Don't Toss Old Or Broken Ornaments. Here Are 18 Ways To Repurpose Them In Your Home

Ornaments, Christmas balls, or baubles, whatever you call them, are more than just mere decorations. These pieces of decor often help capture and commemorate special moments in your life. One glance at your Christmas tree, and you might see delicate baubles celebrating your child's first Christmas, a graduation date, or a beloved pet, all mixed in with clever DIY ornaments, shiny balls, and favorite cartoon characters. It might be safe to say that there's probably not a single person in your neighborhood who has the exact same tree as you, thanks to the diverse number of ornaments. Yet what do you do if you don't want some of your ornaments, or worse, you find yourself with a pile of broken ones, perhaps after a cat jumped into your tree?  There are new ways you can use them to decorate, create art, and more. From making a wreath to using broken ornament glass to make a new decor piece, you don't need to part with unwanted or damaged ornaments just yet.

Repurposing and reusing your ornaments is a great way to give them new life and keep them out of landfills. Some ornaments can be recycled, but it depends on their materials. Glass, cardboard, and wire are all good to go in most curbside recycling programs, though you should always check your local recycling guidelines for clarity. We've got a variety of ways to reuse and repurpose these ornaments, broken, old, or outdated (or all three), in new, exciting ways for your home with these great projects.

If you've changed up your decorating style for your Christmas tree, you might be tired of your previous ornaments. Save them to make a shiny, festive wreath! You only need some hot glue and a wreath form for this project. You can mix the ornaments with other decorations, either bought or repurposed, for a piece you'll treasure year after year. If you have a broken bauble, you might be able to cleverly disguise the damage by gluing it with a bow, ribbon, or decorative twig. 

Repurpose your ornaments and create a shiny holiday garland with them to depart from the traditional green foliage we see in homes. Remove each ornament's top, and then make a second hole in the material on the opposite side. From there, you can use fishing line or wire to string up the ornaments together in a chain. End the piece by adding tassels and other decorations for a flourish. Use the garland to decorate your mantle or stairwell.

The enduring popularity of Buffalo plaid, that lovely red checked design, can help give your ornament a bold, fresh new look. You can wrap a piece of Buffalo plaid fabric around an old ornament and bunch it at the top for a layered effect. A finishing touch of gold twine lets you add this timeless aesthetic to your tree. Not into the red plaid? Try a different fabric, such as crushed velvet or satin, for an intriguing texture, but ensure you'll know how to clean the fabric ornament when the time comes.

If you want a rustic-inspired bauble but all you have are metallics, we have a baking soda hack that'll give your ornaments a brand-new look. By mixing acrylic paint with baking soda, you get a paint that has the same surface appearance as chalk paint. Once you have the paint, you can cover your ornament in a new hue while preserving any embellishments on the surface. You can then add the Christmas balls to your tree or display them in a bowl as a decorative holiday accent.

So, you don't want to part with your ornaments just yet, but you wonder if they could be used somewhere else? Try using them as a vase filler. Fill a tall or short vase high with the baubles, then add jingle bells, sprigs of green, and other decor. Use them at Christmas for a winter-themed vase, or put away the red ornaments for later use in February as a Valentine's Day decoration. For a dreamy floating effect, add water beads and water to the vase, then top with a tealight. 

It might be time to turn those ornaments into a place card for your next holiday gathering! You can decorate them with a Christmas motif with spray paint or use acrylic paint, then use a decorative pen to write out the initials or names of each guest. You could also attach the name cards to each ornament with a decorative ribbon by punching a hole in the card or inserting a clip into the top of the bauble to hold it. Your guests will be sure to appreciate your creativity, no matter which way you choose.

Craft-minded individuals know that you can always use something, even if broken, such as a shattered ornament. Looking for a way to incorporate resin art in your home? Save the glass and use it in resin coasters or wall art, such as a Christmas tree. Don't have a particular project in mind? Carefully bag up the broken ornaments and wait for inspiration to strike. It doesn't have to be resin, however. You could also reuse fine glass from ground-up ornaments in a vase as an accent. Wear the proper PPE and use caution when working with broken glass.

