Don't Scrap Your Old License Plates: 17 Ingenious Ways To Repurpose Them In Your House And Garden

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License plates are a slice of Americana. These colorful rectangles are more than a vehicle identification; their letters have a history embedded into every mile. Crafted from metal and stamped with designs that vary by state, they're too interesting to throw away after they retire from your car. These factors make them a unique crafting material, and their durability means you can shape them into almost anything you wish. Instead of letting them pile up with dust, you can repurpose them in multiple ingenious ways throughout your house and garden. With some time, creativity, and a few common tools, you can let them add beauty and function to your patio, desk, bookshelves, and even your holiday decor.

The ability to keep your old license plates varies, as some states may require you to relinquish your plate when moving or when selling your car. However, you may also find old license plates at the thrift shop or antique market, which can get your creative brain whirring with project ideas. Many of these DIY projects involve cutting, bending, and drilling pieces of metal together. Before you start working with license plates, protect yourself from injury. You should always wear a set of work gloves to avoid any cuts and a pair of safety goggles to avoid hitting your eyes with an errant piece of metal. Road-worn plates can carry dirt, bugs, and debris, so wash them thoroughly with dish soap and hot water to get them sparkling. Once they're clean and dry, you can transform your license plates into something new.

Add some curb appeal to your patio and create a unique element by making license plates into fun, eye-catching planters for herbs, succulents, or low-maintenance houseplants. One DIY method relies on using a slip roller to form the plates into perfect cylinders, then placing a wood disc in as the base. If you don't have a slip roller, you can bend two plates into a box shape with pliers and attach a piece of pre-drilled wood as the base.

A license plate pen holder adds an upcycled touch to any desk. It involves folding a single plate into three sections, bending every 3 inches to form a cup shape, or wrapping a plate around a piece of PVC pipe. Once you attach the sides with a screw, you can add a piece of wood as the base, buying one pre-cut or even using a crafting wood round, such as Assires Natural Unfinished Wood Slices. Finish it with a piece of felt to protect the desktop from scratches. 

Who needs a traditional canvas when you have a unique license plate in front of you? With primer and acrylic paint, you can use the plate's durable surface and embossed letters as built-in texture. Create a design that evokes the state plate you're using, such as a colorful fish for Florida or an alligator for Louisiana, for one-of-a-kind art. Once you've finished, treat the plate with a sealant to protect against fading, especially if you're displaying the finished piece out in the sun.

Want an unusual ornament for your Christmas tree? Try snipping an old plate into a star, heart, or, if you've got a steady hand, into the shape of the plate's state. You can then drill a hole in the top and string it with a piece of wire or twine. Don't want just one ornament? Cut a series of shapes, then string them together to make a lively garland.

Need to add a little order to your bookshelf and want it to have some flair? You can make DIY stunning bookends on a budget by bending a set of license plates into an L-shape. If you'd like to add a bit more function to your shelf, after you make the shape, bend it slightly upward. This will form a little cubby where you can stash a few small paperback books. It only takes a few minutes, and can make a creative gift for a car lover's workshop or a teen's bedroom.

It's easy to upcycle an old license plate into a statement shelf. With a rubber mallet, you can gently bend the plate into a horizontal shelf and then attach it to the wall with a set of screws through the pre-drilled holes. If that's not appealing, you could pick up a set of shelf brackets, attach them to the wall, then set the plate on top. Model car collectors especially like this method to display memorabilia or Hot Wheels collections. It also makes a great gift for a loved one who works on cars.

A common but clever approach toward repurposing license plates is making custom signs with multiple state plates. Gather plates with the letters you want, then cut each letter out. Once the letters are all ready, you can craft your sign with them, spelling out "Mom," "Love," or any other message or sentiment. When it comes to display, you can choose to glue or mount them to a frame or place them inside a picture frame.

Perhaps you stumbled across a box of vintage license plates in your parents' attic and want to do something interesting with your newfound treasure. Try making a unique room divider. Lay out your plates in the desired order, then attach them to a length of chain by securing them with a nut and bolt through the screw holes. You can hang the completed chain as a quirky room divider. If you're up to the challenge, you can make a larger room divider with a sheet of multiple plates all connected to a length of wood.

This project lets you repurpose old rulers and license plates in your home. It uses four rulers, or two rulers and two wood planks cut to the width of the plates. You'll form these all into a box, using the license plate as the tray's bottom, framing the top and bottom edges with the rulers. Next, you'll add the two smaller lengths of wood on the sides. Now you have a catchall tray for keys and change. Customize it by adding feet with small wooden blocks or dowel rod finials.

Instead of painting directly on your license plate, cut it up into pieces as material for mixed media art. When used in a collage, layered on top of a piece of artwork, or paired with other materials, you imbue your finished piece with texture and visual interest. Embrace the versatility of the metal, mixing with florals, rustic elements, or industrial details for a fantastic creation.

You may already appreciate how you can use mosaic bricks to add whimsy to your garden, but instead of glass, try license plate pieces. Each step on the finished paver is a subtle reminder of the thousands of miles these plates once traveled. Cut the license plates into pieces with a metal cutter, varying the sizes of each fragment. Once you're satisfied with the shape and amount of your pieces, place them into your concrete and let them dry.

Never go looking for a bottle opener again with a wall-mounted one made with a license plate. You can fold the plate into a slimmer shape to fit on your wall, then attach a bottle opener insert. These Patelai Bottle Opener Inserts from Amazon would work great. If you don't want to fold the plate, you could instead mount it on a piece of wood, then screw on the opener insert. Another option is turning the folded license plate into a bottle cap catcher.

Even a beginner crafter can tackle a project like a DIY clock made of a license plate. It only requires a clock movement mechanism and a drill. Make a hole in the middle, insert a clock kit such as this TikRound Hands Quartz Wall Clock Movement Mechanism from Amazon, and you're ready to hang. More adept crafters can try using multiple license plates, fanning them out into a circle, and then adding the clock kit. Think about this as a clever piece of decor for an RV or tiny house.

Another craft for your license plates is to make them into magnets, which is just as easy as it sounds. Slice the license plates into your favorite shapes or try making it into the shape of your state, then you can attach a piece of magnet tape. Use these handy magnets on your refrigerator to keep notes, pictures, and artwork up. 

A license plate really can be nearly anything you want, even a dust pan for your home. A simple way to create this custom dust pan is by folding the sides up to create walls to contain the debris. You can then make a custom handle with a piece of wood. For an even easier method, glue your folded plate to a spatula or a frypan handle for better grip.

Keep up with all of your notes with a DIY wall clipboard with a license plate as the base. A fairly quick upcycling project, it only needs a pair of screws and a clipboard clip like these RLECS Metal Clip Writing Board Clips. Hang it on the wall with a nail, and now you have a handy note holder that will certainly be a conversation piece.

A charming birdhouse is the perfect accent for your yard or garden, especially when it features a sturdy roof made of a license plate. You can either use pieces of pine to craft your own simple box by following patterns online or opt to use a ready-made kit where you swap out the roof for a bent license plate. Be sure you attach the plate securely with screws, and add a chain for easy hanging.