8 Innovative Ways to Repurpose a Crib & Give It a Second Life

Turn trash into treasure with these inventive ways to repurpose cribs!

Published February 9, 2024
Man holding screwdriver machine and screwing a slats of a baby crib.

Cribs cost a pretty penny so the last thing you want to do is throw them out. Thankfully, there are some creative ways to repurpose cribs so that they can have a second lease on life. If you are looking for some fun DIY projects, then consider these clever crib recreations! 

1. Stylish Chalkboard Sandwich Sign

Business owners who are looking for a fun DIY project have the option of repurposing cribs into chalkboard sandwich signs. HGTV shows you how easy this project can be in their DIY video.

Helpful Hack

You can also use a sandwich board for the entrance to a birthday party, baby shower, or wedding, making this an extremely versatile way to repurpose a crib!

2. Cute Chicken Coop

Chicken lovers, rejoice! You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on a chicken coop. Instead, you can repurpose cribs to create mini coops for your feathered friends to roost in! Weed 'Em & Reap hatched this eggs-cellent plan for repurposing cribs and it had im-peck-able results. 

3. Hay Feeder

Weed Em' & Reap also has a helpful tutorial on how to make a hay feeder using your old crib. This can be a great project for folks with mini farms on their property.

Related: 15 Brilliant Ways to Repurpose Old Junk

4. Fun & Functional Children's Desk

The crib base is designed to be raised and lowered, making this next project a breeze! For parents looking to limit their future purchases, repurposing cribs to become your kid's desks is a great option. The blog A Little Learning for Two details how to easily complete this project.

5. Raised Dog Bed

A typical crib can hold up to 50 pounds, so if you have a smaller pooch, another spectacular way to repurpose cribs is to turn them into dog beds. Simply remove the front side, set the spring surface to the lowest level, put in your crib mattress, and then let your pooch lounge in style!

Fast Fact

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises new parents to not buy used cribs for their baby, so if you have more than one pup looking for a stylish space to sprawl out, you can typically find these furniture pieces for pretty cheap. 

6. Pretty Garden Trellis

If you have a green thumb and an affinity for climbing plants, then you can repurpose cribs by turning them into garden trellises. The website Reuse Grow Enjoy has an easy tutorial on how to make an A-frame style garden trellis that can serve as a beautiful centerpiece in your garden. 

You can also mount the wooden crib sides above a planter box or garden space using an interlocking flush mount bracket kit to create an eyecatching garden display.

Need to Know

No matter which option you choose, it's a good idea to use a water sealant on the wood slats to prevent the weather from ruining your garden fixture. 

Related: Best Climbing Roses to Plant

7. DIY Dog or Baby Gate

Baby gates are another pricey purchase for parents, especially if you have wide walkways that you want to block off. Enter the old baby crib — this furniture piece has four sides ripe for the picking!

Best of all, this DIY project by Little Victorian makes your living space look so much nicer than if you were to use a regular baby gate. Simply take the time to paint your crib sides to match the trim of your doorways and you can create a polished and practical home accent. 

8. Perfect Porch Swing

Repurposing cribs into porch swings is a much more involved DIY project, but the results do not dissapoint. This furniture piece is designed to be the focal point of your baby's nursery, so it's really no surprise that this project from Out of the Woodwork creates an eye-catching spot to perch on your porch.  

Repurposing Cribs Is Cost Effective & Fun

When you repurpose cribs and other furniture like your old dressers, you can save money, reduce waste, and create one-of-a-kind pieces that have wonderful memories attached to them. Best of all, many of these ideas for repurposing a crib only require certain sections of the furniture piece, which means that you can potentially complete a couple of the options on this list.

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8 Innovative Ways to Repurpose a Crib & Give It a Second Life