Have you ever wondered how to recycle electrical cords? Well, we have the answer for you. Wrap your cord around a pen, and then twist it together until it is tight. Then put all of the cords in a bag or box and take them to your nearest recycling center! You can also make cool things out of recycled materials at home with items like old cardboard boxes, glue sticks, rubber bands, tape rolls, and scissors. If that’s not enough inspiration for how to recycle electrical cords (and how awesome recycling is), check out these amazing ways to do so:
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Cut up old electrical cords and use them to wrap holiday gifts
For holiday gifts that are a little more creative than the traditional paper, how about using old electrical cords to wrap gifts. There are many ways to cut up an old cord and use it creatively:
- Cut small pieces of wire for wrapping around candy canes or other Christmas goodies
- Use large strips as a ribbon for bows on presents
- Wrap long pieces in cool patterns around packages, then tie them with string or yarn into a bow at the top
It will take some time before you have enough material available – but when you do, your recipients will be thrilled!
Use an old electrical cord as a tie for your dog’s leash
One of the best uses for an old electrical cord is to tie your dog’s leash. If you are looking for a way to recycle those old cords, this might be the best option! This will only work if the cord is long enough and not damaged.
You can also use it as a bungee jumper or camping with kids (as they love jumping). The downside of this idea is that children won’t like it so much because its texture doesn’t feel good on their skin while jumping – but we’ll take any help from anywhere in our fight against plastics.
Make an adorable bracelet out of an old electrical cord
For an adorable craft, follow these steps to make a bracelet out of an old electrical cord:
- Cut the end off your wire.
- Pick how many strands you would like in your bangle or how long you want it to be, and cut that many pieces from the other side, leaving at least three inches on each piece for tying knots.
- Tie two opposite ends together, creating a circle – knot well when finished. This will form one side of the bangle with enough space inside for your wrist to slip through.
- Use pliers if needed but don’t pull too hard as this could damage the plastic outer coating around the wires, which keeps them relatively straight during use (and prevents electric shock). Gently twist all the wires around each other, leaving a little space between them. Now use the pliers to pull those strands in tightly together while twisting to form your bangle shape – knot well when finished.
Put some dried flowers at the end of an old electric cord and hang them from a window.
You can put some dried flowers at the end of an old electric cord and hang them from a window. This is how you can bring some color to your room without hurting the planet.
You can also make a lamp out of an old electric cord. Just attach the two ends to something metal and place it on a table or desk near your favorite reading chair for convenience.
In this case, you will need two plugs so that both sides have power. You may want to use lampshades as well – how fun!
You can also use old electric cords to make a decorative wreath. The best way is to attach the two ends and then place them on an empty toilet paper roll with some glue to become circular. You will need a wire hanger for this one, but it’s worth it!
To complete the look, you can wrap some fabric around the cord – how beautiful!
This type of decoration would be perfect if you have winter holidays coming up because they are natural decorations that last for years after making. It’s green living at its finest!
Tie together two or more cords to make a long garland for around the house, on trees, etc., as well as a cute gift idea!
- Wrap the cords around a mason jar with an attached string and make it into a Christmas tree ornament.
- Create cord curtain panels by tying together two or more lengths of ribbon, yarn, etc., to cover one window or door.
- Cut up some old tights for easy shrinky dinks on your computer screen! This could be great for school kids too – how about making garlic bread shapes?
- Make new earrings out of spare electrical wires and beads/beads in jars sitting around the house! You can also use this idea to create DIY bracelets as well.
Create unique earrings by wrapping wire around one end of the cord then attaching beads to that section with wire
All you need is a few inches of cord, wire, and beads for creating unique earrings. Wrap the end without wires around an earring hook. Then attach small pieces of wire to each bead using round nose pliers by looping it through one side then twisting onto your desired length before pulling tight on both sides with pliers to secure them tightly together.
This project is perfect if you are looking for something fun, creative and easy that can be done alone or with friends. You can create different types of necklaces like chokers, bracelets, and more! All that’s needed is some cord (any size) and decorative charms, including anything from metal tassels to vintage buttons.
Twist together two or more cords to create a new, longer cord
To get a longer cord from two short cords, use a twisting method. The first step is to twist the cord in half so it looks like a “Y” shape – then take one of those ends and start winding around the other end until you get back to where you started.
