When it comes to upcycling crafts, we’ll repurpose just about anything we can get our hands on. In fact, we’re so known for adoring upcycling crafts that our kids have even been known to bring us random old objects from around the house that aren’t being used anymore and asking if we could use it to make something new. That’s actually how we landed on the idea of upcycling old ice cube trays!
Just in case you’re as intrigued by the concept of repurposing ice cube trays as we were, if not more, here are 15 of the very best ideas, designs, and tutorials that we’ve come across so far in our search for inspiration.
1. Organize makeup
If you’re as big an eyeshadow lover as we are then we’re sure you’re no stranger to how quickly the little compacts can pile up on you as you collect your favourite colours and brands. That’s why we were so pleased to come across this fantastic idea from At Lane & High for turning and old ice cube tray into a makeup organizer! The miniature compacts fit right inside the cups.
2. Make herb ice cubes
Just because you’re looking for new uses for your old ice cube trays doesn’t mean you can’t do something that actually puts their original function to good use, just in a different manner. That’s why we were so intrigued to see the way DIY Projects used theirs to create these amazing herb ice cubes that have all kinds of awesome uses in cooking (and are so wonderfully fragrant)!
3. Make sugar hearts
Different kinds of ice cubes aren’t the only food based things you can make in an old ice cube tray. Just in case you’ve got a sweet tooth like we do, here’s a fantastic tutorial from Craft Me Not that guides you step by step through the process of making adorable little sugar hearts that taste great with a cup of tea on a relaxing afternoon. They also make great gifts for loved ones!
4. Make ice cube tray sushi
Have you been looking for unique, fun ways to get your kids involved in the kitchen and trying new foods but you’d like to keep them simple too? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Epicurious used their old ice cube trays to make homemade sushi! Rather than using a sushi mat to roll the pieces, which might be too hard for little hands, they shape their pieces in the tray and press the ingredients into the shaped rice.
5. Make dishwasher soap tabs
Once again, food based things aren’t the only things you can use an old ice cube tray for! Instead, try getting a little more DIY about your cleaning process at home by saving money on making your very own dishwasher tablets! One Good Thing by Jillee shows you in detail how to mix the right ingredients and form the tablet shapes in your ice cube tray.
6. Make flower ice cubes
Have you by chance fallen just as hard as we have for the edible flower trend in gourmet treat and drink ideas? In that case, we think you’ll get all kinds of use out of this fantastic idea from DIY Projects that shows you how to freeze edible flowers in your ice cube tray so they release a subtly pleasant floral smell and aroma into your drink once patio season starts.
7. Make votive candles
If you’re going to put your old ice cube tray to alternative use, would you rather really transform it and give it a whole new function entirely? In that case, we think you’ll get a huge kick out of the way Paper n’ Stitch cut their ice cube tray’s cups apart, added some nice colours with simple acrylic paint, and turned them into little votive candles.
8. Make chunky rainbow crayons
Are you feeling intent on getting your kids in on just about any kind of craft you do, and the ice cube tray projects are no exception? In that case, we think you’ll all get a kick out of the way The Chaos and The Clutter melted broken crayon pieces down into multi-coloured jumbo crayons using their spare ice cube tray as a mold!
9. Make resin magnets
Have you always been interested in the way that things can be suspended so beautifully in ice but you only get to enjoy the effect for so long because it melts so quickly? Then perhaps you’d prefer to make a sort of permanent version by putting small objects in clear resin instead! That’s precisely what The BB Creative did here to make these lovely, kitschy little fridge magnets.
10. Make a seed starter
Just in case you’re a gardening lover with a green thumb but you’re living in a cold place that isn’t ready for planting yet, here’s a fantastic suggestion for making a seed starter so that you already have blossomed little seedlings to plant once the right season comes! Check out this tutorial from Mr Brown Thumb to see how they made it happen, of course, in an old ice cube tray.
11. Make your own portioned baby food
When our little ones were very small, we actually enjoyed the process of making their baby food just about as much as we enjoyed the benefits they got from eating it. We found, however, that portioning and storing it well was a little bit difficult, which was why we were grateful to come across this fantastic suggestion from Help Me Grow Utah! The ice cube trays are the perfect solution.
12. Make chocolate ice cubes
Floral and herb infused ice cubes aren’t the only awesomely alternative kind you can make! If you’ve a chocolate milk or iced coffee lover, we have a feeling you’ll be just as obsessed with this chocolate ice cube idea featured step by step on Trouble as we are. Turn any glass of regular milk into chocolate or add a lovely, cold flavour shot to your coffee to make it a mocha!
13. Ice cube tray cement dominoes
Are you actually feeling quite intrigued indeed by this idea of using an old ice cube tray as a mold for making entirely new things but you just haven’t scrolled by an idea that quite held your attention yet? In that case, we’d absolutely suggest taking a look at how Lovely Indeed used theirs as the base for making these fantastic DIY cement dominoes for their kids to play with! The kids can even help paint the dots on, making the project a little extra fun.
14. Make DIY bath bombs
If you haven’t yet ventured into the world of making your very own relaxing, spa style bath products yet, then we certainly encourage you to give these fantastic ice cube tray molded DIY bath bombs a try! We adore the way Eat, Knit, and DIY shows you, in just a few simple steps, how to make them in different colours and scents.
15. Make aloe vera cubes for sunburns
Have your kids been known to spend lot of time outside, running around in the sun in the summer and occasionally coming home a little more red around the shoulders despite your constant efforts to keep them slathered in sunscreen? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how The Dumbbelle made these fantastic cooling and soothing aloe vera cubs in their ice cube tray instead of regular ice!
