Can Sewing Machines Be Recycled? (Ways to Recycle!)

All kinds of machines get worn out after a certain time, and it’s the last stage of their life cycle. So your sewing machine is no exception.

And if you have an old/broken sewing machine that is already wearing out then you definitely would think about what to do with it next. And this might raise the thought of whether sewing machines can be recycled or not.

Can Sewing Machines Be Recycled?

Sewing machines can be recycled if they are still in moderately good working condition. Even if a sewing machine is completely worn out, still some parts of it like the hard-sturdy iron legs can be recycled. And many recycling companies happily accept broken, old, and worn-out machines to recycle.

Table of Contents

Generally, if a sewing machine somewhat still in a decent working condition after the expected lifetime, it can be recycled without any problem.

However, even if a sewing machine is totally worn out, still, some parts of it such as the strong and sturdy iron legs can be recycled and used as legs of a table or desk.

And there are many recycling companies that accept such old, broken, and worn-out sewing machines and recycle them to turn them into other products.

How To Recycle A Sewing Machine?

If you have an old, broken, worn-out, or even an antique sewing machine you easily can recycle them and turn them into new decor pieces or furniture.

So, to save you and give you some exciting and beneficial recycling ideas, here a list is given below.

An antique coffee table

If you have an old antique sewing machine at home, you can use it to make a coffee table rather than throwing it.

Antique sewing machines have very sturdy and strong iron legs. And the legs are very beautifully designed. For example, SINGER sewing machine’s leg.

You can separate the machine head from it, then paint and polish the legs as per your choice. Then take woods, you can take either oak woods or plywood.

Then cut the woods according to an average size table that is, 18” to 24” wide and 36”×48” in length. Or as per your preference. Then join both of the legs and the wooden piece together and decorate it the way you want. And there you go, making your own DIY coffee table out of a sewing machine legs. You can use it as a side table as well.

Vanity table

You can a vanity table too out of a sewing machine. Here also, if you have an antique sewing machine, you can use the machine’s cabinet to make the vanity table.

You can add your own drawers and add a mirror to the table and join them with the machine’s cabinet. For adding more spark, you can add a glass surface over the cabinet, paint it, add decorative lights by the side of the mirror.

And if you don’t want to take all these hassles, you can hire a carpenter and can make your own customized vanity table with an antique machine cabinet by him. But it might cost more.

Decorative showpiece

Your vintage sewing machine’s head can be a great piece of a showpiece. All you need to do is separate the head and clean it, color it. Then add wheels to the sides and join a shed over it. And you are done making a decorative farm tractor showpiece.

Or the machine’s motor alone can be used for making DIY wall lights by adding electricity to the motor and adding a bulb to the arm shaft.

Donate them

If you really don’t want to make any DIY stuff, then the best you can do is donate your old or broken, or worn-out sewing machines to recycling companies for recycling purposes. They will use the parts to make new things or may recycle them to give another useful life.

What Parts Of A Sewing Machine Are Recyclable?

Sewing machines are not a really disposable item, so you can recycle most of the parts of them. But, it’s possible that you might not know which parts are exactly recyclable. Therefore, to make you understand here is a detailed list of the recyclable parts.

Machine’s legs

Most of the antique sewing machines come with heavy and hefty iron legs. And those are highly recyclable because those really don’t wear out.

So, if you want you can separate the machine head and legs and use the legs to make your own DIY furniture. Using those iron legs you can make a coffee table, side table, garden table, etc.

Machine’s head

The sewing machine’s head is as recyclable as the legs. You can separate the head and add a lamp rod to the spool pin and add a bulb and lampshade on top of the rod to make a table lamp.

You can also hang up the base and head vertically on wall and use the arm shaft as the lamp rod and add a lampshade and bulb to it to make a wall lamp.

Sewing machine motor

Only the sewing machine motor of the vintage sewing machine along with the balance wheel can be recycled as well. For instance, you can separate the machine’s motor and cut the baseboard in half.

Then connect the whole thing with electricity and add a bulb to the arm shaft. And you are done making a wall light. And the balance wheel here is just to add a little vintage spark.

Sewing machine cabinet

Sewing machine’s cabinet is made of solid wood so that part is highly recyclable to make a vanity table just by adding a mirror to it. You can recycle the cabinet by adding an extra glass surface on top of it and making it a nightstand or a halfway table as a decorative piece.

Are Old Sewing Machines Worth Any Money?

Old sewing machines if they are any antique ones, they worth more than money because those pieces are rare nowadays and people use the legs to make new furniture with an antique look. You can even store the whole thing at your house as an antique piece.

Even the vintage old sewing machines are equally worth the money. As you can also recycle these to make DIY pieces. So with both the antique and vintage sewing machines, you can recycle the parts to reuse them and that makes them worth every single penny.

And if you don’t want to recycle it to make anything out of it. Then you can sell your antique or vintage sewing machines. They are highly valuable to collectors and in the collectible markets. Therefore, you will get a good amount of money too.

You simply can put them for sale on eBay, Etsy, RubyLane, etc. online shopping websites.

So, whether you recycle old sewing machines or sell them in collectible market, in both ways they worth every penny.

What Can I Do With A Broken Sewing Machine?

If your sewing machine’s broken parts can be used after fixing them, then you better fix the broken parts and reuse the machine.

Or if your sewing machine is totally broken and can’t be used anymore then before throwing it out think of recycling it. There are thousands of DIY ideas to recycle sewing machines.

Another way is, you can sell your broken sewing machine in the collectible market if that is an antique or vintage sewing machine. eBay, Estate sales, are two online markets for selling antique pieces.

Otherwise, try to retrieve the usable parts only and sell them to sewing machine repair shops.

Lastly, if the machine is somewhat usable even after being broke, donate them to recycling companies. At least, you will help to save the environment.

How Much Is An Old Singer Machine Worth?

An old singer sewing machine can with up to $50-$500, depending on the model and condition. Sometimes, an antique piece can even cost $1000, if it’s in a good condition.

Singer Model 1, Singer Turtle-Back, The Singer 12, The Singer 30k can cost up to a thousand dollars in the collectible market if they are in good condition. Because antique pieces collectors would spend any money to get those.

Where Can I Donate Sewing Supplies Near Me?

There are numerous recycling companies and charitable organizations in the USA where you can donate your sewing supplies. Some of them are given below.

Hassle-Free Pick up (recycling company)
Goodwill-Easter Seals (recycling company)
The Sewing Machine Project (charity organization)
Sewing Doc ( recycling shop)
The Salvation Army USA ( charity organization)

In these places, you can both donate usable parts or the machine as a whole.

Sewing machines even if it’s an old one or a broken one, the maximum time it’s recyclable. You can both recycle the parts separately or can donate them to recycling shops or charities. Either way is acceptable.

Recycling a sewing machine is not only worth the money but also saves the environment.