Steps:
- Twist together two or more cords as shown below
- Take an end of each cord (they should both be from the same side) and make sure they’re about six inches apart from each other.
- Wrap one over onto the other while making sure not to put too much tension on them
- Continue wrapping in this way at least three times before cutting off excess cloth tape so that there are no frays visible when some slack.
Make a lampshade by cutting off one end of the cord and wrapping it around an empty glass jar.
You can make a lampshade by cutting off one end of the cord to have a flat surface and then wrap it around an empty glass jar.
This is how I made my last two lampshades! You can use any size or shaped jar for this project. Cut and tie the wire lengthwise over the top edge of your glass container until you reach the desired height. Next, twist both ends tightly together on the inside of the lid with pliers- as tight as possible to hold in place during the construction process. Insert shade pins (or thumbtacks) at even intervals along width across the bottom edge of the plastic tub (I used a clean milk jug). Push up from below through holes poked into foil lining that will be wrapped around outside edges of the jug – make sure pins are pushed up and are secure in place. Secure ends of the wire around pins by tightly twisting together with pliers, then trim the excess off both sides to give lampshade a finished look- I like to use my favorite nail clippers for this!
Coil up an electrical cord tightly so that you can use it as a hanger for your clothes
Coil up an electrical cord tightly so that you can use it as a hanger for your clothes. This way, you will be able to make more room in your closet or armoire.
Place the coil on an open area of the floor and hang up any shirts or blouses with two hooks on either end of the coil – one at the top and bottom. You’ll instantly have extra space where normally there would only be one shirt hanging from each hook!
Another option is to hang three coils vertically using the string that attaches them at their centers; this creates several “rows” for hanging clothing items along entire walls instead of just individual rows near the ground level (especially if used in closets).
Make a phone charger out of old earbuds.
You can make a phone charger out of old earbuds. All you need is a power source, any size cord with a plug at the end, and two pairs of wires that can be easily stripped from an old set of speakers.
The original how-to post has instructions on how to do it step by step. I don’t know how to add that here without making this too long, so please refer there if interested! It’s also got some cool tips for other ways to recycle electrical cords, something none of us want to throw away but often have no idea what else we can do with them once worn out!
Turn an old lamp into a charging station for your electronics.
For turning an old lamp into a charging station for your electronics, find an old lamp in the house and remove its shade. Wires from a power strip can be connected to the plug on the lamp’s cord using wire nuts or other electrical connectors. The ends that plug into the wall are left unchanged, but you might want to add an extension cord if it is too short. A flexible clamp attaches to most cords, so they don’t need to be unplugged when charging devices-it sticks onto them.
Sew fabric around the cord, and then turn it into a belt or bracelet
Sew fabric around the cord, and then turn it into a belt or bracelet. Fold the cord in half on itself, and sew one end to form a loop that will fit snugly over your hand. Wrap fabric around the cord like how you would wrap the thread around yarn for crocheting. Sew through both layers of fabric at intervals — about every inch or two — and tie each piece off with an overhand knot down near where the second layer loops back onto itself (not at the very top). You should now have two equal long strands of cords, which can be sewn together parallel to create either a big loopy necklace or just tied into little knots if you want something smaller and less complicated.
Use metal chains to hang lights from ceilings or trees
Using metal chains to hang lights from ceilings or trees, you can use a metal cutting blade to cut the cord in half.
You will need a Wirecutter – long and sharp; Scissors – for trimming excess cord; Cordless drill with a chuck key (adjustable wrench) – for crimping on hooks.
Cut off about six inches of each end using wire cutters to create two lengths of fresh electrical cord three feet long in total. Crimp one hook onto the end of each length of the new copper cable. Then thread your chains through their loops at either end, so they hang down evenly like straps across suitcases or purses when you wrap them around your tree branches or ceiling joists.
To sum up,
We showed you some awesome ways to recycle your old, worn-out electrical cords. We hope these ideas inspired and excited you! Whether it’s a gift for someone special or just something fun to do with the kids on a rainy day, many great things can be done with an abandoned cord. Check back next week for our final blog in this series, where we’ll show you how to make adorable earrings from DIY electrical cords!
