All The Innovative Ways To Repurpose Muffin Tins Inside & Outside The House

It's always a great idea to try to find creative ways to repurpose old or unwanted items instead of simply throwing them in the trash. If you tend to agree with that sentiment, then you may be eager to find a new use for your old muffin tins — and, fortunately for you, there are plenty of ways to do just that. There are various ways that you can give your old muffin tin a new life either inside your home or somewhere in your outdoor space.

Thanks to the metal aspect of the item, muffin tins are both quite strong and relatively durable. That's surely one of the reasons why they've been relatively the same since they were first patented in the United States back in April of 1859. On top of that, its shape which features multiple indented cups that are all the same size means that it can be used to hold various items in a wide range of ways — much more than just muffins. Frankly, you may be surprised by how many ways that you can repurpose your muffin tins that are no longer needed for delicious baked treats.

When you plant seeds in your garden, it's important not to place them too close together. If you do, then you risk the plants crowding each other when they get bigger while the roots of the plants can also become entangled underground which can harm the plant. To avoid this, you can use a muffin tray as a seed spacer. Simply press the muffin tray into the soil with the bottom hitting the dirt. This will leave indented shapes in the soil. Use these circles to mark where you plant each seed.

While a muffin tray may have formerly been used to make treats for you and your family, you can turn it into a bird feeder in a few simple steps. Try drilling a few holes on either side before putting some twine or wire through each one and tying a knot in the end so that they stay in place. Hang the muffin tin in a tree and fill each cup with seeds for the birds that will surely stop by your yard now that there will be a place for them to enjoy dinner.

When clipping live leaves from your plants that can be used to propagate more tiny treasures, then you need a place to sort them so that they don't get lost or damaged and begin to root. In that case, you can put an old muffin tin to good use. All you need to do is put different kinds of leaves in each cup while laying them in a way that the open area or roots are unharmed. Replant the leaves or leave them in the muffin tray to dry them depending on your (and their) needs.

You can also use an old muffin tray to grow your little seedlings. In the same way that you would use a plant tray, fill each cup in the muffin tray with soil or a paper cup that's filled with dirt. Then place a seed in each one and sit back to watch your seedling grow. When it is time to move the baby plant to a new pot or its spot in the garden, then you'll easily be able to pop it out of the muffin tin and place it in its new home.

Some succulents stay rather small which means that they don't need a large pot or spacious spot in your garden to allow them to both survive and thrive. That's why the cups in a muffin tin are the perfect spot to plant a succulent. Thanks to the fact that muffin tins are made with multiple cups in each tray means that you can fill them with a range of different plants — along with sand, rocks, tiny flowers, or cacti — and make your own little portable succulent garden.

The muffin tin that you're hoping to repurpose can hold much more than plants or bird seed. It can also be used to hold your accessories. Think along the lines of hair elastics and scrunchies as well as jewelry like rings, earrings, and necklaces. That's not to mention toilets and cosmetics like cotton swabs, bottles of nail polish, and all kinds of makeup. Each cup in the muffin tin can hold a different kind of item in order to keep them all organized and easy to find when you need them.

Whether you prefer to use tiny pre-made tea lights or your own DIY wick and wax creations, you may be intrigued to find out that a muffin tin is the perfect item to use as a candle holder. The tin surface of the tray won't be damaged by the flame or melting wax and the multiple cups give you the chance to fill them each with a candle or only fill a few with other adorably creative and aesthetically pleasing items in the other open areas.

When an artist looks at an unused piece of paper or a bare wall, they might see a blank canvas. When that same creative person looks at a muffin tin, they might see the potential it has to be used as a palette for their paints. Each cup can hold a different color or be used to mix various shades not to mention a touch of water to clean the brushes. Along with not being harmed by the paint, a muffin tin is also pretty darn easy to clean out when the painting is done.

