Abstract The synthesis of a range of racemic 1-acyl-2-vinylcyclopropanes by using two different methodologies is studied. We have developed a copper-catalyzed process for converting diazoketones into 1-acyl-2-vinylcyclopropanes and a sulfur-ylide-mediated procedure which allows, in only two steps, a simplified access to 1-acyl-2-vinylcyclopropanes with alkyl or aryl substituents on the alkene moiety