Repurpose Your Old Computer Case

Lisa Mason
When you have an old computer sitting around you may wonder exactly what you can do with all those parts and pieces to make them useful. In this time of being eco-friendly, reducing waste and re-using as much as possible computers and computer parts can be a challenge in your quest to repurpose.

One of the more difficult items to repurpose is the computer case. But with a little ingenuity you can repurpose your old computer case and create a conversation piece that all of your guests will notice and appreciate. My family has old parts in our garage art studio and here are some of the ways we've come up with to repurpose our computer cases.

Unique Art and Decoration

Allow your children to paint the computer case and display it prominently as part of your d©cor. This allows you to not only re-use the pieces of your old computer but also to show off your kid's artwork. Old computer cases repurposed as art can be hung on the walls, displayed on tables and even used as vases and storage.

Soda Machine

Your computer tower case can be used as a unique soda machine to dispense canned drinks. This one is a bit more difficult to do but so rewarding when it's finished. Sure you will have to do a little adapting and modifying but this saves space and allows you to repurpose something that would otherwise end up at the landfill or sitting in a closet collecting dust. Imagine opening up your fridge and seeing a computer tower sitting on the shelf, simply open a door and retrieve a cold canned soda.

Mailbox

With a little creativity and some minor adjustments you can create a unique mailbox from your old computer case. You'll be the talk of the neighborhood with your answer to "electronic mail", have fun with your old computer case and make it useful again.

Hamster Cage

This idea does require a little more work and creativity but you can turn your old computer case into a multi level hamster cage with lots of fun activities for your furry critters. We haven't done this one ourselves but we helped a friend create one.

Cookout Equipment

A metal computer case can be turned on its side and used as a charcoal grill for barbecuing! The various slots for drives provide excellent air flow through your computer case grill. Both compact and portable your computer case grill will be a unique novelty among your friends.

Seed Starter

With a few simple additions you can turn your old computer case into a grow box or plant incubator for starting your gardening seeds indoors. There will be no need to have trays of seed starting pots and seedlings sitting in your window sills you can have a grow light inside your old computer case.

Each of these ideas for repurposing an old computer case is imaginative and creative. While they may require some additional parts, you can easily convert the computer case into a useful item. And it's loads of fun to do!


Published by Lisa Mason - Featured Contributor in Technology

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer and social media marketer with more than 10 years of experience. As VP of Special Media for Social Media Sun, she makes sure that readers have access to the most relevant and...  View profile

5 Comments

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  • Han Van Meegerin5/29/2011

    I have one. I like your creative ideas.

  • Han Van Meegerin5/29/2011

    I have one. I like your creative ideas.

  • Lisa Mason5/26/2011

    lol Tony, nice serving tray! We have a storage unit full of stuff because my husband tweaks computers and we often get given old "broken" ones for free. We have 4 new desktops, 5 laptops and a netbook working in our home but we have LOADS of old monitors, towers, wires, hard drives, and components. Parts are so cheap now it's usually easier to go new if something breaks but it's still fun to fiddle with the old ones. Before we bought our kids new PCs they used some old prepackaged Dells that family gave us because they "didn't work". We just wiped and reinstalled the OS and they worked. After we had to move the old parts from the garage to storage, we started looking for new ways to use them which is how this idea came about.

  • Laura Cone5/26/2011

    super green

  • Tony Payne5/26/2011

    Good ideas. I always purchased computer components and built my own PC's with the theory of re-using those that were not obsolete, however in practice I ended up replacing everything every time. At work we use the back plate off an old (Windows 3.1 era) desktop as a tray for getting IT Dept drinks. It's solid and heavy, much better than a plastic one.

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