Don't Throw Out Leftover Cupcake Liners - Here Are 14 Fun Ways To Repurpose Them

Known as liners, wrappers, muffin cups, and baking cups, one thing is for sure: the wrappings of a cupcake or muffin sure hold a delicious treat. After you've baked up a storm for your kids' class or simply experimented with a new recipe you found online, you might end up with extra liners. Rather than keeping them aside for your next baking session, consider repurposing them. While cupcake liners come in silicone versions, the paper or foil varieties have a lot of creative possibilities. You can easily transform them into something for your home, such as a bouquet of paper flowers, a light fixture, or an organizational tool, with a little time and some neat ideas. 

The recycling ability of cupcake liners varies by the cups' materials, which can make the recycling process confusing. Some feature foil or interiors treated with plastic, making them more difficult to recycle in some areas. Plain paper versions can be tossed into curbside recycling and are often suitable for compost, provided they lack a wax coating. However, instead of worrying about putting the wrong cups in your recycling bin or compost pile, why not make something with them? Finding new ways to use these common items lets you exercise your creativity in exciting ways. Most of these projects only require common items like glue, string, and cardboard, so they're easy for anyone to do. Any other special items, such as a mirror, can often be purchased at a discount store or Amazon.

Add a bit of sparkle to your foyer or living room with a DIY mirror project using foil cupcake liners. Flatten the muffin cups, then cut them in half. After setting a small round mirror in the middle of a 20-inch cardboard circle, you'll glue the liners around the edge with the metallic side right-side up. You can continue layering them until you hit the mirrored center, then you're done! This project would also look dazzling in a square shape as well. Whichever design you choose, you'll love the glam effect this project offers.

Muffin and cupcake cups are often sold in fun designs, such as polka dots, rainbow swirls, or florals. You can use those cute patterns in a new way by making a ruffled paper Christmas ornament with the liners. You'll hot glue a line down the center of the inside of 10 folded liners, then glue them to each other with two lines and a string attached along the seams. When you fan out the liner, you get a delightful bauble complete with a string to hang it from a tree.

Did you have a bake sale or other event and now have an array of leftover cupcake liners? Use them to create a romantic, textured lampshade for your home. In addition to the cups, you need glue and a paper lantern shade, such as the Koorle White Paper Lamp Shade. Once you cover the shade with the liners stacked together, you can add a light source. Avoid using any light bulb that draws heat ; instead, use an LED bulb. When lit, the liners' edges make a diffused, soft glow.

Small yet colorful trees are creative Christmas decorations to make with household items like cupcake cups. The flat middle portion is removed from a stack of liners and then wrapped around a tall crafting cone. Continue wrapping until you cover your cone, and use straight pins to attach the paper. Consider using a set of varying-sized craft cones, like Bright Creations Craft Cones 16 Pack. With this method, you can make a variety of trees from large to small, staggering them on your holiday table.

Tired of rummaging in a drawer for a paper clip when you need it? Get some quick organization for your office supplies with a few muffin cups. They're perfect for holding paper clips, pushpins, and rubber bands. You can set them up inside a plastic dish, on a tray, or in a cookie tin. Fill each cup with your supplies. You can then place it in a drawer or set it on top of your desk for quick access, eliminating the problem of hunting for a paper clip next time you need one.

As a result of staying home during the pandemic, puzzles soared in popularity. Board games have always been in style, but now, with many new additions to the canon, the industry was valued at 18.50 billion in 2024, per Polaris Market Research. Board games and puzzles often share a common yet frustrating trait: having a lot of little pieces. Instead of having these items rattle around in their respective boxes, use cupcake liners to sort and separate pieces such as dice, tokens, or puzzle edges.

Do you want to use up some scrapbook supplies, too? Combine them with a layer of pretty cupcake liners glued to an unused CD or cardboard. Once topped with pieces of greeting cards, ribbon, and stickers, the liners will become a nice wall hanging. Add a piece of twine or string, then hang it in your favorite spot. Because of the delicate nature of paper, you shouldn't put the finished product on your exterior door. However, it will add a burst of color when hung on the interior side.

If you want a new way to start seeds indoors, a set of natural (non-foil) baking cups is all you need to begin your seedlings. Because you're working with soil, this hack is best used with an unwanted muffin tin or one bought secondhand. A baking cup is placed inside each of the tin's compartments and filled with potting soil. Tamp down the dirt, then plant several herb or vegetable seeds in each. Label the seed cups with popsicle sticks, then wait for the first sprouts, taking care to water as needed. 

Is anything in the kitchen as irritating as honey or other sticky substances coating your cabinet shelves? Sometimes bottles of honey, along with cooking oils, can coat the shelves with drips, making a sticky mess. Placing a muffin wrapper underneath the bottles is a genius hack to prevent spills and prevent attracting ants or other insects in the kitchen. Just flatten the liner, place the bottle or can on top, and then remove when needed.

Add a sense of spring to your home with a bouquet of paper flowers made with wooden sticks or dowels. You can use bamboo skewers or anything similar you have on hand. If you'd like to make a large batch, consider buying a bulk order of sticks, such as StesoSHOP 50 Piece Wooden Craft Dowels. Each cupcake liner is fringed, slid onto a stick, and finally glued. Repeat until you've added all your florals and have a beautiful bouquet of blooms for your shelf or a Mason jar.

Working with glitter, sequins, beads, and other crafting elements is often messy, plus you run the risk of getting the supplies everywhere. Baking cups make the perfect holders for when you are in the middle of a creative project. Pour your materials into waiting cupcake liners to keep them safe and secure. Once you've finished working on your project, you can then use the cups for your next great DIY or turn them into something else we've shared here.

A cupcake garland is a cute way to decorate for a party, plus it's easy to make. Pushing a large yarn-threaded needle into a stack of cupcake liners, string the liners one after the other until you create a chain. When choosing your yarn, think about selecting complementary colors so you create nice visual interest when it's hung. Drape it along a fireplace mantle or a bookcase for an adorable accent. 

The delicate paper of cupcake liners bends easily, letting you quickly shape them into flowers. For the best contrasting effect, collect a variety of colors or patterns, then staple them together at the center. Once stapled, you only need to trim them, cutting square edges around the liners until they resemble a sun with its rays. From there, trim the edges at a slant to make petals, open it up, and enjoy. String them up as a mobile, frame them as a piece of art, or use them as a colorful vase filler.

Do you need a cute decoration for your next event, such as a bridal shower or a holiday gathering? You can fashion an adorable wreath by scrunching and then gluing or pinning baking cups onto a Dollar Tree Green Foam Floral Ring. Not only is it quick to make, but you can alter it for nearly any holiday or celebration. Try layers of green for St. Patrick's Day, red and blue for the Fourth of July, and orange and black for Halloween.