How can I reuse or recycle old house keys?
I’ve had an email from Jory, asking for suggestion about what to do with “a ton of old house keys”.
We’ve got a number floating around too – not just house keys but old bike lock keys and other misc keys that are probably for something really important we just don’t know what.
So any ideas?
Best Suggestions
- Reuse: Lots of people have suggested using them as different type of decorations and jewellery – and if you don’t want to do that, there are a number of different artists collecting them (see below).
- Recycle: If you’d rather recycle them for charity, they’re collected by a number of charities – for example Keys For Kindness in the US.
- See the comments below for more suggestions and ideas
(Photo by irizarry)
I am a recycle artist and am in need of:
1) house keys
2) dead button/disk batteries like for watches, clocks, hearing aids etc
3) bottle caps
4) Maxwell House coffee blue plastic containers with handles
5) broken old mismatched jewelry
thanks for any donations
Hi Patsy,
I would love to give you several old house keys. Please contact me at s.surber@hotmail.com
We have about 30 keys that we could send you – it seems a waste to throw them out – I could send them to you ?
hi patsy i have old house keys you can have. whats your e mail? i’ll contact you there if poss?
shar
Hi Patsy,
Have lots of stuff I could send – please do post up contact details so I can send you an email.
Many thanks
Monica
Hey i have a ton of keys i don’t need if you want them just contact me and let me know if your still in need of them.
Thebearfoothippy@gmail.com
I DON’T HAVE ALOT, JUST DON’T KNOW WHETHER TO TOSS THEM OR IF YOU CAN USE THEM (?) THANKS
HOW DOES THIS WORK? MAILING ? OR WHAT? PEG
I have a house key and nothing to do with it, send me your address and I’ll mail it.
We have just had a number of locks changed and I have a bag of old keys, are they any good to you to recycle in your work.
Let me know.
Kind Regards
We have a large amount of unnamed lost keys in our lost property and, we would happily donate them to you if uncollected by the end of this term.
Regards
Jodi
Hi Patsy, I hoard all kinds. I have a box of keys somewhere and a largish bag of plastic bottle tops. Jewellery bits too and probably more besides you could use. I normally off-load to my arty sister, but she draws the line! (Hardy ha!)
Please message me back if you are still doing great things with all our would-be crap! Dee
I have keys & mismatched jewelry. Send me your email address, please. Who pays the postage?
Elaine
Patsy,
I would like to send you some of my old house and other keys. I’d love to have them incorporated in art. Where can I send them?
Amy
Patsy – are you still wanting old keys? And does anyone want a few bags of old wine corks? I live in Brisbane, Australia, so I guess I’m hoping to find possible recipients who aren’t overseas!
Thanks – Tom. twmacmahon@gmail.com
Tom,
Sorry, I live overseas, but if you didn’t find anyone interested in your corks, pending quantity cost and shipping, I would be very interesting. I work in a low income school and I am always on the lookout for possible craft items, or items I can make and sell with some of the proceeds going to chairity.
Thanking you in advance. Please respond soon.
Gloria
I have a number of keys as well as broken and mismatched jewellery.
Any good to you at all?
I’m trying to teach my grandchildren some sort of jewelry crafts and also to use in our Bible school with young kids. Anything you have that we could make something out of wold so much appreciated. Will send you my address later & we can talk. house-wife, retired and tired! Thanks!
What kind of artwork do you do with them??
Mostly and so far, pasting small items (whatever) on
a design- flower, fruit etc. , just anything we can come up with. Once decorated a birdhouse. we liked it- birds liked it more!
are you still looking for stuff?
let me know what you want/need specifically
Tony
Where do I send them? Got the keys of a lifetime from my dad and just didnt want to throw them out.
Harry
Bit of a long shot, but if you still need keys I have hundreds.
If you want keys lots of them please email me.
Dear Patsy
Do you still want old household keys. If so where do I send them
SAB
Hello,
I’ve got old house keys I can send to you.
Where to send to?
Emms
Are you still interested in any old keys? If so please send me your address and I will post them to you.
Send me an address where keys and things can be sent to you.
Thank you
Makani
Do you still want old house keys?
Your address?
Would you pay for the cost of shipping them to you?
Hi
I have loads of keys if you would like them?
I work in property so have lots from when we change locks and have no use for the old ones.
Hi Marie,
I am looking for keys, if you still have them. Please email me at Maryslittlecreations@ymail.com Thank you!
yes, I have several old keys I need to rid of!!! I live in Orange Co. CA. Is there such a place? I do not want them! Also, any place in general to rid of old scrap metal?? I don’t want to travel that far.
Judging from the time as noted in my msg, I must be addressing someone in Europe? I live in California!
paint the keys with nail polish and put it on a chain it could be a cute necklace for you or a girl that you know and it is super cute
If anyone would like to send me anything, I’d be very appreciative :) Contact @ flerious@gmail.com.
They’ve recently closed to local dump to the public, so it’s a bit hard for me to get a hold of interesting items anymore.
hi thomas where are you based? uk? i can send some items your way as long as not too much postage. [i am de-cluttering my home]
what are you seeking, please specify?
shar
I am also an artist/crafter who uses old keys in my work. I am in USA but am often in Ireland with family. If you haven’t already sent your keys to Thomas, I would be grateful for any you may have left.
Anyone else in UK/Ireland with extra or old keys you can email for my address in Ireland or USA.
