Turn Old Cooking Pans Into Charming Kitchen Decor With This Genius DIY

If you're living a zero waste lifestyle, it can be painful to toss away beloved cookware items that have served you well over the years. However, if you're thinking of trashing your old cooking pans because they've lost their non-stick capabilities, started to peel, or even warp, hold your fire. You can turn them into charming, hangable kitchen decor for showcasing flowers with some twine, paint, and basic weaving skills.

As showcased in a clip by YouTuber Evrim Taşer Yılmaz, the first step is to prime your pan with paint before wrapping the handle and exterior in twine, using hot glue to fix it in place. Then comes the fun bit, where you use your twine to create a woven pocket for your artificial flowers to fit snugly inside. Simply lay a piece of thread over the circumference of the pan, running from one side to the other at the very middle. Glue in place and repeat with more horizontal lines — leaving a small gap between each one — until the bottom half of the pan is covered. Then repeat the process again, this time vertically, taking care to weave the twine into the existing horizontal threads to create an interlaced pouch. Feel free to use different colored twine to create a checkerboard effect — or use a fancier weaving pattern, like twill or satin, if you've got the skills.

If weaving twine sounds like a little too much effort, another idea is to fill the interior of the pan with straw or raffia before gluing chicken wire over the circumference. This trick allows you to push artificial flowers directly through the square gaps to create a striking display. Whichever option you choose, neaten up the edges of your customized pan by gluing some trim around the perimeter. A woven version can be filled with anything from battery-powered candles or spices to infused oils. You could even use it for mail storage to free up your counter space from messy envelopes and letters. 

Meanwhile, a pan that features a wire mesh can be turned into a space for hanging attractive utensils, such as copper measuring cups and spoons. Hang your upcycled pan on the wall (or on a hanging rail) using the hole at the end of the handle. If you don't want your new decor to resemble the shape of a frying pan, remove the handle at the very start and glue a D-ring hanger onto the back.

Want to try your hand at another upcycling project? Consider turning your old loaf pans into adorable planters. Add some feet, give them a lick of paint, and fill them with planter's foam and artificial flowers to create a striking floral arrangement that doesn't require any upkeep. Alternatively, remove the handle from your skillet, paint it, and add a pedestal base to transform old frying pans into adorable countertop storage.