How to Turn an Old TV Into Something Cool

Nothing is eternal. A shiny new appliance you buy today will be a broken piece of junk in a few years or decades. A few years ago, a friend’s parents finally had to switch from their ancient tube TV in a huge wooden cabinet to a smart TV – and quite sensibly they just stacked the new TV on top of the old one, using it as a TV stand and saving money. labor to move him out of the house.

This is one of the solutions. Other options include placing it in your basement to make it a problem for the future you, or just getting rid of it – but those are boring options. A much better and more creative idea is to turn your old box TV into something else. It’s easier than you might think and in most cases only requires some basic DIY skills and a little time. Here are some awesome ideas for turning your old TV into something cool.

Safety note. Depending on the year your TV was manufactured, it may contain a cathode ray tube (CRT) and it can be quite dangerous to handle . First, they are vacuum tubes, and if they break, they will explode like little glass bombs. Second, CRT TVs typically use surprisingly large capacitors. This means that they hold a fairly large charge for a surprisingly long time, and if you’re not careful, you can get a dangerous electric shock. If the TV has been in your basement for the past decade, you’re probably fine, but if it’s been on recently , you’ll need to know how to discharge it first . Don’t think it’s safe to mess around with a CRT or it might be the last DIY you’ll ever make.

Turn an old TV into a cat/dog bed

Cats and dogs love to sit in boxes and luxuriate in soft, comfortable beds. A cool old-fashioned TV in a wooden cabinet can be the perfect plush box for a dog or cat bed . It can be as complex or as simple as you prefer – the basics are pretty simple:

1. Unplug the TV from the mains so that you do not accidentally shock yourself with an electric shock.
2. Remove the back of the TV case. It must be a matter of removing a few screws. The substrate may be attached to the tube and the electronics inside, or may be separate. If it is attached, carefully pull it out as far as possible.
3. Research electronic components and how to remove them. The TV is not working, so there is no need to be too gentle, but as noted above, be careful when removing the tube. Again, all you need to do is unscrew a few screws and remove the entire component.
4. Clean inside and out. Paint or contact paper on the interior can make it look upscale, then a suitably sized cat or dog bed is placed inside.
5. Replace the back panel or cut out a new one and screw it into place.

Your furry friend can jump in and out through the hole where the screen used to be. You can further decorate it with rugs, toys, or other decorations if you like, but this is optional.

Turn an old TV into a workspace and/or storage space

If you don’t have a pet or just need some extra storage space, an old TV cabinet can be easily converted into a shelving unit, side table or chest of drawers . The initial steps are the same as with the pet bed project: remove the back panel, remove the tube and electronics, and clean the inside.

After that, you can paint the cabinet inside and out if you like. Then install some table legs by drilling appropriate holes in the bottom of the cabinet and attaching the legs with bolts or screws. Now all you have to do is set up some shelving inside using some brackets and some wood shelves cut to size, replace the back panel and you have a cool little bookshelf or space for your extra sweaters. Also, you can fill the screen hole with a piece of art or a decorative panel and use it as a side table.

Turn an old TV into an ab ar

A trendy use for an old TV that no longer works is to turn it into a cool bar for your next party . It’s basically the same steps above for turning an old TV into a storage shelf, except instead of books or shoes that no longer fit in your closet, you place glassware, bottles, and cocktail tools inside. – shelves are optional, depending on how much space you have there.

One improvement you might want to consider is replacing the table legs with casters, resulting in a mobile cart instead of a fixed location.

Turn an old TV into an aquarium

A slightly more challenging project for you and your beloved old TV is to turn it into a cool aquarium . This includes removing the back panel and internal parts of the TV and preparing it for aquatic life.

1. Examine the closet for durability. Aquariums are heavy things and you should consider reinforcing the bottom of your TV cabinet before proceeding.
2. Measure the inside of the cabinet and choose an aquarium that will fit inside. Ideally, it should completely fill the “screen” part of the cabinet.
3. Measure from the top of the cabinet to the top of the aquarium. You will need 2-3 inches of free space to install the fixture. Without light, your aquarium will be quite difficult to see.
4. Place the aquarium on the cabinet and circle its edges. Add a half inch or so around the perimeter and cut out that part. This will allow you to access the aquarium for feeding etc. without having to remove everything.
5. Attach the hinges to the cabinet section you just cut out, and then reattach it to the cabinet body to make it rise. You will need to screw a small piece of wood to the underside of the front “edge” you created when you removed the top so that the lid you just made doesn’t just fall into the cabinet itself, but sits flush with it. edge.
6. Place the aquarium back into the TV cabinet and make sure the lid you created allows for proper access.
7. Attach the lamp to the bottom of the cover. Flat fluorescent fixtures designed to be placed under kitchen cabinets are best suited.
8. You’ll want to hide the wires behind your tank so you can either set up a decorative backdrop behind it, or simply paint the back and sides of the tank.
9. Insert the aquarium, run the wires from the back to the power supply and set up the aquarium. It might be wise to fill the tank first and make sure the cabinet can support the weight.

Turn an old TV into an applanter

You don’t have space for a convertible TV inside – well, maybe you have space in your backyard, on your terrace or on your patio. Removing the innards of an old TV and turning it into a planter is a cool retro way to add more greenery to your outdoor space. This is not a difficult project:

1. Remove the back of the TV and the internal electronics.
2. Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the TV – just a few – so that excess water can drain off.
3. Consider waterproofing with Liquid Rubber, Redgard or a similar product. Waterproofing the bottom of the cabinet will extend its service life; otherwise, constant dampness will quickly rot the bottom.
4. Either fill with potting soil and transfer seeds or plants inside, or fill with potted plants.
5. Enjoy!

Turn an old TV into an art-etro monitor

Finally, what better way to surprise and embarrass your guests than by taking an old TV cabinet and installing a sparkling new HD flat screen into it? Here’s how to do it:

1. Remove the back panel and internal components.
2. Insert a new TV or monitor and see how it fits. Measure your existing cabinet opening to determine how much larger it needs to be to accommodate the new screen. Adjust the screen opening if necessary. While this project is easiest to do with a cabinet that already housed an old flat screen TV (because older tube-style TVs tended to have curved screens), you can adjust the curved screen cutout to the size and shape you want with a little judicious sawing . Alternatively, you can completely remove the front bezel and replace it with a custom-made piece of wood that will perfectly frame your new flat screen and add some simple trim around the edges.
3. If your old cabinet is deep enough and your flat screen can stand inside on a stand and rise to the desired height, you can simply attach the stand to the bottom of the inside of the cabinet with a few brackets. Otherwise, you may need to adjust the TV’s height by removing the stand or prying up the bottom of the cabinet with a few layers of plywood.

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