20 Brilliant Repurposing Ideas and Projects For Broken China And Other Glass

Trash to treasure – that’s my favorite thing. Taking things that would otherwise be thrown away and turning them into beautiful home and garden décor is something that really makes me happy. I hope it makes you happy, too because I’ve found some wonderful ways for you to turn old broken china into beautiful pieces that you’ll treasure forever.

If you’ve ever broken a plate and been heartbroken at the aspect of tossing it in the trash, this is definitely the project list for you. There are ways for you to keep those broken dishes and turn them into something new and exciting. Creating mosaics is an excellent way to keep your old broken china new and useful and it’s an easy process. Once you know how to turn your broken glass into mosaics, the possibilities are endless! I really do adore trash to treasure projects. If there’s a way to keep from throwing something out, I’m all for it. Remember my post on making fairy houses from toilet paper rolls? There really is a way to repurpose all of that trash and make it into something spectacular.

You can turn that old broken glass into such stunning décor and if it’s heirloom china that you’ve broken then you certainly don’t want to just toss it in the trash. There is a project in this list that will allow you to repurpose that broken china – just don’t tell the kids. Keep them tip toeing around your china cabinet as long as you can. I really do try to upcycle things before I throw them out for good. Honestly, if I could get away with it, I would never throw out anything and that’s a good thing. Just take a look at these 50 ways to upcycle your tin cans. You honestly can upcycle anything!

So, if you’ve ever cringed at the thought of breaking your china dishes, I’ve got a great surprise for you. We’re going to look at 20 different ways that you can repurpose that broken glass and use those items to decorate your home and yard. If you just happen to have old dishes that you don’t want any longer, you can break those dishes and use them to create these projects. Either way, I think you’re really going to love all of these trash to treasure ideas for repurposing broken glass.

1. DIY Mosaics From Broken China

Here’s a great way to turn all those broken china pieces into mosaics that you can then use to decorate just about anything you want. You just have to choose your design – or completely freehand it – it’s all up to you. Making mosaics from china is really easy and allows you to keep that beloved china displayed instead of simply throwing it out. Whether you choose to cover a canvas, picture frame, or just about anything else. You’ll know how to create mosaics and never have to part with those treasured broken dishes again.

Source/Tutorial: mosaictipsandtricks

2. DIY China Mosaic Backsplash

You can take those old broken plates and create a stunning backsplash in the kitchen. This is a lengthy and time consuming job but just imagine how worth it the overall result will be. If you’ve ever wanted to create your own unique backsplash, this is definitely the time to go for it and you get to repurpose that broken glass at the same time.

Source/Tutorial: realitydaydream

3. DIY Backyard Chandelier

I adore this backyard chandelier. Not only are the candles perfect for a soft glow in the evening, but those broken china plates are put to beautiful use in creating it. You can also use the china teacups that match your broken plates or create a chandelier that is really unique by using dishes in various different colors and designs. The broken glass pieces also act like a wind chime – giving your backyard a beautiful look and sound.

Source/Tutorial: familjeniuttran

4. Repurposed Broken China Birdbath

Take a regular concrete birdbath and cover it with pieces of your broken glass and you have a beautiful display for your garden. You can use broken CDs or DVDs to create this but wouldn’t it be so much more beautiful with mosaics that you make from your broken china? It’s a relatively easy project – you just glue on those broken pieces of glass and you’ve got a beautiful birdbath that your birds, and neighbors, will adore.

Source/Tutorial: meandmydiy

5. DIY Mosaic Memory Photo Frames

That broken china or other glass can be used to create these gorgeous memory frames that you can use to hang your favorite family photos. This memory frame has a shabby chic look that is perfect for showing off your favorite pictures. You can decorate with broken china as well as anything else that you want to use that shows off the character of your picture subject. This is a wonderful idea for birthday, Mother’s Day, or even baby shower gifts.

Source/Tutorial: hometalk

6. DIY Mosaic Birdhouse From Broken China

Imagine hanging this birdhouse on your porch or in your garden. It’s absolutely beautiful and you can make it with pieces of broken china. It’s colorful – depending of course on the china pieces that you use – and is sure to grab the attention of everyone who sees it. You can make it by gluing those broken china pieces onto a wooden birdhouse kit, which you can pick up at any hobby or craft store.

Source/Tutorial: thecomfortsofhome

7. Repurposed China Tabletop

I love this gorgeous tabletop that is made from creating mosaic tiles from your broken china. Keep in mind that when you’re doing mosaics, you will need to use grout, which can be quite messy. It can also take a bit of time. You can make this table using broken pieces of any type of glass but for something really special, use your broken china and other plates to create a colorful and unique table that is sure to be the center of focus in any room.

Source/Tutorial: diynetwork

8. Broken China Fairy House

That broken china – or other glass that you may have on hand – will look gorgeous when you use it to create this whimsical fairy house. Imagine this little house in your flower garden! You can create a fairy house in any height that you want, or use your broken china pieces to make several smaller houses and have an entire community for those fairies. I adore fairy houses and think they add so much whimsy to the garden. You’ll love creating this one almost as much as you love looking at it when it’s finished.

