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Most homesteaders have some tires lying around, or you will if you’re like me. It feels wrong to toss out tires; they cost a pretty penny. That’s why I found some different off-grid uses for old tires.
The first way I used old tires was to grow potatoes, but it turns out that the chemicals in tires make this a bad idea. Unfortunately, no one can prove whether or not the chemicals from the rubber leech into the soil, but after that summer, I stopped using tires to grow potatoes.
However, more power to you if you feel comfortable doing so!
I had to find a few other uses for old tires, and it turns out that there are several off-grid uses for old tires that you might want to try. Here are a few of my favorite off-grid uses for old tires.
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1. A Tire Swing
Every kid needs a tire swing in their backyard. It’s a must-have, and it’s the most budget-friendly way to create several swings for your kids.
You need to have strong ropes, typically three, and a big chain, along with a tree with a strong branch. The chain goes around the branch, closing with a padlock. Then, you drill three holes, spaced equally from each other, and push the rope through the hole.
In the end, you’ll connect all three ropes at the top to the chain.
2. DIY Seesaw
Need something else that your homestead kids can enjoy? Try making a DIY tire seesaw!
All you have to do is cut the tire in half with a jigsaw and attach a piece of wood to the top, creating a plank for your children to sit on while playing. You also can attach a rope for handles with glue or drill holes to tie the ropes.
Seesaws cost upwards of $150, but making a tire seesaw is almost free!
3. Garden Beds
Instead of paying for materials to build raised garden beds, use old tires for a cheap alternative. Tires are durable, and while some gardeners worry that tires might excrete toxic chemicals, if you’re growing a survival garden, it might be worth the risk.
If you don’t want to take the risk, try growing flowers and other landscaping plants in the tires. Try painting them with spray paint to give the tires a facelift!
4. Make a Compost Bin
Making a compost bin out of old tires is a great way to use them. Keep them whole, or consider cutting them in half and building side walls with them.
The tire compost bins should be placed on a level spot and cover the bottom with sawdust or hay before adding composting materials. When the tire is full, place another tire on top and continue building your compost.
The compost must stand for a minimum of two months before it’s considered finished.
5. Feed Buckets for Animals
Old tires make a great substitute for feed buckets, and they also hold feed buckets upright if you have animals that like to knock them over.
6. Dust Baths for Chickens
Need a place to put a dust bath for your chickens? Try old tires!
Set the tires out somewhere flat, and fill the inside with dirt, wood ash, sand, and other dust bathing materials. You might need more than one dust bath depending on how many chickens you have, but that’s a great way to use the old tires around your home.
Dust bathing is important for chickens!
7. Make a Wall
Do you need to build a wall around your home to keep chickens in or maybe keep the zombies out? Try using tires. Tires make a bulletproof wall if you provide support for them.
The best way to use tires as a defensive wall is to fill each tire with dirt, and you also could drive wooden poles in the middle. That’s optional.
Use a sledgehammer to pound the dirt in each tire. Each tire holds up to 300lbs of earth, so expect it to take a lot of work to make this defensive wall. However, it doesn’t need any steel or mortar; it’s considered just as strong, though!
8. Make Flip-Flops
This idea sounds a bit strange, but apparently, it’s common in other parts of the world. There are several companies that make tire flip-flops as their business.
So, it’s a thing.
If you’re interested in giving this a try, I found handy DIY instructions for making flip flops from a car tire.
9. Create Furniture
If you’re the creative type, you’ll find tons of different DIY projects to create furniture out of old tires. For example, chairs can be made out of stacked tires or make an ottoman by stuffing a tire with pillows and wrapping it with fabric.
Reinvent and reimagine what tires can be, and say goodbye to spending tons of money on furniture around your house!
If you put a piece of wood on top of a stack of tires, you have an easy DIY table or coffee table. These are the perfect option for outdoor furniture if you’re on a budget.
10. DIY Doormat
Tires are rubber, so why not make DIY rubber doormats with old tires?
This was a common practice years ago before rubber mats were available at most stores, but it is a slightly challenging project. I found these awesome instructions to make rubber doormats out of tires.
11. Hose Caddy
Don’t leave your garden hose out to get damaged; make a DIY hose caddy out of an old tire.
All you have to do is cut the tire in half and coil the hose inside of it. Try painting the tire to match your shed or house and hang it on the side. It won’t even look like a tire anymore.
12. Make a Pond
You’ll need a large tractor tire, but if you’ve always wanted a pond and never had the money to make one, using a tractor tire is a great way to make that happen on a budget.
Once you have a tire, you need garden foil, gravel or pebbles, sand, and whatever else you want for your pond. Handimania has great instructions, and you’ll save a bundle making a pond this way.
Be Creative with Old Tires
Don’t toss out the old tires you accumulate around your off-grid homestead. Instead, try one of the many ways to use old tires. You might be surprised at how versatile they truly are!
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