4 Creative Ways to Reuse Spent Ammunition

This article originally appeared in Texas Wildlife magazine. Click here to subscribe to this publication and learn more about how Texas Wildlife Association is conserving wildlife!

For those of you who love to hunt and shoot, you may have wondered what to do with used cartridges of ammunition. Some people reload them but here are some options that are a little more out-of-the-box. These are easy to do and can commemorate a memorable hunt or a successful day at the gun range.

1. Bullet Wreath

What You Need

• Straw wreath base (found at most craft stores)
• Gold spray paint
• Hot glue gun
• Spent rifle and pistol cartridges

Spray the wreath base gold and allow to dry. Using a hot glue gun, adhere the spent cartridges to the wreath in a random pattern, starting with the largest ammunition and working down to the smallest.

For more detailed instructions, click here. 

2. Shotgun Shell Magnets

What You Need

• Small circular magnets (<1/2” in diameter)
• Spent shotgun shells
• Gas stove or lighter
• Hand held pruning shears or heavy duty scissors
• Hot glue gun

Remove the plastic from the shotgun shell using shears. Using tongs, carefully hold the end of the spent shotgun shell over a gas stove or lighter to melt the remaining plastic from inside the base. Adhere the magnet to the shotgun shell with hot glue. Optional: add a rhinestone at the center of the shotgun shell.

3. Bullet Votives

What You Need

• 3 small glass candle votives
• Hot glue gun and super glue such as E6000
• Spent rifle and pistol cartridges

Using hot glue and E6000, adhere the spent bullet cartridges to the glass in a random pattern, starting with the largest cartridges and working down to the smallest. Leave some space in between for the candle light to shine through.

5. Bullet Letter

What You Need

• Wooden Letter
• 1 can spray paint (glitter spray paint pictured)
• Hot glue

Spray the wooden letter with the color of your choice and allow to dry. Hot glue the ammunition on the letter in your desired pattern. Then spray the surface of the ammunition with spray paint and allow to dry.

Armed with spray paint and a hot glue gun, the world is your oyster! Happy shooting (and decorating)!