If a big, bold, and glamorous Christmas tree is your wish this year, try remaking your ornaments with gold leaf. One option is the liquid Plaid Classic Gold 8 Oz Glaze, which promises one-step decorating. You can also use sheets of imitation gold leaf, then apply. You can make the entire ornament gold or go for a half-gold, half-color scheme for a dramatic accent. Imagine how nice these baubles will look, especially on a colored tree. Not only will your halls be decked, they will be dazzling as well.

If you have a sentimental ornament that sadly fell to the floor and shattered, you might be able to save it. Head to your local craft store or Amazon to find some clear globe ornaments. You can insert the broken pieces, then add a little accessory such as fake snow, a snowman figure, or anything else to give it a distinct look on your tree. You'll still be able to preserve your favorite ornament in a new way and won't have to send it to the trash.

Maybe you have too many ornaments for this year's tree and would like to repurpose them into another decoration rather than leaving them in the box. You can reuse them with a DIY table centerpiece decoration. Ensure your baubles haven't lost their metallic cap, then attach them to a string of battery-operated lights for a dazzling centerpiece to decorate your holiday table. You could also hang it on your mantle or along your stairwell. Remember, the look of your decoration will depend on how many ornaments you have available to fit the length of your string lights.

A whimsical way to repurpose old ornaments is to attach them to napkins for your next holiday dinner party with a bit of wire or twine. If you want to go a bit further with a craft project, you might want to upgrade your holiday dinner party table with a DIY napkin ring using shower rings. Just cover them with fabric, then attach the ornaments. Set one next to every guest's plate, and they'll be impressed with your ingenuity. 

Transforming ornaments into an amazing 3D piece of wall art you can keep up all year is a great way to reuse old baubles. By spray painting a canvas and ornaments with a new shine and then arranging them together to form a picture, you have a unique piece of art for your home. You could also do an abstract design with your ornaments, such as a spiral or another shape.  A trip to the local craft store or art supply store will probably generate all the ideas you need.

Elevate your thinking and your decor by hanging ornaments from the ceiling with fishing line for a chic Christmas decoration. One way to hang them safely is to tie them onto a trivet and string them up to hang from your wall. You could also hang them from a spray-painted branch or with Command hooks. Stagger them at different heights or arrange them all in a straight line, playing with the way you arrange them to see what works best for your eye. 

When pesky birds are in your garden eating your crops, one proven way to deter them is to hang shiny objects, such as a CD, in your yard to scare them away. Not everyone has CDs anymore, and there's no need to buy any for this garden hack. If you have some reflective metallic ornaments, why not try using these instead? Some gardening experts swear by using red ornaments in a garden to protect tomatoes, but you could try any reflective ornament to deter feathered visitors from what they see as an open buffet. 

Christmas topiaries are gaining popularity as people make them from various elements as a decorative accent. Ornaments glued on top of Dollar Tree's Luminessence Long-Stem Glass Tealight Candle Holders or one from a thrift shop will make a stunning table decoration for you to use during the holidays. Use an ornament to accent each candle holder, or stack several of varying sizes for a more eye-catching piece. Consider embellishing with ribbon, faux fur, or other add-ons. You could also try forming the balls into a tree shape, complete with a star on top. 

Instead of buying more decorations for Valentine's Day, Easter, or another upcoming holiday, try upcycling your Christmas ornaments into seasonal decorations. You can still use them to decorate, whether you use a heart-shaped wreath form to make a Valentine's Day wreath, arrange your brighter-colored ornaments on a tree, or simply paint your old ornaments to look like Easter eggs. 

Broken or whole ornaments can be great shadow box materials to display during the holidays. With a store-bought shadow box or one you've made from picture frames, you can create a lovely holiday scene. Use a broken ornament as fake snow, then add Christmas-themed figurines. Another option is to stack a collection of your unwanted yet unbroken ornaments into it for an eye-catching decoration for your wall. Mix in greeting cards with the baubles for even more reminiscent upcycling.

Many bows aren't recyclable, but a great alternative is to use old ornaments to decorate presents instead. Thread an ornament onto a piece of twine, and tie it around the gift for a cute decoration on all of your gifts. Not only will you be able to tell which present belongs to which recipient, but they can also take the ornament to use on their own tree. Sustainability and a thoughtful gesture in one? It's a win-win. If using Christmas balls, you could even turn them into gift tags with a gold paint pen.