8 Genius Ways To Repurpose An Old Dog Crate In Your Home & Garden

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Dog crates are helpful tools to invest in when you need to train your new puppy. They provide a safe space for your dog to rest, aid in potty training, behavioral training, and offer many conveniences when traveling. Sometimes, people can build a homemade haven for their dogs with these crates, crafting unique ways to upgrade their pet's living space. Once your dog outgrows or no longer needs the crate, however, you might want to consider keeping it rather than selling or throwing it away. There are some truly creative and ingenious ways to repurpose an old dog crate in your home or garden, including using it as a DIY greenhouse for plants, converting it into a toy cage, and more.

Depending on the dog crate you have, most are constructed using wire mesh and often fold down easily for storage, such as this Best Pet 48-inch Dog Crate. You can disassemble your dog crate by removing the sides, top, and bottom, and then use its pieces for repurposing throughout your home and garden. Below you'll find eight creative ways to reuse that old dog crate, so don't get rid of it just yet!

With this project, you can easily pull apart the dog crate walls and stand them up lengthwise in your garden to create a sort of "wall." Secure the crate pieces together with zip ties, and spray paint them to make a uniform look. Fill your grow bags for spring planting with your ideal garden flowers, vegetables, and fruits. Then, take the bags and place them on either side of your makeshift crate "wall," and you'll have a secure and nice-looking trellis for your grow bags to stay put during any summer storms.

If you have kids, chances are that they have accumulated a large number of toys. A great way to repurpose after cleaning your pet's crate is to use it as a makeshift toy holder or den. You don't have to pull any pieces of the dog crate apart; simply add in your kids' toys and have them use it as a storage space. The best part is that they can see all of the toys inside the crate through the mesh, so it makes locating them that much easier.

Another excellent use for a dog crate is to make it into a neat storage table or stand in your home or even outdoors. You just need to take some scrap wood and use wood stain or paint to give it the color of your choice. You can also use Mod Podge and staples to attach burlap to the wood, wrapping it around the edge securely to create padding for the top. Then you have an easy table for home decor, plants, or books in your home that's bound to be a conversation starter.

Kids love to create forts or have little reading corners, and you can use a dog crate to do just that! All you need to make this space is to put some comfortable bedding inside for lying down or sitting. Then, transform the outside by covering it with a blanket or sheet and adding some twinkle lights around the outside edges, such as these Hoofun 39Ft 120 LED Fairy Lights that change colors. Add some stuffed animals, books, or toys inside, and you've made a DIY cozy nook for your kids (or yourself!) to enjoy.

A dog crate with a lid, such as the Petmate Dog Crate, can easily convert into a compost bin. Simply remove the top part of the lid where the holes are, and cover the opening with a plastic or wood hinged door. Then, you can fill it with your yard waste, fertilizer, food scraps, and extra soil. Lastly, bury the bottom into the soil of your yard or garden, and you have the perfect compost bin to keep handy when you need to enrich the soil around plants.

Quickly turn an old dog crate into a greenhouse. Take some plastic sheeting and use clothespins to secure it all around the outside, then use duct tape to hold it in place. Inside the crate, add in your planters. If the crate is big enough, you can add a small table to put your seed trays on as well. It's a good idea to line the bottom with paver bricks to keep your trays elevated and allow them to maintain heat at night. Now, your plants are protected, and you have a cozy outdoor space for seedlings.

If you have built-in cabinets, you can integrate your dog crate by adding a wood frame. To add some style, add in a cool wallpaper with contact paper and screw it into the bottom of the built-in cabinetry. Paint the wood frame the same color as the cabines. The dog crate will look as though it blends in seamlessly with the house. You can use it as storage, display, or whatever you want!

Finally, you can create a kitchen-like island in a mudroom or smaller room. You could find an island table that fits right over the top of your dog crate, or cut a wooden frame instead with a wooden countertop. In the location where your dog spends most of the day, the island provides space for your dog to hang out without being in the way. The top of the island can also be used to store keys, mail, and more. And once your dog is done using the crate, it doubles as an extra storage space!