19 Fun Ways To Repurpose An Old Cheese Grater Around The House & Garden

Isn't the phrase "It's time to clean out the kitchen drawers" often met with a groan? Yet, hidden amidst the jumble of mismatched lids and gadgets past their prime lies a diamond in the rough: the old cheese grater. Now dull and neglected, this kitchen tool might be inching towards the trash bin. Forget tossing it, however; we're about to slice and shred through the mundane (pun intended) with 19 fun and surprising ways to repurpose an old cheese grater in your house and garden. 

Envision that unassuming time-worn kitchen gadget refashioned into a beautiful light fixture, its holes, once perfect for soft cheeses, now casting a constellation of light across your space. Or, consider it becoming a quirky organizer that infuses an industrial touch into your office or kitchen space while keeping your items in check. Outside, transform it into an herb planter or a rustic addition to your array of exterior décor items.

Upcycling an old cheese grater is more than a mere recasting of a worn-out tool's roles — think of it as a celebration of sustainable practices while indulging in the pleasures of reinvention. With your creativity and a dash of elbow grease, that humble kitchen item can evolve into a centerpiece that sparks interest and inspiration without even costing you a penny. Besides, think of the stories you will share with your guests, their curiosity piqued by a simple, overlooked cheese grater that now stands as a symbol of ingenuity and thoughtful reuse.

The humble cheese grater can infuse a creative touch into your culinary space as a charming utensil holder. Begin by ensuring the grater is clean and dry, then let your imagination run wild with decorating and painting. With the narrower end sealed with a wooden block, your once-overlooked box cheese grater becomes a home for wooden spoons, spatulas, and whisks that used to clutter your drawers. Doing so, this simple upcycling hack adds character to your kitchen and an element of order to the chaos of cooking tools. As an additional practical touch, let a kitchen towel drape over the grater's handle. 

Next, we dive into the creative depths of upcycling an old cheese grater into an illuminating masterpiece. Reimagined as a lampshade, it transcends the mere practical purpose of diffusing light, doing so in a way that casts intriguing patterns across your space. The brilliance of this creation, however, hinges on the right bulb intensity. You're at a crossroads with two lighting options here: weaving string lights within the box grater or crowning a table lamp with the grated masterpiece. Whichever path you choose, it pays off magnificently in a lighting fixture that's as unconventional as it is beautiful — a bold statement piece that sparks conversations and admiration.

This tip sees a retired cheese grater get a new lease on life as an offbeat yet functional mini table clock. To start, procure a small, battery-powered clock mechanism, like the Mudder Silence Quartz Clock Movement that's available on Amazon for about $9. The grater's side with larger perforations is ideal for the clock face. Through a centrally-located hole, secure the clock mechanism, nestling the circuit compartment within the grater's hollow. The clock's hands can then be attached to the appropriate shafts. Adorned with sketched clock numbers or any painted image you desire, this repurposed grater is primed to grace your desk or nightstand with rustic rebellion.

An antiquated cheese grater fashioned into a pendant light is an ingenious way to infuse your living space with a touch of an industrial vibe or rustic charm. For this hack, you'll need a light-fitting kit, including a socket, cord, and mounting hardware. Begin by attaching the cord to the top of the grater and double-check that the bulb socket fits snugly within. After which, install a bulb — LED is a savvy choice here to sidestep metal heating concerns. The magic unfurls as beams of light filter through the grater's perforations, weaving captivating light patterns across your kitchen island or that cherished reading nook.

For this hack, envision a country-style solution to keeping your fresh herbs within arm's reach. The twist lies in positioning the grater upside down and securing a container within so its narrow end now becomes the base of a decorative herb vase, ideal for supporting upright herb stalks such as rosemary, lavender, or thyme. Depending on where you envisage this herb haven living (whether against the fridge's face, hanging under a cabinet, or on the wall), secure a magnet or a hook on one of the grater's broader faces. The once wide bottom now becomes an opening where you can place your fresh herb stems. 

Repurposing an old cheese grater into Americana décor perfect for national holidays begins by cleaning your grater thoroughly and applying masking tape horizontally across the middle. Then, with paint, create a field of blue from the masking tape upwards. Shift the focus to the remainder of the grater, where alternating vertical red and white stripes will take shape. The final flourish unfolds when you position a stencil over the now-dry blue section and fill its holes with white paint to form the stars. Further, to personalize this piece, you could paint the grater to look like any other flag you desire.

Infuse a sprinkle of winter right inside your home by transforming an ordinary cheese grater into DIY Christmas snowman décor. Your craft commences by cleaning an old cheese grater. For the snowman's hat, pull a black sock over the smaller end of the grater, draping it to the middle. Next, hot-glue two buttons for the eyes, a paper carrot nose, and three to four buttons arranged in a cheery curve for the snowman's smile. Then, cut a section off the loose end of the sock, tie what's left with yarn, and attach a fluffy pom-pom. You can now embellish the masterpiece with ornaments. 

Art knows no bounds, and the humble box cheese grater can become the canvas for your artistic expression. Picture yourself embroidering words onto the metallic grid, threading yards of different colors through its perforations to spell out your intended message. Alternatively, paint single letters onto a series of flat graters, each a tile in your mosaic of meaning. Once completed, affix these grates to your wall, spelling out directives that command attention and appetite in equal measures — think "W.E.L.C.O.M.E" next to the main door and "E.A.T" or "M.E.A.L.S" in your kitchen. Either choice is a conversation starter that dishes out style.

This cheese grater repurposing hack marries simplicity with color movement and blending. Begin with a sturdy board as your canvas, priming it with a backdrop of black acrylic paint. While the base layer is still wet, pour on acrylic paints in various shades. Layer them gently over the black, allowing each color to sit atop the other without completely blending them. Now, introduce the star of the show: the flat cheese grater. Place it gently on the layered paints, then gently swirl the board. As the paints spread, a spectacular display of swirls unfurls. Let it dry, then hang it in your home.