Thanks
I have been using unused keys into beautiful wind chimes. Anyone could try that, but I would also be very grateful to anyone that would be able to send me their no-longer-needed keys. I live in Arizona and can reimburse for postage. Email me at bayfeld@msn.com. Thanks! ~Karen~
HAVE SUPPLY OF CAR KEYS, DATED 1980-2000, CAN ANYONE USE THEM. PLEASE EMAIL ME ACCORDING.
Hi Marcia,
I’d be interested in those car keys if they’re uncut. Let me know. Thanks.
Elijah
NOT SURE MY PREVIOUS MESSAGE WENT THROUGH. I DON’T HAVE ALOT, BUT I DON’T KNOW WHETHER TO TOSS THEM OR SEND THEM TO SOMEONE IF POSTAGE IS NOT TOO EXPENSIVE.
THANKS, PEG
Hello everyone,
I am an artist , who incorporates odd finds, such as items listed above, in altered art projects, props for independent films (I help filmakers with no budget ;-)) and i would welcome any donations. I will reimburse you for shipping if need be. Please contact me via email goodegggirls@gmail.com
thanks,
Sonya
Keys make a great peice of home decor. Take a 12×12 frame, go to a craft store and pick out a sheet of 12×12 paper that matches your house. Than glue or tack the keys to a peice of paper that has been glued to cardboard or cardstock. Put the paper in the frame and close it. hang it on your wall and admire your splended yet easy work!!!!
You can also get keys from hardware stores, home improvement stores and anywhere they make keys. I went into a hardware store and they gave me a bucket full! However i use them for projects with projects showing people how they can Repurpose anything!
I’ve got lots of keys which I would like to recycle/donate. If anyone would like them please email me at jagklair@hotmail.com and I’ll send to you.
I own a jewelry business and would LOVE any old keys you have! sclair82@yahoo.com
I am an artist/craft person always in need of old or unwanted/ unneeded keys to used in various ways. I am in USA about half the year and in Ireland about half the year these days. I can be reached at
Auntjudycrafts@verizon.net
Thanks
I am an artist/crafts person and use old unwanted/unneeded keys of any type in many ways. Please email me if you have some – any amount. Thanks
Auntjudycrafts@verizon.net
I have a ton of house and mailbox keys since i work at an apartment community, the locks are changed after every move out. They aren’t old, just regular ol’ keys. I also have a ton of plastic bottle caps. Anyone interested in them, i live in texas. My email is erin_watts731@yahoo.com
i have seen keys stuck on card and then framed to hang. it looks lovely in a tall/long photo frame which you can pick up at charity shops
Hello!
I work at a property management company and I’ve got about 150ish keys that no longer work. Some are gold, some are silver and are various shapes and sizes (mostly apartment, gate and garage keys).
My last day here is next Friday (May 11th) and I’m trying to clean up this mess before I go! I know the person who takes my place will most likely just throw them in the trash and I want them to go to good use. If you would like the keys (or a picture of the pile) please email me at amiebarber8@gmail.com and we can figure something out. I’m in the Los Angeles CA area but can ship them out if need be.
Gloria, e mail me at brizy11@hotmail.com, I can help sending some art & craft materials.
Hi,
We are a non profit organization helping women and children in need. We are self supporting and create bracelets and art work to sell as a fund raiser for our food closet, maternity and baby clothes and help with retraining young women.
Here is what we are looking for
Old and new keys any amount
Bottle caps
Acrylic paints
Old paint brushes
Old cowboy boots
Beads for jewelry making
Lace or linen for crafts
Broken jewelry
Seeds for the garden
Anything that can be used in art or crafts. Thank you in advance for considering helping. If you would like a receipt for taxes we are happy to send one for your donation. Just let me know.
Maternity clothes
Children’s clothing
Socks
Bedding
Any cook ware or Tupperware
Canning jars
Dried beans and rice for instant soup mixes.
If you would like to mail it.
You can send it to:
Lifetime Adoption
Attention: Mardie
17860 Cattle Drive
Rough and Ready , California USA 95946
Or email me at Mardie@lifetimeadoption.com
530 432-7373 ask forLolita
Got keys. Need them still?
we have keys where are you and do you want them?
Angela,
If you still have the keys I’d love to talk to you about them. I am currently looking for some. Please email me at Maryslittlecreations@ymail.com
Thank you
Mary
Hi Song
I have a bunch of old keys if you’re still in need of them? Email me your postal address and I’ll mail them before the end of the week.
kirstincameron@yahoo.co.uk
Hi, I work for a property company so we often have locks changed and get left with old keys that we normally just throw away.
I have a bag of about 50 standard yale keys if you want them. We are based in London as well so let me know if you still need them.
adamk@estateoffice.com
Make a wind chime out of them to hang near you flower/veg beds!
I reused some old keys but bending the tips to make a hook. THen screws them through the hole into the door and now they are hooks for my bathroom towels :)
Hi,
I am a design student based in London.
I need loads of unwanted keys for my project.
Please contact me if you have any amount of keys not needed.
eesongii@gmail.com
Thank you very much.
I make handmade jewelry, and I am in need of keys, the older the better! If you’d like to donate any I’d be more then willing to give coupons to my jewelry site in return. Thank you! Mary Maryslittlecreations@ymail.com
http://img.dodecals.com/2012/09/wind-chime-made-fron-old-keys.jpg take a look at it..
I used our old keys to make “Real” key sets for our twins. By the time they were 2, they were not interested in the plastic play keys, but in mommy and daddy’s real keys. Their new sets don’t open anything, but they often use them to “turn on” their play cars or other pretend items.