Warmer weather is here, and it’s time to get outside and take full advantage of these beautiful sunny days. For many people, that means spending time cultivating a vegetable patch or flower bed. If you’ve never tried gardening before but would like to try it this year, here are some of the best easy tricks to put you on the fast track to garden success.Read more ›
How to Design an Inviting Front Yard Garden
December 12, 2023 · By · Leave a Comment
The front yard is a passerby or visitor’s first impression of your home and you. It is also the first thing you see when you leave or return to your home.
A front yard garden should reflect the people who live in the house and make the space feel warm and inviting, offering a welcoming path to the front door. This will look different for each person: perhaps you envision a cottage garden, formal landscaping, or practical yet attractive vegetable beds.Read more ›
150+ Upcycling Ideas for Garden Projects
March 28, 2021 · By · 2 Comments
It’s that time of year again, when those of us in the Northern Hemisphere start to feel the excitement of Spring. The days get longer, the yard gets more colorful, and all of a sudden, EVERYTHING YOU OWN starts looking like a planter. So, the Thrift Store Decor Team decided to pool all of our garden projects into a single collection of upcycling ideas for your yard, garden, and patio.Read more ›
Tabletop Greenhouse from a Floppy Disk Holder
March 21, 2021 · By · 19 Comments
Several years ago, I repurposed a muffin tin as a seedling tray and it worked beautifully. And while I could have done that again this year, I wanted to try out an experiment. You see, my friends at T4T Thrift Shop had sent me a floppy disk holder (a while ago!) to upcycle. As I mulled over different project possibilities, I kept coming back to the idea of transforming it into a tabletop greenhouse.Read more ›
Seed Storage Box from a Wooden Salt Box
March 10, 2021 · By · 31 Comments
I know I’m not the only one who flocks to all things “wood” at the thrift store. Shelves, boxes, cutting boards- they all lend themselves to upcycling. And this country-style vintage salt box was no exception. I didn’t care for its current look, but knew it would be easy to convert into a seed storage box that could also double as Spring decor.Read more ›
How to Designate Your Yard as Certified Wildlife Habitat
April 22, 2020 · By · 18 Comments
As an animal lover and biologist (on paper), it’s no surprise that our yard is very wildlife-friendly. Not only do I love to watch the birds and other critters, but our indoor cats do, as well. Many of my upcycling projects were made specifically for backyard habitat, including feeders, baths, and houses. I learned about designating one’s yard as Certified Wildlife Habitat many years ago, but wasn’t sure how well-known that program was.Read more ›
DIY Garden Signs from Grill Forks
March 21, 2018 · By · 40 Comments
Ok- I will fully admit that this is a truly zany idea of mine! There I was at the thrift store, looking for inspiration on the shelves. I was going to move aside this grill fork when it dawned on me that the barbecue fork could BE the inspiration I was looking for. What if I transformed it as part of some DIY garden signs? In other words, what if I used it as a stake instead of for steak?Read more ›
Portable Potting Bench from a Dresser Drawer
July 6, 2017 · By · 81 Comments
Every Spring and Summer, my Pinterest and Facebook news feeds are filled to the brim with big, beautiful potting benches! Whether constructed from pallets or old doors, or even a genuine vintage potting table, they are stunning and, well, LARGE. But, here’s the thing- I’m a gardener on a very small scale. I simply don’t have the space or need for a potting bench that is normal size. So, I set forth to create something on a smaller scale: a portable potting bench!Read more ›
Herb Plant Stand from a Stand Up Shower Caddy
April 20, 2017 · By · 44 Comments
I do a lot of cooking at home but I’m not a prolific gardener. I’m limited my own lack of gardening interest, but also by space. That being said, though, I do like to grow my own kitchen herbs in pots as much as possible. You may recall how I upcycled a muffin tin as a propagation tray for growing some herb plants from seed? Well, it’s time to transplant them and I’ll be upcycling a stand up shower caddy to create an herb plant stand!
Plant Starting Tray with a Muffin Pan
March 30, 2017 · By · 45 Comments
Real Life Confession- I love the idea of gardening more than I love actual gardening. Can anyone else relate? BUT. But…I still enjoy having planted herbs around as the weather warms up! So, this year, I’ve decided to do a series of upcycling ideas for an herb garden. And today is Part 1: Repurposing a muffin pan as a seed starting tray or plant starting tray.Read more ›
