful, functional, and entirely new? Instead of contributing to landfill waste, imagine them as canvases for your next creative DIY endeavor.
Recently, after giving my kitchen floors a fresh new look with elegant tiling, I faced this very dilemma. I had a significant amount of various tiles remaining, far too much to simply discard. Returning open boxes or cut linoleum is rarely an option, prompting me to explore inventive ways to repurpose these materials. It turns out, the possibilities are vast and exciting! From chic home décor accents to practical furniture pieces and even unique gifts, leftover flooring can become the foundation for a myriad of inspiring projects. This guide will unveil 18 brilliant ideas to help you turn those extra pieces into stunning creations, saving money, reducing waste, and adding a personalized touch to your home.
1. Cute 80s Inspired Planter
Channel your inner maximalist and infuse some retro charm into your home with this adorable 80s-inspired planter. If you’re a fan of bold colors and unique designs from that iconic era, this project is perfect for you. You can easily construct the basic box structure using old ceramic or marble tiles left over from a recent flooring installation, or even reclaimed tiles you’ve carefully removed. Once assembled, the real fun begins: personalize it with vibrant acrylic paints, geometric patterns, or neon accents to truly capture the spirit of the 80s. This isn’t just a planter; it’s a statement piece that celebrates sustainability and style, making it an excellent conversation starter and a testament to your DIY prowess. It’s a wonderful way to give your indoor or outdoor plants a distinctive home.
Tutorial: apartmenttherapy
2. DIY Hexagon Tile Coasters
Elevate your home décor and protect your surfaces with these elegant DIY hexagon tile coasters. While a hexagon shape requires precise cutting, you can just as easily use the original square or rectangular tiles for a simpler approach. The key to their functionality lies in adding a soft cork or felt backing using strong adhesive, which prevents scratching and provides grip. These coasters are incredibly straightforward to create, requiring minimal materials and time. They make thoughtful and personalized gifts for any occasion, from birthdays to housewarmings, or as charming stocking stuffers during the holidays. Imagine customizing them with paint, stencils, or even decoupaged designs to match any interior aesthetic. This project transforms small tile remnants into practical, beautiful items that are both stylish and eco-friendly.
Tutorial: merrimentdesign
3. Repurposed Tile Jewelry Hanger
Say goodbye to tangled necklaces and misplaced bracelets with this ingenious repurposed tile jewelry hanger. If you happen to have hexagonal tiles, they are perfect for this project, serving as individual, attractive holders for your precious accessories. The construction is surprisingly simple and can typically be completed in just a couple of hours. Depending on the number of tiles you have available, you could create an extensive organizational system, covering an entire wall in your bedroom or dressing area. This not only keeps your jewelry organized and easily accessible but also transforms a functional item into a decorative wall art display. DIY jewelry holders are among my favorite crafting endeavors, offering both utility and a touch of personalized elegance to any space.
Tutorial: theblondielocks
4. Repurposed Marble Tile Necklace
Who knew leftover marble tile could be transformed into exquisite, wearable art? Even small chips or irregularly shaped pieces, often deemed unusable, can become stunning focal points for necklaces, earrings, and other unique jewelry items. This project is particularly rewarding if you’re renovating with marble, as it offers a fantastic opportunity to utilize those smaller fragments that don’t come off perfectly intact. With just a few simple jewelry-making supplies, you can craft bespoke marble jewelry pieces that exude sophistication and tell a story of sustainability. These handcrafted items are relatively easy to assemble and make exceptionally thoughtful and impressive gifts for loved ones, especially during the holiday season. Give the gift of unique, upcycled elegance.
Tutorial: themerrythought
5. DIY Craft Room Desk
Create the ultimate workspace for your hobbies with a DIY craft room desk, built in as little as a weekend. This project ingeniously utilizes old flooring materials to craft a durable and visually appealing tabletop, and even the sides if you desire a fully coordinated look. The desk itself can be constructed from leftover wood pieces from other projects, making it an incredibly cost-effective solution for adding organization and style to your craft room. Once the basic desk frame is complete, apply your chosen wood flooring, ceramic tiles, laminate, or other durable flooring materials to the top. This not only provides a resilient surface for all your creative endeavors but also gives the desk a distinct, custom-decorated appearance. There’s something truly satisfying about a bespoke DIY desk, perfectly tailored to your needs and aesthetic.
Tutorial: howtonestforless
6. DIY Repurposed Flooring Bowling Alley
Transform your backyard into an entertainment hub with a DIY repurposed flooring bowling alley! This project is surprisingly straightforward to construct and offers a fantastic opportunity to involve the entire family. Children will absolutely delight in the process of building their very own bowling lane, creating cherished memories for years to come. Whether you have rolls of linoleum, planks of wood flooring, or even peel-and-stick tiles, these materials are ideal for creating a smooth, playable surface. Despite how impressive it looks, assembling this backyard attraction is far less complicated than you might imagine. It’s a brilliant way to give new life to old flooring and create a source of endless outdoor fun, providing hours of laughter and friendly competition.