Whether you prefer to serve wine at your parties or like to offer your guests beer — not to mention soda, juice, or water — you may need a tray to help you carry the drinks. In that case, you can grab a muffin tray. The indented spots are just the right size to hold the base of certain cups which means that you can easily carry them around without worrying about spilling anything. Use it as is, or paint the muffin tray to give it a new snazzy look to go along with its new purpose.

When summer rolls around and it's time to host your next backyard barbecue, be sure to set out a few muffin trays before everyone sits down to eat. Granted, instead of using them for dessert, you may want to use them for your condiments. Each cup can hold a different item such as ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, onions, and more. Use more than one muffin tray so that the eager eaters don't have to reach over each other to grab the single bottle of ketchup that everyone is waiting for.

As you might be very well aware, things can quickly get messy when you are wrapping presents. That's why you might need something to help you stay organized and an old unused muffin tray might be just the thing that you require. Place tags in one cup in the tray while you keep tape in another. Do the same with everything from ribbon and string to bows and pom poms not to mention the countless little accents that you might like to use to adorn your gifts.

You can proudly display your favorite pictures with the help of a muffin tin which you can use as a type of frame. Simply print out pictures and cut them into round shapes that are the same size as the cups in the muffin tray. Each cup can hold a different picture which gives you multiple opportunities to choose from and show off your most precious memories. Because the tin is metal, you can also add special magnets on top that represent the things, places, and people that you care about.

While dryer balls are meant to be used as your clothes dry, they sometimes need to be dried out themselves. You might also want a place to keep them in between uses. If that's the case, then this is another perfect use for a muffin tin that needs a new purpose. Each cup in the muffin tin can hold a different dryer ball. The entire tin can also be placed on an old stove or fireplace so that the balls dry as the heat rises and warms the bottom of the tin.

You might not have considered using a muffin tin in your garage or workshop, but perhaps you should. In the same way that it can keep other relatively small items organized as you use them, a muffin tray can do the same when you're working on various projects. For instance, the cups are an ideal space to hold screws without letting them roll all over the place. Of course, you can use it for much more than just screws. It's the perfect item to sort your nails, nuts, bolts, and more.

If you love to embroider or want to give it a try, then grab your needle, thread, fabric, and a muffin tin. Yes, seriously. Pop different pieces of fabric in each cup and place some stuffing beneath it to give it some needed volume. Then, take your time practicing your embroidery skills and various stitches on each puff. When you're done, you'll end up with a unique piece that you can display, or you can take everything out and start over again to get a little more practice.

Your old muffin tin can become a new home for little DIY pumpkins. Of course, you can also take them to the next level by filling them with potpourri making these pumpkins smell as good as they look. All you need to do is grab some small pieces of burlap or fabric and fill them with your potpourri. Add a twig and dried moss to the top before popping them in your muffin tin so that they'll be ready and waiting for you when you need them.

When your muffin tray is done helping you make sweet baked treats, then it can be used to serve food to your pets. Not only is it a great serving dish but by placing food in the various cups, you create a little challenge for your furry friend and give their brain a workout while filling their belly. You can also fill each cup with a different kind of food to keep your dog interested and give them some special snacks that they will surely appreciate.

Using a repurposed muffin tin to serve your pet's food isn't the only way you can use it in a way that benefits your little animal pals. Instead, you can pop a few of their favorite toys into the cups of the muffin tray. This makes the perfect tray to keep the toys sorted and in place, however, can also be a way to present all of the toys to them at once so that they can choose which one they want to play with each time.

Keep your craft supplies organized and close at hand with the help of a muffin tin. Each cup in the tin offers you just enough room for things like beads, sequins, popsicle sticks, glass chips, and countless other accents or adornments. By placing them in the muffin tin, you'll be able to easily grab what you need as you keep working away on your latest DIY project without missing a beat or a bead.

You might assume that your old muffin tray should have a new purpose that's perfectly functional. However, that's not necessarily the case. Instead, you can turn it into something purely decorative. Leave it as it is to add to a space with a rustic look. Or, you can paint it to give it a fresh aesthetic. Just set it up with other cute kitchen items and you'll adore all that you can do with your muffin tin décor.