We have a lot of birds that frequent our yard. We offer multiple bird feeders, bird baths, and bird houses (many of which are upcycling projects of mine), and I wanted to make a new one for them. Bird nesting material is something I wanted to make plentiful for them, and I had an idea of just how to do it.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 ›
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 ›
Decorative Garden Stones from Copper Molds
June 12, 2019 · By · 21 Comments
Years ago, I made a mosaic stepping stone that featured an outdoor key hider underneath it. More recently, I had a hankering to try playing with concrete once again. But this time, I decided to use some copper molds from the thrift store to make some decorative garden stones.Read more ›
40+ DIY Ideas for Upcycled Planters
February 21, 2019 · By · 4 Comments
As an upcycler, I absolutely LOVE incorporating vintage treasures (especially ones in disrepair) into my garden decor. And I am by no means alone. Using antiques or secondhand items as upcycled planters is so popular that big box stores are stocking their shelves with “new made to look old” garden items. 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 ›
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!
