How to Recycle Old Ski Gear: 7 Creative DIY Ideas

Featured Image: Erin Spong

While it's best practice to use ski gear to the end of its life cycle or sell it to someone else while it's still got some life left in it, there's always a point where gear becomes unusable. Rather than throw it in the landfill to never biodegrade, we've come up with a list of creative ways to recycle your old ski gear. From birdhouses to coat racks to flower pots and fences, there are plenty of ways to reuse old gear that would otherwise collect dust and take up precious space in your gear room. Take these ideas straight from us or let them be the inspiration for your next creation.

Ski Boot Planter

If you have an old pair, or maybe just a single boot lying around, turn that stale plastic boot into a flower pot full of life for your front stoop. You can either fill the boot with rocks and dirt—rocks at the bottom help with drainage—or throw a smaller flower pot into the top of the boot.

Photo: Erin Spong

Ski Bird House

If you're handy with power tools and like building with recycled materials, a birdhouse made from old skis is a fun weekend craft. Simply cut up an old pair of skis and construct to your heart's content.

Ski Fence

If you have a lot of old skis or if you're motivated to start collecting, a ski fence could very well be in your backyard's future.

Photo: Courtesy of Unplash

Ski Pole Plant Trellis

Climbing plants like ivy, roses and vegetable plants like cucumbers and tomatoes thrive when they have a way of growing upward. Ski poles work great as a material for building your own trellis and watching your plants thrive in the sky. You can also use ski poles to provide structural support to young trees.

Ski Bench or Chair

I'm sure you've seen an Adirondack chair made from skis before, but have you ever considered making one yourself? This how-to guide from REI breaks it down into four steps so digestible it makes us wonder why we didn't build one sooner.

Shotski and Bottle Openers

There's always the party-pleaser shotski, which takes just a single ski and a few shot glasses to make, or you can whittle a retired plank down to a bottle opener that has you thinking of face shots every time you use it, no matter the season.

Shelving and Coat Hangers

Powder skis are the perfect width for creative shelving throughout your house and can be cut to the exact length that you're looking for. Another creative and useful way to hang up a ski is to attach a bunch of hooks to create a key-and-coat rack at your front door.