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 ›
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 ›
Upcycling Crafts for Garden Markers or Plant Labels
April 22, 2018 · By · 2 Comments
Let’s face it- most gardeners don’t actually need to use some sort of garden markers or plant labels in their garden. They know what they planted and plant tags seem a little unnecessary. But, there are tons of upcycling crafts for various garden markers and they look AWFULLY cute in your garden! 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 ›
DIY Plant Markers from Vintage Shoe Trees
May 11, 2017 · By · 55 Comments
After successfully sowing herb seeds in thrifted muffin tins and then transplanting the seedlings into larger pots displayed on a vertical shower caddy, I’m wrapping up my three-part Upcycled Herb Garden series today! And what, pray tell, could my third part be about? Well, I’m upcycling some vintage shoe trees into DIY plant markers!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 ›
DIY Garden Trellis from Vintage Garden Tools
November 17, 2015 · By · 78 Comments
This project started out when I thrifted some vintage garden tools for a Halloween project. Well, try as I might, the spooky project was a failure. I let the dust of my frustration settle before going back to the drawing board. With the old garden tools already in hand, I just needed a new idea! Eventually, I settled on the idea of building a DIY garden trellis that would be both decorative and functional.
Read more ›
Upcycled Birdhouse from a Decorative Table Clock
September 2, 2014 · By · 28 Comments
During one of my many Junkin’ Journeys, I stumbled upon a decorative desktop clock that was perfect for upcycling. It wasn’t particularly well-made and battery inside the clock mechanism had corroded over. So, I decided that it was ideal for transforming into an upcycled birdhouse.Read more ›
DIY Herb Drying Rack from a Repurposed Picture Frame
May 15, 2014 · By · 40 Comments
I love to upcycle items that are SUPER common at thrift stores, and picture frames fall into that category. There are endless options and the price point is (usually) ideal. This time around, I decided to create a DIY herb drying rack that is perfect to use with your fresh garden herbs!Read more ›
