13 Ways To Reuse Old Trampoline Springs

If you're replacing the springs on your trampoline every three to five years as recommended, you probably have a box full of them sitting in the garage. On the other hand, if your kiddos are beyond the age when trampolines capture their attention, the plaything likely now sits in your backyard neglected and rusting. Dismantling an old trampoline is undeniably a chore. It takes time and you have to figure out what to do with all those parts. Genius ways to repurpose a trampoline, from transforming it into a protective fence for a garden bed to making a cute moon gate, use the frame, but what about the springs? Use them to add tension to fence and trellis wires, automatically close a garden gate, or craft vases for faux blooms.

Trampolines typically have anywhere between 66 springs (a 6-foot diameter trampoline) to 128 springs (a 15-foot or more diameter trampoline) made of steel, galvanized steel, and zinc or nickel-plated steel. You can expect an average family trampoline — that is, one that supports up to 350 pounds of weight at one time — to have 8-inch springs made of up to 2.7 mm (0.1 inch) wires. You can get shorter and thinner or longer and thicker springs depending on your weight requirements. If they're in good condition, it would be a shame to discard something so sturdy. Instead, transform them into hooks for hanging planters, a component in DIY machinery, or, if you're an experienced welder, some epic scrap metal art.

You're back from the garden center with a bunch of trailing plants perfect for hanging baskets. Pot them up and hang them in your house, from the eaves of your balcony or trellis, under a garden arch, or from tree branches using trampoline springs. Take advantage of the hooks each has to make longer chains. Other suggestions include using them as hooks to hang string lights, lanterns, or modern farmhouse-style porch signs. Join a bunch of trampoline springs together to form netting to support flowering climbers or berry vines.

Some pieces of furniture have springs inside, especially if they have moving parts. For example, tight coil springs help move the footrests of recliner chairs. Trampoline springs in good working condition could work as a substitute when a spring needs replacing. Consider this an in-a-pinch solution for experienced DIYers or those with furniture restoration experience or when you're restoring a piece of furniture that's discontinued and original parts are no longer available. Where possible, it's preferable to contact the manufacturer for replacement springs made for the furniture model.

Tension wire trellises are most often used in viticulture — that is, in vineyards growing grapes for wine production. The wires are pulled tight using coil springs situated close to the poles, supporting the vines and stopping them from drooping. This, in turn, increases the plants' exposure to sunlight and airflow, keeping them healthy. However, there's no reason home gardeners can't borrow some of the ideas to create long-lasting sturdy wire trellises tensioned using trampoline springs. This technique works best for long trellises; it's hard to maintain tension on short wires.

If you're handy with a welder, you can turn that box of trampoline springs into all kinds of interesting nature-themed garden art. Make lawn ornaments by forming petals from curved springs spray-painted bright colors and welding them to a rebar stalk. Attach said blooms to a wooden board for a wall display. Individual springs make great cattail flower heads when threaded on thick metal rods. You don't even need the spring to be in great condition. Depending on what you're making, you might want the rustic vibe that natural wear and tear provides.

Wobbly, unstable steps are a common problem for RVers and van lifers. They often float above the ground, attached only to the frame of your home, making them inherently unstable. A quick search online reveals numerous forum posts written by people living permanently in a portable home driven to despair by this issue. You can buy stabilizers that support the steps from below, but those cost money. Instead, use one or two (or more, if needed, connected by the hooks) trampoline springs in good condition as a brace.

Anyone with pets roaming their yard, a garden they need to keep critters out of, or those who just hate having to stop to close a gate (or even an inside door) will be excited by this idea. Attach a trampoline spring across the hinge-side of a gate or door using sturdy wire or, for something a bit tidier, Atibin Heavy Steel Wall Eye Plates — a set of four costs about $13. The spring will put tension on the gate hinge, forcing it to close immediately after you pass through.

People often upcycle the steel pole frames of old trampolines into greenhouses, chicken coops, and polytunnels. While many simply discard the other parts of the trampoline, from the jumping mat to the springs, that's a mistake. You can use a few springs to securely latch the entrance gate to a coop. Or, you can take advantage of the tension inherent in trampoline springs to hold the frame of said coop together. Join springs together to form chains that fill in gaps between the roof beams of a polytunnel to better support the plastic cover.

Cut the hooks off a trampoline spring using wire or bolt cutters. Attach a spring end plate to each end or, if you can't find them, glue on a large washer, like these Zernmiarder Stainless Steel Flat Washers. A pack of five costs about $16. Paint the spring in your preferred hue, glue a coil of natural twine to the top plate or washer, and fill your new vase with dried or faux flowers once the paint has cured. With a sturdy base, they'd also make great candle holders.

All kinds of machinery we use every day or in our workshops require springs to regulate movements and returns. If your trampoline springs are in excellent (and, for safety, we really mean that) condition, you can repurpose them in everything from a DIY spring hammer and Da Vinci hammers used by blacksmiths to a hammer heated metal flat to 20-ton presses and tire chain tensioners. Fair warning: Given the complexity of these types of projects, it's probably best that only those who already have some experience making DIY machinery attempt them.

Looking for savvy ways to incorporate art in your yard? If you're a dab hand with a welder, craft nature-inspired sculptures from trampoline springs and add a touch of creativity to your garden design. Live on a farm? Use the springs to create the wool or fur on sheep or llama scrap metal statues to adorn your kitchen garden. Trampoline springs are the solution you need for the legs of your latest metal art owl or the body of that scorpion you're excited to craft from foraged steel finds.

Similarly to the wire trellis we highlighted above, you can use trampoline springs to tension a wire fence. Use it to define your property borders or keep livestock from munching their way through your vegetable garden. Trampoline springs closely resemble the fencing cable springs, but they aren't custom-made for this purpose. You might not be able to achieve quite as much tension as the purpose-designed product, but it should work well enough for a residential or even semi-rural backyard. Again, only trampoline springs in excellent condition should be used for safety reasons.

Some porch swings have suspension springs in their construction. They're added to the chains where they meet the supporting frame to soften the swing and reduce jolts. If you're DIYing a porch swing, you could use trampoline springs for this purpose. Visually inspect the spring for flaws and corrosion and discard or recycle it if you spot any. You can also test the spring's spring rate (which also measures the spring's load-bearing capacity) at home with minimal tools.

Whether you're hanging a shade sail or covering a shed frame with a tarp to keep critters out of whatever's stored inside, you need the sheet of material to be pulled tight. A saggy sail or tarp collects water, flaps around in the wind, and quickly fills with dust, dirt, and falling leaves. Attach a trampoline to a rope or wire between the corner of the awning and the support pole or frame. Pull the cord taut and the spring will expand, providing the tension you need while still allowing some flexibility.