15 Unique Ways To Repurpose Bathroom Fixtures Around Your Home And Garden

When it's time to upgrade your bathroom fixtures, either because of renovations or damage, homeowners are often left with old toilets, sinks, or bathtubs lying around with limited disposal options. While you could take them to a recycling center or pay for a disposal service to come get them, it may be worth it to consider upcycling them instead. Not only is it usually more sustainable, it can be a great way to create affordable upcycled furniture and yard features that are unique to your space. There are plenty of creative ways you can repurpose old bathroom fixtures around your home and garden that are both functional and whimsical.

One of the most common ways to reuse old bathroom features is to make them into DIY planters, either by dismantling the separate containers of a toilet, or adding drainage and soil to the existing structures. But there are many more options that offer a more personalized approach to affordable upcycling. Whether you are looking for the coolest ways to repurpose old bathtubs in your home or genius ways to repurpose an old sink around your garden, these unique ideas are sure to spark your creativity. From silly statues and whimsical garden seating to stunning water features or multifunctional furniture, here are 15 unique ways you can use bathroom fixtures as interesting new features in your home and garden.

Any bathroom fixture that is designed to hold water, such as your sink, toilet, or bathtub, can easily be converted into an adorable pond. Plus, you can get creative with it. You could decorate the fixture and add water, a pump, and a filtration system for an above-ground pond — you could even create a tiered pond feature or waterfall with the right setup. With the right tools, you could install an aquarium window in a bathtub for a unique koi pond. Or, you can do a bit of digging and install an inground pond.

There are plenty of reasons why you might want to have a cleaning station with a functioning sink outside. Gardeners may use a feature like this to make clean-up easier after repotting or to clean and disinfect gardening tools. Families may use it to give their kiddos a place to wash up before coming inside. To make it a portable sink, attach a full water jug to a water pump system or connect a hose. Then, attach an empty jug to the drain. Save the grey water (aka used water) for your garden!

If you aren't interested in upcycling bathroom fixtures around your home, you can still put them to good use. You can crush the bathroom fixtures into small pieces, about ¾ inch in size, and use them as a filler for a concrete mix for driveways or patios. According to recent research, porcelain can increase the compressive strength of concrete by 41% and the flexural strength by 67%. However, porcelain also increases water absorption, so it's best to research the best options for your climate before starting the project.

There are so many ways you can repurpose old bathroom fixtures into a table design that blends in with your decor. Bathtubs can be used as a base for a large coffee table with built-in storage for blankets and pillows. For something more creative, you can use an old sink to DIY an activity table that kids will love. While tables made from toilets are less common, you can remove the tank and fill the bowl with concrete to make a unique outdoor table.

If you need outdoor seating and have some extra bathroom features on hand, have fun with some whimsical garden seating made from toilets or bathtubs. There are several fun options to create outdoor seating with bathroom fixtures. You can upcycle a toilet and add a waterproof cushion for a single seat. If you want to have some fun with it, you can turn the tank into a planter. A bathtub can be cut in half to make two single seats or cut a portion out of the side to make a bench.

Bathroom fixtures can be used as a base for a variety of sculptures, and they don't all have to fit the bathroom theme. If you want to add some humor to your yard, you can create a sculpture that features these items in creative ways, such as having fake legs stick out of the toilet, putting a bathing gnome in a sink, or placing a ceramic cat so it looks like it's drinking from the toilet bowl. You can also use cement or clay to mold something completely unique around the fixture.

Since bathroom features are already designed to hold and drain water, they are perfect for creating DIY water features. No matter what type of fixture you have lying around, sink, toilet, or bathtub, you can easily convert the existing plumbing into a closed water system to create a fountain, waterfall, or aquatic garden. These features can be left standing or installed in the ground. For a full transformation, consider surrounding the fixture with large landscaping rocks so no one will ever know what it's made of.

If you want to improve your outdoor garden or barbecue pit without breaking the bank, you can use old bathroom fixtures to keep your drinks cool or your food hot. Depending on the materials that your bathroom features are made from, you can repurpose them into a variety of barbecue features that double as conversation starters. Metal sinks can be repurposed to become an affordable grill. Porcelain items like sinks and bathtubs can be filled with ice and used as drink coolers.

Pedestal sinks are a great height for making upcycled bird baths, and toilets can work just as well. Birds need clean water for drinking and bathing that is protected from predators. However, the most important thing to consider when making a DIY bird bath is the depth of the water. Most birds search for water sources with a gradual slope and a bathing area that is about 1 inch deep. You can achieve this with cement or by adding rocks and large stones for them to stand on.

While bathroom fixtures can work for outdoor seating with minimal effort, bathtubs can be converted into much more elegant seating for indoor use, but it might take a bit more work. The bench concept still works here, but you will want to incorporate indoor-friendly cushions, throw pillows, and other comfort items. You may also want to put more thought into the paint job to bring elegance to the piece. For something more unique, cutting away a larger portion of the tub turns a bench into a stylish chaise.

If you're the kind of person to go all out with holiday yard decorations, you may get a kick out of this idea. Use your leftover bathroom fixtures to design a fun holiday statue. From catching Santa on the toilet (or in the bath) to having skeletons emerge from the plumbing at Halloween, there are countless fun and creative ways to make your next holiday display unique with repurposed bathroom fixtures.

Another good way to upcycle your bathroom fixtures without keeping the core "bathroom" theme is to reuse the porcelain for new projects. Take a sledgehammer to your old porcelain bathroom fixtures to replenish your mosaic tile supplies. The smashed pieces work great for all kinds of mosaic crafts, such as stepping stones, art, tables, backsplashes, vases, and more! You can even paint the pieces using acrylic paint to customize the design to fit your style.

If you've ever done any gardening, you're probably familiar with the concept of composting, but have you ever heard of vermicomposting? Vermiculture is essentially worm breeding for gardening and farming through a process called vermicomposting, and bathtubs provide the perfect environment for it. Of course, you can use your old bathtub for regular composting, too, with the simple addition of a lid (an old door works great). However, bathtubs are especially well suited for vermiculture because it has built-in drainage, which allows you to easily collect the worm juice for use in your garden.

We've all heard about (or seen) dogs drinking out of the toilet, which is usually looked at as less than sanitary. Most pet owners discourage their pets from bathroom drinking, but if you have an extra bathroom fixture on hand, you can let them indulge in this habit outside. When pets are engaged in healthy exercise, staying hydrated is important for their health. Plus, local wildlife thrives in environments with readily available water. Converting old sinks or toilets into outdoor drinking stations for animals provides ample water to keep them healthy, even in the heat of summer.

If you want to put your old bathroom fixtures to work in the garden, you can convert them into garden tools. In fact, you may even find that there are some unexpected bathroom items you could be repurposing in your garden. A lightweight bathtub could become a wheelbarrow. A shower door can work as the door to a cold frame for your plants.