With a little imagination and some clever thinking, anything can be recycled or re-purposed. Use a cup as a pencil holder or a door as a tabletop. Some ideas come to mind more easily and some are just obvious. Others, however, require you to be very ingenious. Here are some projects that show you how to find new ways of using items you didn’t even know could be recycled.

Take the rolling pin for example. I bet it didn’t even cross your mind you could use it as a towel rack. When you think about it, it’s quite obvious. Here’s how you do it: first find a good place for it. Then measure, mark and drill screw holes. Add the hardware and you’re done.{found on olivebites}.

A pot lid can be used to make a wall clock. So if you have an old one just hanging around, put it to good use. Remove the mechanism from an old clock. Then remove the handle or knob from the lid and the hole is perfectly placed for you to install the clock mechanism. Then find a nice place to hang the clock.{found on makermama}.

Here’s how you can use an old record to make a beautiful side table. First find a vinyl record. You’ll also need a planter stand and a glue gun. Wipe down the record and attach it to the stand using glue. Center it carefully before it comes in contact with the glue.{found on theflourishingabode}.

If, by any chance, you have more than one rolling pin you don’t need in the house, then use them to make a hook rack. Measure and cut the rolling pins all the same size and attach them to a piece of wood. Make sure the distance between them is the same. You can also paint them different colors.{found on etsy}.

Old rakes can be re-purposed in a variety of ways but turning one into a kitchen accessories holder is rather unusual. Just a place to hang the rake after you’ve decided on the dimensions it should have. It’s actually a very practical thing to have in the kitchen.

A whisk can be turned into a beautiful candle holder which you can use it in the kitchen but also in other spaces. You don’t really need to do much. Just insert the little candles into the whisk and then find a way to hang it somewhere. You can even take it outside on the porch.

And since we were just talking about ways to re-purpose an old rake, what do you say about using a rake as a wine glass holder? It’s actually a very clever idea. Use this smart idea to create a practical décor in your kitchen or bar area.{found on tatteredstyle}.

You can use rustic wooden cutting boards and tea towels to make cutlery bags for the kitchen or dining area. You basically just cut the towels to size, a little bigger than the boards and then you glue them on. After that, just hang your creation somewhere practical.{found on site}.

Using a mug or a glass as a pencil holder is very common and not inventive anymore. But what about a cheese grater? That could work too. Just place it upside down mounted on a wall, in front of your desk for example. Use foam and wire to cover the hole at the bottom.{found on etsy}.

A plastic bottle can be turned into a lovely clothes pins bags. First you cut the top part of the bottle and then you glue on a trim so you don’t cut yourself. Make four holes in the bottle and use twine or something similar to make the handles and to hang the bag somewhere where you can easily reach it.

Lots of things you normally use in the kitchen can be re-purposed. For example, use a pasta strainer or some other similar utensil to make great lighting fixtures. Here’s how they would look like. A great idea for the kitchen.