Source/Tutorial: mosaicqueen

9. Easy DIY Glass Fridge Magnets

If you just can’t force yourself to throw out that broken china and you really want a simple project for repurposing it – turn those pieces into fridge magnets. This is a project that really doesn’t take much work. You just add a magnet to the back of your chunks of china. You may want to smooth out the edges just a bit but this is the perfect way to display that china pattern that you just can’t part with and keep it simple at the same time.

Source/Tutorial: nur-noch

10. Repurposed Broken Glass Garden Art

Take an old ordinary canvas and add some broken pieces of glass and you have a wonderful display for your garden. I love the idea of hanging art outdoors and this one just screams garden art. You can use those broken china pieces to create any picture or contrast that you want. Just glue the pieces onto your canvas and then hang your masterpiece on the deck, on the porch, or directly in your garden.

Source/Tutorial: coconutsandlimes

11. Broken China Mosaic Mailbox

I love this mailbox that is covered with pieces of broken china. It’s so elegant and unique! I found this one on Etsy for around $250, but you could recreate it if you prefer the DIY way. I love the blues and whites in this one though – they look so clean. This is a beautiful mailbox to display in front of your home and if your home has blues then it will perfectly match. Plant a few flowers around the bottom for an even more beautiful display.

Source/Tutorial: etsy.com

12. DIY Garden Mosaic Stepping Stones

I love pretty garden stones. I have so many different stones in my gardens – a different design for every garden. I also love these DIY stepping stones that use broken glass to create a stunning mosaic pattern. You can make the entire stone with this one, so you don’t have to glue or anything like that. Plus, it’s cheaper to make garden stones than to buy them. You repurpose that broken china into the stones by just setting them with the concrete. This is such a simple yet beautiful DIY project.

Source/Tutorial: overthebigmoon

13. Repurposed Broken China Into House Number Display

I adore the idea of using non broken China with broken china to create something wonderful. Here, you can use a china platter that is relatively still intact and add those broken china pieces to create a stunning house number display for your front porch. Just add a hanger to the back of your platter and hang those gorgeous numbers up for all to see.

Source/Tutorial: pinterest

14. DIY Mosaic Jewelry From Broken Glass

These little pendants are so reminiscent of things that my grandmother used to wear. Using broken china to make jewelry is a wonderful way to create unique gifts. You just clean them up a bit and add your jewelry hardware. You could use that broken glass to create necklaces, rings, and so much more and if you have enough broken china on hand, you might even consider selling a few pieces.

Source/Tutorial: deandrascrafts

15. Broken Glass Embellished Mirror

Using broken glass to create a decorative mirror just sounds like poetic justice, doesn’t it? Anyway, you can use tiles to do this mosaic for this mirror or use your broken glass instead. Broken china would make a beautiful mirror for the bathroom or you could even hang the mirror in the kitchen or dining room next to the china cabinet that holds all of your other matching pieces.

Source/Tutorial:caffeineandcabernet

16. DIY Repurposed Planter

Gluing those pieces of broken china or glass over terra cotta planters gives you lovely decorative planters that you can use indoors or out. Just pick out the pieces that you want to use and then hot glue them onto your planters. You can even do this with larger planters or those little plastic ones that you can get at the Dollar Store for a dollar each. Turn them into expensive looking planters without spending more than a couple of dollars.

Source/Tutorial: marthastewart

17. Easy DIY Sea Glass Serving Tray

You don’t necessarily have to use sea glass to create this beautiful serving tray. You can use those pieces of broken china or any glass that you have that has color to it and make a serving tray that is fit for a king – or queen. Just position your glass pieces however you want them to look to determine the design that you’ll end up with and then glue and grout them to a beautiful finish.

Source/Tutorial: sandandsisal

18. Repurposed China Covered Vase

This vase is absolutely gorgeous and it’s made from repurposed pieces of broken china. I love the entire look of this – it’s simple yet elegant and the vase itself will hold your flowers beautifully. This one is on Etsy – which is my favorite place to find handmade items that I don’t really have the supplies to do myself. You can pick this gorgeous vase up for $125 or take a ceramic vase and use your broken china pieces to create the look yourself.

Source/Tutorial: etsy.com

19. DIY Mosaic Watering Can

You can use this watering can to actually water your plants or just sit it on the porch or side table for a beautiful display. It’s made by gluing pieces of broken china onto an ordinary watering can. If you want the look without all the cost, just pick up a plastic watering can from the Dollar Store. They’re around $2 each and then you can cover the plastic with your broken china and make it look much, much more expensive. This would be beautiful in the kitchen for keeping cooking utensils or even in the dining room as a vase.

Source/Tutorial: practicalpages

20. DIY Mosaic Garden Rocks From Broken Glass

You can turn those broken pieces of glass into beautiful displays for your garden. Just glue them onto garden rocks and sit them out. This is a really simple DIY project for broken china or any other type of glass that you want to keep once it’s been broken. You can even buy cheap garden rocks at the Dollar Store or if you have them available, use small river rocks or similar stones and the project will only cost you the price of some grout.

Source/Tutorial:kenarry