Tutorial: apartmenttherapy
7. Easy Tiled Kitchen Table
Reinvent your kitchen’s centerpiece with this wonderful tiled kitchen table idea. The beauty of this project lies in its versatility: you can apply the same mixed tile and glitter grout concept to create a unique craft table, or even to refresh an old bedroom dresser. DIY coffee tables and dining tables are renowned for being budget-friendly ways to introduce character and charm into your home, and this kitchen table is no exception. Its combination of elegant marble tiles and dazzling glitter grout creates a truly lovely aesthetic that looks far more expensive than it is. This is especially true if you have a handful of tiles left over from your recent re-flooring project, making it an incredibly economical and impactful upgrade for your kitchen or dining area.
Tutorial: brit
8. DIY Hexagon Tile Serving Tray
Craft a stunning and practical hexagon serving tray using your leftover tiles, regardless of their original shape. While hexagonal tiles lend a particular aesthetic, any shape can be adapted to create a gorgeous and functional piece. This project is ideal if you have a few tiles remaining from a re-flooring endeavor or if you’ve recently removed some during a renovation. You’ll need a sturdy piece of plywood for the base, your chosen tiles, grout, and a few other basic crafting supplies. The result is a beautiful serving tray perfect for entertaining or as a decorative accent. It also makes an exceptional, handcrafted gift for weddings, holidays, or any special occasion, showcasing your thoughtfulness and creative skills.
Tutorial: alwaysrooney
9. Easy DIY Honeycomb Tile Vase
Searching for the perfect gift for someone who seems to have everything? This easy DIY honeycomb tile vase is not only incredibly simple and inexpensive to make but also yields a remarkably beautiful and unique finished product. The concept is straightforward: take a plain, ordinary vase and transform its exterior by covering it with hexagon tiles. You can use genuine tiles or opt for hexagon-shaped peel-and-stick tiles for an even quicker application. Even if you needed to purchase tiles specifically for this project, the cost would remain relatively low compared to buying a designer vase. The end result is an absolutely gorgeous, textured vase that instantly elevates any floral arrangement or stands alone as an impressive decorative piece, adding a modern and artistic touch to any room.
Tutorial: alwaysrooney
10. DIY Marble Tile Magnets
Transform those elegant leftover marble tiles into a collection of adorable and sophisticated magnets for your kitchen, office, or magnetic memo board. This DIY project is wonderfully simple to execute and offers endless possibilities for customization, allowing you to create truly personal gifts. You have the flexibility to cut your marble tiles into desired sizes and shapes, or for a bolder statement, simply attach magnets to the backs of larger, intact pieces. These larger magnets can then be painted, stenciled, or embellished with various decorative elements to match any aesthetic or theme. Marble magnets are not only practical for holding notes and photos but also add a touch of natural beauty and elegance to any metallic surface, making them perfect as unique personalized tokens for friends and family.
Tutorial: themerrythought
11. DIY Repurposed Flooring Side Table
Craft a captivating accent piece for any room with a DIY repurposed flooring side table. This project allows you to build a stylish and functional table from scratch, injecting a unique personality into your living space. It’s ideal for displaying plants, serving as a convenient mail catcher in your entryway, or simply holding your evening cuppa. The most appealing aspect of this project is the freedom to mix and match different types of tiles and flooring remnants. Imagine combining various textures, colors, or patterns of ceramic, marble, or laminate to create a truly one-of-a-kind look. This bespoke design ensures that your side table will be a distinctive piece that you simply won’t find in any furniture store, reflecting your personal style and commitment to creative reuse.
Tutorial: sweetpeachblog
12. DIY Tile Covered Patio Table
Give your outdoor living area a stunning upgrade by transforming old or leftover tiles into a beautiful and durable patio table. This upcycled project is remarkably quick and easy to complete, making it the perfect weekend endeavor if you have a few boxes of tiles to spare. The process typically involves adding a sturdy plywood top to an existing old table frame or building a simple base, and then meticulously laying your tiles to create a spectacular, weather-resistant surface. Not only does this project save you money on buying new outdoor furniture, but it also allows you to personalize your patio with a unique mosaic or patterned tabletop. The result is a charming and robust outdoor table that will enhance your entertaining space for years to come.
