13 Amazing Rusty Nail Repurpose Ideas
Ever wondered how to repurpose all those rusty nails? Me too. If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you’ll know how much we love using them in our projects. I’m always on the hunt for new ideas. Sadly, this is the one time Pinterest failed me. Everyone is de-rusting nails or using clean, fresh new ones to make something. And you know how much we love our rustification 😉 so I thought I’d do a round-up of the best rusty nail repurpose ideas I could find and share them with you, just in case you have a whole bunch of them lying around like we do.
But before we get to all those amazing ideas, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
13 Amazing Rusty Nail Repurpose Ideas
Rusty Nail Crosses
Looking for an easy repurpose idea, then you can’t go wrong with these nail crosses. They take about 5 minutes to put together and make great gifts too.
Allium Garden Art
Rusty nails and garden art go hand in hand, and if there’s one person who knows how to create something unusual in the garden, it’s the Empress of Dirt. Don’t you just love these Alliums and they’re drought resistant too 😉
Kokedama Fairy Village
Oh, my word. I had so much fun making this little fairy village complete with repurposed rusty nail chimneys and ceiling tile scraps. And doesn’t it just add a whole other dimension to the kokedama?
Rustic Bingo Calendar
Susan from Homeroad (love her blog for recycling ideas BTW) used old nails to create this rustic bingo advent calendar. The idea is easy to adapt into a perpetual calendar that will look good all year round.
Dragonflies
Who says a rusty nail can’t be turned into something gorgeous? Like this dragonfly with its translucent wings. The easy-to-follow tutorial shows you how to make them and includes two free templates so you can make a dragonfly or a butterfly.
Shibori Rust Dying
If someone had told me that rusty nails and silk would become a trending fashion statement, I would have laughed at them. But the laugh is on me. Kim, a talented textile artist, based in the UK, turned a nail disaster in her basement into this trendsetting silk scarf.
Eco-prints
Mother Nature has this amazing ability to do things in her own way, so it only seemed fitting to use her free bounty, including the rust she scatters on those nails we’ve collected over the years to create art. Eco-prints are a wonderful way to combine all kinds of things to make one-of-a-kind prints for your gallery wall.
Fairy Potting Bench
Rusty nails are perfect for creating a frame for a teeny, tiny potting bench. We made this one using stirrers and eight rusty nails as a gift to our fairy friends. Psssttt, you can get the tutorial to make those adorable fairy planters here.
Fairy Garden Set
If you really want to spoil those hard-working fae folk, then this little garden set is a must. Made from rusty nails and ceiling tiles scraps, these character-filled chairs are the perfect spot to relax and unwind.
Rusty Nail Vase
When you have a lot of long rusty nails, then this vase, in my humble opinion, is such a clever way to repurpose them. So beautiful and rustic.
Rustic Reindeer Family
One of my favorite rusty nail repurpose ideas. These little guys were a massive hit with our family and friends. This adorable reindeer family is another easy repurpose. Don’t they look so cute with those long wobbly legs, made from … you guessed it …. rusty nails 😀
Rusty Nail Muti
Our go-to homemade aging stain. We use it all the time to instantly transform new wood and give it that well-worn, weathered look. And it’s so easy to make too.
Repurposed Scrap Metal Letters
It doesn’t matter if your nails are bent, straight, tall, or short as long as they are rusty; you can repurpose them into word art like we did when we made the “UPCYCLE” sign.
Looking for a few more rusty nail ideas
Well-rusted nails can be added to your planters to give plants a new lease on life. The rust releases iron, which helps nourish dying plants and gives them a vitamin boost. And who says string art should be made with new nails? Old ones will work beautifully too, and add loads more character. Then there’s this cutie, patootie hamster that I found on Etsy. No tutorial, but darn it, isn’t he just soooooo adorable?
Have you made anything from rusty nails? I would love to hear about it.
And if you like these ideas to repurpose rusty nails, don’t forget to pin it for later.
Oh, and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more amazing craft ideas to share with you 😉
And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY
And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
Who knew this was a thing! I love them all!
Thank you, Kim
Michelle, i am not a crafty person, but you have opened my eyes to so many beautiful things. I love the things you do with Rusty Nails and I am going to try some of your ideas.
I’m so happy to hear that Deana, thank you. There are a few you could try with the grandbabies too
Only you could make so many wonderful creations from old, rusty nails. You are amazing!
❣ Aww Kim, thank you for that
This is so unique. I love how the rusty nails become art
Thanks so much. Turns out they can be used for so many different things
OMG, there are so many cute projects here, I can’t even pick a favorite. And I love all the resources you’ve shared also. What a great post, definitely saving it!
Thank you, Nancy
Michelle, You’ve shown us so many creative ways to use rusty nails! That porcupine is so cute!!
Isn’t he just the cutest. I’m going to try and make one for my daughter. She loves porcupines
Great ideas and I love the fairy potting bench. Too cute for words!
Thanks so much, Michelle. We really enjoyed making that one
Oh my Michelle, only you can make a rusty nail gorgeous. Your creative mind is amazing.
Thank you, Anita. And right back at you.
Pinterest will no longer fail rusty nail seekers because yours are all fabulous! I don’t have a collection of rusty nails, but wish I did. Time to start collecting!
I have a whole bunch I can share with you Sara ? I’d love to see what you come up with