15 Creative Ways To Repurpose Old Coins That Are Lying Around Your House

You know all those loose coins you've been saving for years, thinking you would cash out big? You can of course keep saving. Or by repurposing that spare change, take advantage of a bunch of helpful, thrifty hacks and crafts around the home. Take a look under the sofa and in the car, then check out these creative ways to repurpose old coins.

Whether your coins are from the United States or elsewhere, many of these hacks and projects work wonders for cleaning, decorating, and home improvement tasks. First, you'll want to do some sorting and prepping. Many of these activities involve older currency or coins of a certain size. Organize loose change by type, age, and cleanliness. Check the value on older coins because you may have currency worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Next pick which ones you want to clean, if needed, for a project. When washing coins, only use mild soap and water. If the coin is valuable, do not wash it since it may remove the patina and decrease its value.

Extra coins provide the perfect opportunity to create an art statement piece. This is great for creative or crafty people ready to show off their talent. There are many ways you can incorporate coins into art pieces, whether that it's through sculpture, collages, portraits, or wall art. Coins can be reshaped, cut, and more to create art (it's all legal as long as you're not trying to defraud someone). Less artistically talented? Use loose change to embellish vases or boxes, creating bedazzling home decor.

A coin is the cheapest auto tool you need to check your tire's tread, that pattern of ribs and grooves around the body of the tire. Worn tread can affect your car's performance, efficiency, and overall safety. Make sure everything is good by taking an upside down penny and placing it into a groove. If Lincoln's head is partially covered by the raised rib, your tire is safe to use. If his head is completely showing, it's time to purchase new ones.

No need to throw out that off-kilter chair when you can fix unevenness with an old coin. All you need is a penny to fix your wobbly furniture. For this quick hack, you'll need one or two coins. Inspect the uneven piece of furniture, checking each leg until you find the one that's coming up short. Then place the loose change under the leg until it is even. While you can hot glue the coin to your chair or table, this fix is generally intended as a temporary one. It's best to get a proper furniture shim or leveler as a long-term solution.

Believe it or not, you can use old pennies to make your wine taste fresh, if it smells kind of funky and sulfury. For this hack, grab a clean penny and drop it into a bottle of wine. A chemical reaction occurs when the copper comes in contact with certain sulfur compounds, called mercaptans, especially prominent in some red wines. This then creates odorless sulfide crystals, neutralizing the foul scent your wine may have. It's worth noting this trick works best with pennies made before 1982 (because they are 95 percent copper) and with recently opened wine. Bottles opened weeks ago that smell off should just be tossed.

Struggling with opening a soda or beer can or tired of damaging a nail? Struggle no longer: You can pop open the can with a handy-dandy coin. All you need to do is take your loose change (quarters and dollar coins work well) and slide it under the tab. Once lodged beneath it, pull the coin upwards until it partially lifts the pull tab. From there, you'll be able to finish opening the can. No more repeat attempts to pull the tab up and no more painful or broken nails. 

While you can purchase washers, why make the extra trip when you can DIY your own? Since coins come in different sizes, it is the best way to find the perfect washer for all your needs. When creating these washers, use a metal punch kit or a drill to add a hole through the center of the coin. The hole will vary depending on the size of the screw or bolt going through the washer. Some coins, like certain Japanese Yen, have holes already, making them ready-to-use washers.

Take karaoke night to the next level or entertain the kiddos by taking old coins and making a musical instrument, like castanets or a rainstick. Grab an old snack can with a reusable lid and fill it with coins. Give it a good shake, and you have the perfect music machine. But fair warning — in the hands of little ones, expect things to get loud.

Have you found yourself desperately searching for a screwdriver when something needs tightened or loosened? There is no need to dig through all your items when an old coin will do the trick. Depending on the size of the screw, pick the coin that best fits the slot then give it a turn until it tightens all the way down. To make spare change easy to find, place a small baggie of them in your toolkit. Stock a variety of coins from different countries to maximize your options.

There are several ways to keep cut flowers fresh longer, including by using coins. To do this trick, put a couple of (pre-1982) pennies at the bottom of the vase (you still want to fill it with water). The copper in older pennies acts a fungicide and has antimicrobial properties, killing bacteria and fungi growing on the flower stems. This will help keep them fresh and colorful longer.

Tired of creased or unevenly draping curtains? No need to fret when you can easily fix wrinkled curtains with this genius penny hack. Coins make great impromptu weights for your window coverings. This comes in particularly handy with kitchen curtains and other lightweight drapery. You can sew as many coins as needed into the curtain hemlines or hot glue them to the bottom of fabric (hidden on the back side). 

Create one-of-a-kind accessories by crafting up coin jewelry. You can make a variety of pieces including earrings, necklaces, and cufflinks. Mix and match different coins or create specific currency collections. Anything goes when creating coin jewelry. If you decide to go this route, it's usually best to clean the coins for a near-mint shine. Who knows, this may be your next lucrative crafting talent!

If you are an avid DIYer, this repurposing tip is something you want to keep in your arsenal because old coins are the perfect size to space your tiles as they dry. This is a great option if you're looking to save a little money on spacers. Once you've figured out how much space you should leave between tiles, you'll use coins the same way as you would those little spacers, placing them between tiles before securing them in place. Once the adhesive dries, remove the coins for a perfectly uniform layout and begin grouting or sealing.

If have an excess of old coins and enjoy the look, gather up a bunch and use them to create a vibrant backsplash or to cover a countertop or table. In fact, pennies are a great way to give your countertops a unique upgrade. This DIY project can be tedious, between all the cleaning, sanding, priming, and painting or gluing. But the result is absolutely breathtaking. Before you start, read up on how to clean and treat your coins and surfaces for best results.

Those pesky carpet marks left behind by furniture and heavy objects can be removed with any coin in your pocket. There are a number of ways to start the process including an ice hack to fix carpet dents. But instead of grabbing a spoon or any special carpet tools once the ice has dampened and softened the fibers, take a coin and fluff them up, bringing them back to life.

Create unique magnets with your old coins. This is especially great for foreign coins that evoke travel memories. For this project, you'll want to grab thin button magnets and superglue or E6000. Squeeze a dot of the adhesive onto the magnet and center the coin on top. Let it dry and voilà, you have the perfect refrigerator decor to hold photos, recipes, and artwork.

A copper penny is a genius coin hack that can help banish stubborn limescale buildup. The penny safely breaks away thick mineral buildup on sinks, toilets, and more. Wipe the limescale with a wet penny, then use the same penny to scrape it off. The secret seems to be the coins sturdy-but-smooth edge (that minimizes scratching) combined with a possible chemical reaction (you need a pre-1982 penny for maximum copper) that helps break apart the scale minerals. Hard-to-remove deposits will require multiple rounds of rubbing. With enough elbow grease, your fixtures will shine like new. And whether or not this trick works any better than a scraper or spatula designed for the task, it's certainly a lot cheaper.