Upcycling is the current trend of reusing something old and making it into something new and better than before. If you’ve got an old wooden or metal fence that needs replacing, don’t just throw it out! Read on for some creative ways to reuse it. Just because it doesn’t make a good fence any more, doesn’t mean it won’t make a good something else.

Interior Decorate

One of the most fun ways to use old fencing is to decorate with it. When it comes to upcycling and decorating shabby chic, the older and rustier your metal fencing is, the better. Bend short garden fencing in a circle to form a chandelier, or hang it upside down above a window to create a unique valance. Any kind of metal fencing can be hung horizontally from the ceiling and used as a pot rack, or nailed vertically to the wall and used as a pegboard for utensils or towels. Old chain link gates work especially well for this. And weathered wood works well for decorating, too. Use the pickets or slats of your old wooden fence as frames for pictures or large mirrors. Paint them and nail them to the wall for a unique décor in any room in your home. If you’re a woodworker, carve the pickets into animal shapes, or glue them together to make an American flag to hang up in July. The tops of wooden pickets with wrought iron hooks attached make a great coat rack, and any sort of gate, metal or wooden, makes an interesting piece to sit atop your mantle.

Exterior Decorate

Of course the rustic look of a salvaged fencing compliments the outside of your home as well. Build planter boxes and benches to go in your garden from old wood fences painted to your liking. You can also create all manner of shelves to hold garden tools or even potted plants. And metal fencing makes a fun trellis on your back deck.

­­­Build Furniture

If you use your old fence to build furniture, you’ll save the cost of buying something new. Metal or wooden gates attached to the wall above a bed make distinctive headboards. Wooden pickets can be used to build almost anything, from side tables to small benches to chairs. If you have an old ironwork fence, you’ve really hit the jackpot. Wrought iron fencing can be used to create a beautiful banister for your staircase. Or create an uncommon sideboard with wrought iron as a base and a large, old board for a top.

If you’re tearing down an old fence, it’s probably time for a new one. Be sure to call United Fence Co. for all your fencing in Salt Lake City. We can install a new fence, and we’ll also sell you supplies if you want to build your own.