17 Smart Ways To Repurpose Hats Around The House Instead Of Tossing Them

Throughout history, hats have been an important component of many's outfits. Whether they're used to help block the sun, as a way to insulate your head in chilly weather, or simply as a fashion statement — it's clear that headwear has been a priority for centuries. Nowadays, however, it seems the general public have started to view hats less as an essential and more as an optional accessory. According to a survey conducted by aytm, only 11% of respondents said they wear hats every day, while 59% said they rarely or never wear hats.

If one of your goals is to finally create a perfectly decluttered closet, it might be time to take a second look at the accessories you have on hand. Instead of tossing out your hats in the garbage or hauling them off to donate, consider repurposing them around the house. Despite their highly specific use, hats can make for a surprisingly versatile base for a variety of different upcycling projects, from upgrading your existing décor to creating some additional storage for your other accessories. Even if you're in the minority of people who reach for a hat every day, it's likely that you still have some headwear that isn't getting much use. So, don't allow worn out baseball caps, shrunken beanies, and straw hats to take up precious storage space. Repurpose them by using one of the 17 hacks we've found.

One of the easiest ways to repurpose your old hats is to use them as wall décor. When properly styled, a hat can bring a fun pop of texture and shape to an otherwise-flat wall. Hang several hats together to create a large display, mount a hat in an awkward space to help better fill the area, or include a hat among your other wall hangings to make a gallery wall feel more dimensional and interesting. If you ever decide you want to wear your hat again, you can simply grab it off the wall.

There's nothing like a cozy beverage to help warm you up on a chilly day, but if you notice your tea or coffee is dropping in temperature more quickly than you can enjoy it, it might be time to add on some extra insulation. Grab an old beanie — preferably one that does a good job of trapping heat — and wrap it over the bottom of your teapot or coffee pot. This will add a cute and cozy accent to the container, but it may also help prevent your drink from cooling too quickly when sitting out.

Straw hats are a popular choice to wear when you're out gardening because they're fairly breathable and great for blocking out sun, but this DIY puts an unexpected twist on this piece of classic headwear. Instead of wearing a straw hat while you're planting, try using a straw hat as a planter. All you need to do is cut out part of the crown of the hat, securely mount it to your wall, and place a potted plant inside. The interior of the hat will act like a shelf, helping to support your plant for display.

If you have a hat that's fairly stiff with a flat top — think a top hat, pork pie hat, or pillbox hat — try your hand at turning it into a wall clock. While this might seem like a difficult task at first glance, it's actually incredibly easy to create your own clock with the help of a clock kit, like this TIKROUND Youngtown High Torque Long Shaft Clock Movement Mechanism from Amazon. Create a hole in your hat, install the clock mechanism, and mount it on your wall like you would any other wall clock.

Decorating with indoor plants is a great way to bring some greenery and freshness into your space, but displaying those plants in a boring or mismatched planter can detract from the overall look. Instead of having to spend money on a new planter and go through the stress of repotting your plant, consider covering the existing planter with an old beanie. How well this works will depend on the size of your planter, but the stretchy knit material should be able to comfortably conform to a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

With the correct preparation, just about any common household item can be turned into a beautiful planter, like an old hard hat. If you have one that you're hoping to repurpose, preferably one that has a bit of structure and stiffness, try turning it into a hanging planter. Flip it over, secure some chain or rope to the rim, and suspend it from your ceiling or a mount. If it's made of an material that might deteriorate over time, it's also a good idea to lay down a layer of plastic before planting in the hat.

In the classic holiday jingle, it's Frosty the Snowman's hat that gives him the magical touch he needs to come to life. The same can be said for your DIY snowman decorations. No snowman is complete without a hat to top it off, so this is a great chance to repurpose those unused accessories in your closet. Finish off your snowman decoration with an old top hat if you're going for a classic look, an old beanie for a cozy twist, or even a baseball cap if you want to stay sporty throughout the winter months.