Tutorial: seekinglavenderlane
13. Laminate Plank Signs
Unleash your inner artist and create charming decorative signs for your home or as heartfelt gifts using those leftover laminate planks. This versatile project involves using stencils to apply inspiring messages, quotes, or personalized imagery onto the planks. You can then paint these designs, adding various decorative pictures or embellishments to match your home’s aesthetic. For an even more dynamic option, consider coating an entire plank with chalkboard paint to fashion a few mini chalkboard signs. These are incredibly versatile, allowing you to change messages as often as you like – perfect for daily affirmations, grocery lists, or seasonal greetings. I personally adore chalkboard paint projects for their endless creative potential and practical uses around the home, and repurposed laminate planks offer the ideal sturdy canvas.
Tutorial: kammyskorner
14. Gorgeous DIY Tile Art
If you’re unsure what to do with those last few leftover tiles, consider transforming them into captivating pieces of artwork. This incredibly simple DIY project allows you to create beautiful framed art that can adorn your walls or be gifted to friends and family. Whether you have sophisticated marble tiles, modern laminate, or playful peel-and-stick tiles, all can be utilized. The process involves arranging your tiles into a design – a mosaic pattern, geometric shapes, or even a simple abstract composition – and then framing it to create a polished look. For a truly personalized touch, you could even use plain white tiles as a canvas, drawing your own intricate designs with permanent Sharpie pens. This project is a fantastic way to add bespoke artistry to your home without breaking the bank, celebrating the beauty of repurposed materials.
Tutorial: 365days2simplicity
15. DIY Tile Photo Coasters
Turn plain white ceramic tiles into cherished keepsakes with these delightful DIY tile photo coasters. This project offers a wonderful way to personalize your home décor or create incredibly thoughtful gifts featuring images of your favorite people, places, or memories. The process is remarkably straightforward: simply use Mod Podge to carefully adhere your chosen photographs to the tiles, sealing them for durability. Once finished, these coasters are not only functional but also exquisitely personal, acting as miniature framed memories. They are particularly perfect for those friends or family members who seem to have everything, offering a unique and heartfelt present that will be treasured for years to come. This project transforms simple tiles into something truly special and meaningful.
Tutorial: popsugar
16. Glass Tile Terrarium Hurricanes
If you’re fortunate enough to have clear glass tiles leftover, you can embark on creating these absolutely stunning terrarium-inspired hurricane lamps. The geometric shape of these hurricanes is incredibly appealing, and the construction process is surprisingly manageable for DIY enthusiasts. For each hurricane you wish to create, you will need several glass tiles, along with a soldering iron for assembly, mirrored tiles for added reflection, and a few other essential crafting supplies. The intricate yet elegant design of these lamps makes them perfect for enhancing any interior space with a touch of modern sophistication. They also make exceptionally beautiful and thoughtful gifts, showcasing a high level of craftsmanship and unique design that is sure to impress.
Tutorial: brit
17. DIY Laminate Dining Room Table
Imagine transforming those leftover laminate flooring planks into a beautiful and functional dining table that perfectly suits your home’s aesthetic. This project involves using a sturdy piece of plywood as the foundation for the tabletop, which is then meticulously covered with your laminate flooring to achieve a desirable wooden appearance. The versatility of laminate means you can create tables for various spaces – your kitchen, dining room, or even as accent pieces anywhere you need them. For a popular farmhouse-style look, consider painting the table legs a crisp white and utilizing laminate planks that mimic rustic wood. The result is a genuinely gorgeous and incredibly inexpensive dining solution that combines custom design with budget-friendly materials. As a huge fan of DIY farmhouse furniture, I can attest to the charm and value this project brings!
Tutorial: seakettle
18. DIY Tiled Countertop
Did you know that those leftover tiles can be ingeniously repurposed to create your very own custom tiled countertop? This is a highly practical and visually rewarding DIY endeavor that is surprisingly easy to achieve. The beauty of this project lies in its adaptability; it can be executed with various types of flooring materials, allowing you to achieve almost any desired look, from sleek and modern to rustic and charming. Simply select an existing cabinet or surface you wish to renovate, and then apply your marble tiles, convenient sticky tiles, or even durable laminate flooring as a new, protective covering. This creative solution not only provides a fantastic way to update two areas of your home simultaneously but also saves you the significant expense of purchasing a brand-new countertop. It’s a testament to how intelligent repurposing can lead to stunning home improvements.
Tutorial: abeautifulmess
As you can see, those seemingly useless leftover flooring materials hold immense potential for creativity and transformation. From practical coasters and stylish jewelry holders to impressive furniture pieces and decorative art, the possibilities are truly endless. Repurposing not only saves you money but also contributes to a more sustainable lifestyle by diverting waste from landfills. We hope these 18 ingenious DIY ideas have sparked your imagination and inspired you to look at your leftover tiles and planks with a fresh, creative perspective. So, before you consider tossing those remnants, grab your tools, embrace your inner crafter, and embark on your next exciting upcycling adventure!