Are You Replacing Your Locks?

What Should You Do With Your Old Keys?

Do you move a lot? Do you use a lot of keys in your business? What about your rental properties? In all these circumstances, there will be times when you need to change the locks. Before you know it, easily all those extra keys can really start piling up.

Lock changes. Think about all the different kinds of buildings ~ offices, hotels, homes, apartment complexes, high-rises, retail stores, restaurants, schools, dorms, and so forth. All of them have doors, and some have lots and lots of doors. Most of those doors, inside and outside, require a key. And often several different people need to have their own keys made. How about all those keys on a janitor’s belt? Surely that’s a lot of keys. Then, of course, periodically ~ either because of new ownership, new occupants, new doors, or vandalism or theft ~ new sets of keys must be made for everyone.

Mystery keys. We sometimes see keys in the odd drawer, in an old coat pocket, and even between the couch cushions. Don't let mystery keys clutter up your keychains and junk drawers! Some keys you may be afraid to throw out, because you can’t remember what they’re for. They just might go to that luggage you’ve stored away, the filing cabinet you haven’t opened in awhile, or the bike lock you misplaced in the garage. But the truth is, if you haven’t used a key in a few years, you are most likely not going to use it.

Don’t just contribute to the landfill. Whatever the reason, when you are facing a bunch of unusable key sets, should you just toss them out? Or is there a better way to dispose of them? The fact is, millions of keys are thrown away every year. Instead of adding to the landfills, there are a good number of creative and practical ways you can get rid of or reuse your keys.

Recycling. Are keys recyclable? Yes, most recycling facilities will accept keys, because they can be melted down. Be sure you remove any tags, stickers, rubber, or other holders. Find out if your local recycling center has a mixed metals bin. Then you can feel good knowing that all your keys will be melted down and reused again.

Make wine charms. Keys can make perfect wine glass necklaces, which your partygoers will enjoy. Dental floss, maybe some paint, and name labels are all you’ll need to make each one unique.

Make clothes and backpacks simpler for kids. Attach old keys to coats and backpacks as zipper pulls, and they’ll be easier to open.

Make wind chimes. If you’re artistic, craft a base, and hang the keys from it with fishing line.

Make a mobile. By the same token, you can build a mobile with many different old keys, or paint them various colors, and you’ll fascinate a baby in a crib.

Make shakers and rattles. Put some keys in a small container, and you’ll add a beat to musical group fun. If you have an infant in the house, it can also be a baby rattle.

Make jewelry. Be creative with glue and paint. Kids will enjoy making necklaces, belts, or crowns, using rope, thread, leather, fishing line, or string. Keep a key that has sentimental value by turning it into a piece of jewelry.

Make charms. Your kids can paint old keys with their school’s team colors, and attach them to backpacks, pockets, gym bags, cell phones, and so on.

Decorate. Old keys can be used to decorate picture frames, boxes, and mirrors.

Make holiday decorations. You can link old keys together with twine or ribbon to make a chain, paint them, and use them on the Christmas tree along with ~ or instead of ~ tinsel, lights, or popcorn. An old skeleton key can also make an interesting tree ornament.

Use for game pieces. Old keys can replace lost pieces in your Monopoly game or any other game.

Use as educational tools. Like building blocks, you can paint numbers or letters on old keys, and use them to teach children how to read or how to count.

Create a memento. You can create a keepsake by framing your old keys as a souvenir of all the places you’ve lived.

Do a good deed. When cleaning out all your junk, dispose of all your old keys in an earth-friendly manner and support your favorite charity at the same time. Donate your old keys to a nonprofit organization, so it can recycle them to raise funds for a good cause.

Start a fundraiser. Some organizations go out of their way to collect as many old keys as possible. The keys are then given to a recycling center, so they can be melted down for scrap metal and the profits distributed to charity.

Sell them as craft supplies. Etsy, Craigslist, and eBay are now places in cyberspace where artists look to purchase old keys ~ particularly uniquely shaped older keys such as skeleton keys ~ for making jewelry and other home décor items.