If you ride a bicycle, chances are you’re going to get a flat tire here and there — it’s just a fact of freewheelin’ life in the bike lane. Read on to learn how to make a handy pouch you can use to carry your phone, keys, pencils, or whatever else you need to bring along for the ride — and you’ll save a busted bike tube from the trash. Turn that holey tube into something wholly new. Long live the bike life!
It’s really amazing how many uses people come up with for blown inner tubes — but if you don’t believe me, check our earlier posts.
We’ve come across examples of bicycle tire inner tubes upcycled into a variety of items: jewelry, wallets, furniture, door mats (see a mix of earlier Unconsumption posts here).
Now here are some different uses: seat covering (bench, pictured above, from RetreadDesign on Etsy) and backpacks, duffel bags, pouches, and other accessories from Green Guru Gear (thx, Gabi, for the tip!).
Bags made from rubber inner tubes, via the lazy environmentalist
![We always love seeing new ways to reuse bicycle tubes, and this door mat is a great example of how versatile and durable of a material they really are. Michaela shares the project on WeUpcycle.com.
Crafty Crafty] (via Bicycle Tube Door Mat @Craftzine.com blog](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrqwq6xJxo1qzv12bo1_400.jpg)
We always love seeing new ways to reuse bicycle tubes, and this door mat is a great example of how versatile and durable of a material they really are. Michaela shares the project on WeUpcycle.com.
Crafty Crafty] (via Bicycle Tube Door Mat @Craftzine.com blog
We’ve come across examples of bicycle inner tubes upcycled into a variety of items: jewelry, wallets, furniture (see photos of ‘em here).
Now here’s a different use: as an organizer/holder (for keys or other small items), made from inner tubes and tire valves attached to a piece of MDF.
The holders are available via a German DaWanda shop (here) that also sells key rings, handbags, coin purses, mobile phone cases, and other accessories.
(Spotted on Recyclart.)
Here’s another addition to the array of items made from bicycle tire inner tubes:
Wrist cuffs, earrings, necklaces, and belts made by Urban Lace Jewelry from inner tubes collected from area bike shops.
(Available via Urban Lace Jewelry’s Etsy shop, dullleadsinker.)
Michael Konstantin Wolke upcycles bicycle inner tubes to make wonderful contemporary furniture.
(via Colossal)
Retired tires make fashion debut!
(via palepink’s Etsy shop)
Living dress of flowers and recycled bicycle inner-tube “vases” - Boing Boing:
“Over at Ecouterre, a stunning little photo gallery about a “living dress” created by fashion designer Mattijs van Bergen and landscape architect Anouk Vogel as a collaboration for the Amsterdam Centre for Architecture (ARCAM): “A dress that would be the antithesis of fast fashion—a living object that brought each season to life with changing floral arrangements.”
“These wallets are made with recycled inner tube and recycled vinyl. Perfect for an eco-friendly/bicycle enthusiast. Not only sleek and thin but very durable and tough. No thicker then 1/4”. The rubber is cleaned so that it has a velvety feel.” Wikkerink Design — Bicycle Tire Bill-fold Wallet (free intl. shipping )
