Clever Ways To Repurpose Unwanted Door Knobs

Door knobs don't only belong on doors. There are a few ways to repurpose unwanted door knobs whether they're old ones you've switched out for something new or vintage thrift store finds. With their ornate details, many door knobs are just plain pretty, so it would be a shame to toss them. Instead, you can turn them into anything from a coat rack to Christmas decor.

Since many of the projects on this list are decorative, you'll want to use door knobs that are aesthetically pleasing. Antique metal door knobs are a popular pick since they often come with pretty carved or painted details. Plus, you can often score cheap and unique finds at flea markets or thrift shops. Glass door knobs can also give your project a vintage and slightly glamorous look. Otherwise, you can also use more contemporary door knobs for these projects, if they suit your decor style. With the variety of options, door knobs are a great material for your next DIY project.

Give your Christmas decorations a vintage spin by using old door knobs. This seasonal DIY is charming and easy to do, plus it can bring new life to your old Christmas decorations. The door knob will be the decoration base, so you'll need one with a flat front face. The flatter, the better, since rounded knobs will be wobbly. Next, you just need to find Christmas decorations that have a small enough base to fit into the hole in the back of the door knob. You'll also want to choose decor pieces that aren't too tall so the door knob is able to balance on its own once the decoration is inserted.

As Junk Is My Life points out, bottle brush Christmas tree decoration is excellent for this project. These small and light trees are the perfect size to mount in a door knob. Twist off or cut off the base of the tree, making sure to keep the length of the bottom post, then insert it into the hole of your door knob. Trim more of the post to get a good fit, if needed. If the post isn't long enough, you can use a hot glue gun to fill some of the hole. You can also use other seasonal decorations for this project like sprigs of holly or pine tree stems. 

There's something oh-so-charming about a vintage door knob coat rack. With a little DIY prowess and a few tools, you can create your own custom one. Start with a piece of plywood that is cut to your desired size for the base of the coat rack. Stain or paint your wood to your desired color. Measure and mark where you want the door knobs; around six inches apart is suitable. Use a drill to drill holes through the plywood board. Then, on the back side, use a Forstner drill bit to create a centered hole around each drill hole.

To attach the door knob to the board, you will need to use a tap and insert a threaded rod into the door knob. Screw in sections of threaded rod, which should be trimmed to the appropriate length to attach the door knobs tightly to the board. Then, insert them through the pre-drilled holes in the board. Flip the board over and twist the nuts tightly onto the threaded rod. Now, the coat rack is ready to mount in your front entryway! This video from PatonHaus shares a more detailed step-by-step description of this project.

Door knobs can make stellar decorative feet for a raised tray or table trivet. Start with a plank of wood, cut to the size you want your final tray to measure. Apply your chosen finish to the wood. If you plan on using the tray in the kitchen, finish it with a wood sealer, which will help it hold up better to spills and messes. If food might come in direct contact with the tray, use a food-safe finish like mineral oil or shellac.

Use four identical door knobs to ensure the tray is level. If it's possible to drill through the door knobs (like for thinner metal knobs), pre-drill a hole through the face of each door knob. Then, use a long screw to attach them to the bottom of the tray as Brick House Vintage & DIY explains. However, that won't be possible for some door knobs. In this case, use a tap to create threads inside the door knob hole and insert a dowel screw with the pointed end facing out of the door knob. Once securely attached to the door knob, you can use the pointed end to screw it into the bottom of the wood tray. 

Make a birdhouse feel all the more homey by decorating it with a door knob. Just like a nice door knob can beautify your doors, it can make a birdhouse look more quaint too. Since it will be front and center, choose a pretty ornate door knob. Consider the material and ideally choose an exterior door knob, which will hold up better outdoors.

Nature Niche recommends a few tips for making a birdhouse more attractive to birds, which can help you choose a door knob. Choose a natural door knob color, which can help the birdhouse blend in more with its surroundings and helps camouflage the bird's home from predators. Of course, if the birdhouse is more decorative rather than functional, choose any door knob style and color you wish. Once you've chosen a door knob, attach it to the front of the birdhouse using glue or screws, depending on the birdhouse materials. If you use glue, make sure it's a waterproof option so it won't wash away when it rains.

A mini Christmas tree is the perfect solution for small spaces, tight budgets, and decorative holiday scenes — whatever the reason you might not want a full-sized tree. Their smaller size means their base is more visible, so you'll want an option that looks nice. Like an antique door knob! This is another project where you'll want to choose a flat-faced door knob. Since this tree project is larger, a wide and flat door knob will help it balance. However, if your finished tree has trouble balancing or is a bit wobbly, an easy solution is to use museum putty to secure the base to the table or floor.

For this project, use a faux mini Christmas tree. To get a similar look as this inspiration photo, choose a tree around 10 inches wide by 15.5 inches tall. You don't want to go too large with your tree here since the bigger the tree, the more likely the base will be unbalanced. Try to find a tree with a base post that is similar in diameter to the door knob post for a more seamless look. Attach the tree post to the door knob with a strong adhesive, like super glue or hobby glue. Once the glue is dry, your tree is ready to display!