11 Handy Ways To Repurpose An Old Dust Pan Around Your Home

While dustpans are an important part of everyday cleaning. you may not think much about them at all. Associated with some of the dirtier, messier parts of keeping your floors spotless and debris-free, they are usually kept hidden safely away in your cleaning supplies. When your dustpan has reached the end of its use cycle, however, you may be looking for other ways to use it around your home rather than chucking it in the trash. There are actually a number of clever uses for old dustpans, many with a DIY flair or clever practicality to create everything from streak-free mirrors to charming holiday décor pieces.

These DIYs are a fun way to repurpose inexpensive plastic dustpans or to preserve antique metal pans, which often boast beautiful details and rich patinas that accompany decades of being well-loved and used. These charming dustpans are an excellent addition to cottage-style, rustic, or farmhouse décor. Even better, this keeps the dustpans out of the landfill and gives them many more years of use. 

A creative use for plastic dustpans is making art. You can create a fun, colorful piece of custom painting by pouring acrylic paint onto the dustpan in rows, then use it as an applicator to apply the paint to a canvas, paper, or other surface. The colors will run together as you manipulate the pan across the surface, creating rows and strata of color. Because you can apply a lot of paint at once, this technique is great for painting large canvases and big pieces of art on your own easily and inexpensively.

For a dustpan that has seen better days, why not turn it into a wall caddy for holding small objects? Transform a dirty, scratched, or cracked pan by taping the broken parts and adding some metallic sheened paint. Place two halves of an ice cream pint tub or another similarly-shaped item to create pockets on the front, using hot glue to keep them in place. Add some fun decorative accents like pompoms or ribbons. You can also punch holes for adding S-hooks to the bottom to hold hanging items.

Vintage and antique dustpans can be quite beautiful in design. Usually made of metal, they often include carving and details that newer dustpans lack. For a cute wall installation, collect a grouping of old dustpans and paint them in your desired colors. Hang them in a grid or other configuration that is suitable for filling a large, empty wall in spaces like rustic-style kitchens, entryways, mudrooms, or laundry rooms. If your dustpans are in good condition, you can leave them unpainted for a more rustic look that highlights existing details like hand-painted flowers or illustrations.

A stylish use for an old dustpan is creating a rustic framed container for holding faux flowers or greenery. The project above uses enclosed vintage dustpans, but any metal dustpan with a pocket at the base will work for this DIY. Hang the dustpan directly on the wall and fill it with your choice of decorative accents, then place a wooden frame around the pan to instantly turn it into a piece of décor. This DIY also makes a pretty wall-mounted container for sorting items like mail or magazines.

Another ingenious practical use for an old or extra dustpan is to use it as part of your mirror or window cleaning routine. Pans with rubber edges that are designed to help you easily sweep up dirt can be repurposed as rubber squeegees that assist with cleaning surfaces. Since the functionality depends on the rubber edge, make sure this part is completely intact and without damage for best results. The firmer the seal on the underlying surface, the more efficiently the edge will work to create a streak-free finish every time you use it.