So, I am always trying to find new ways to be both creative and help our environment. Recently, I have made it my mission to saves a tire or two from alongside the roadway. Thanks to a blog site called Crooked Brains, I now have my inspiration. There are several categories to choose from and pictures to reflect creative ways tires are being used.

Here I was thinking of taking various tire treads and matting them to a piece of plywood as decoration for an auto shop. Taking a step further, I considered painting the plywood in a color scheme such as red, black and white in honor of my husband’s beloved NC State Wolfpack Team then lacing the tire treads in a diagonal pattern, encasing the picture in a glass box framed with a black frame.

The great thing about tires is they are so versatile. Consider their shape for a moment, round with two flat open sides. Tires last for a very long time, which means unless they are recycled into raw material, tires will last forever. With a little thought, supplies of any nature and tools, tires can be transformed into useable everyday items for the home, yard, or office.

Andy Gregg is a perfect example of how one man’s vision of recyclables turned into something useful. His business, Bike Furniture Design is a “design and manufacturing studio specializing in contemporary, modern furniture made primarily from recycled steel and aluminum bicycle rims, handlebars, and frames. These designs use train and automobile windows for tabletops, and surplus automotive seat-belt webbing for seating upholstery. Bike Furniture upholstery options are unlimited. Some options include leather, rubber, cork, clear and colored acrylic, and vinyl.”

Besides tires being used for contemporary furniture they make great tables, flower beds / pots, yard art, swings, shoes, purses, and sculptures. The list of ideas is endless. For more ideas or to see photos of how tires have been transformed visit some of these sites:

http://www.crookedbrains.net/2008/02/creativity-with-recycled-tires.html

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf284146.tip.html

http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/ways-to-use-old-tires