Accessories can completely transform your outfit, but they can also help to breathe new life into your home décor. Transition a straw hat from an accessory to a convenient accessory holder by mounting it on your wall. The material can easily be pricked with your earrings, hair accessories, and brooches. This hack will keep everything all in one place, easily accessible, and completely visible, helping you to more easily pick which pieces you want to use to spruce up your outfit of the day.

Lighting can completely make or break a space, but this fun hanging light DIY will ensure your room is left brimming with style. To make your very own hat hanging light, you'll only need two things: your hat of choice, and a hanging light kit like the Plug In Hanging Light Kit from Amazon. Make a hole in the middle of the hat, thread your light through, and plug everything in to fashionably illuminate your space and save some money on a store-bought fixture.

Extra storage space is always a bonus, especially if you're able to create it out of items you already have on hand. To make your own basket out of a straw sun hat, all you'll need is some glue, a pair of scissors, and some fabric, according to a tutorial posted by Elçin's Diy Crafts! on YouTube. Begin by cutting away at the brim of the hat, then glue the fabric to the inside to act as a lining. After you're done, you can leave it as-is or accessorize further with handles and decorations.

For this hack, you will use pieces of your hat to add some flare to a mirror. Cut out the hat's brim and place it over the mirror to act as a frame, gluing it down and trimming away any excess where needed, then grab a piece of rope. Add this rope around the inside of the brim of the hat to finish off any messy-looking edges, then use a bit more to add additional details along the edges if you desire a more interesting look.

Memory quilts are a popular way to display and repurpose old t-shirts, but did you know that you can apply the same idea to old baseball caps? While baseball caps won't leave you with nearly as much material as a shirt, you can still remove the front piece of the hat and repurpose the logo or graphic as a piece of quilting material. This is a great way to hold on to those sentimental items that you no longer wear while still ensuring that they're functional and won't contribute to household clutter.

If you have a knit or crochet hat, whether it's store-bought or homemade, there's a chance that you can unravel the yarn and use it for another project. Look out for hats that have one consistent stitch that spirals around rather than hats that have several small knitted sections or those that were simply made of a woven material. Once you find where the pattern ends, you can cut the strand loose and completely unravel it, leaving you with enough yarn to repurpose into a different small item.

Incorporating rattan and wicker accents into your home is a great way to curate a more beachy style. To add a functional pop of this popular material, consider crafting your own coasters out of an old sun hat. The straw-like material used for hats is very similar to the material you would find on these coasters, so all you need to do is cut out pieces that are slightly larger than your glasses. Leave them as-is if you're okay with a bit of fraying, or add some glue or binding to the edges for a more polished look.

Pumpkins are a hallmark of autumnal décor, but if you're not too keen on the idea of having to clean up the mess left behind by an actual gourd, consider creating knit pumpkins out of an old beanie instead. Fill your beanie with stuffing, then tie the open end together with rope. Wrap this newly-created "stem" with more rope, securing the pieces with hot glue as you continue around, then finish off your pumpkin with additional decorations if desired. This would look great sitting on a sofa or on your bed.

Making your own Christmas decorations is a great way to both make a piece more special and save some money. Because of this, it's worth it to take a look at the items you already have laying around when the festive season rolls in. This tree topper idea, for example, is an incredibly simple DIY that can help to bring some whimsy to an otherwise-simple Christmas tree. Simply plop the hat on top of the tree, or, if you're looking for more customization, add on some ribbon or other decoration to spruce it up.

Sometimes, you're left with an old hat that's simply too far gone to be saved. If you have a hat that's full of holes, stained, or especially worn, consider using it as composting material rather than simply tossing it out with the rest of your garbage. Hats made of 100% organic materials — think a wool beanie or a cotton bucket hat, for example — can be cut up and mixed in with the rest of the material in your compost bin. Just make sure you've removed anything that won't break down, like synthetic threads, buttons, and plastic bills.