Home gardening doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby for you. The truth is many gardeners are thrifty and creative and don’t need to buy fancy things to make their garden awesome.
If you’ve started using kitchen scraps as an organic fertilizer for your garden then you’re on the right track already.
Did you know that you can also make your garden a bit more special and beautiful using objects found in your home or from yard sales? The garden is an excellent place to put your creativity to the test by upcycling.
Today, we’ll be talking about simple ways you can upcycle everyday items to make your garden even more charming. Here are 10 Simple Garden Upcycling Ideas!
What is Upcycling?
Upcycling refers to the process of reusing or re-purposing discarded materials to create something that has a higher quality or value than the original.
There are many ways to upcycle your garden, you only need to look around your house, visit garage sales, or scour vintage shops to find items that you can transform into amazing things. All you need is a little imagination.
You can make unique and practical planters, garden labels, stepping stones, and so much more with just a sprinkling of imagination, some paint, and some glue.
Below are some awesome ideas you may want to try to make your garden Instagram and Pinterest-worthy:
1. Mason Jar Hanging Planters
Mason jars can be upcycled in so many ways. One awesome way to re-purpose this versatile item is to turn them into hanging planters. You can add a coat of paint to the glass jars beforehand with any color glass paint you fancy or just leave them plain.
Next, wind some wire around the rim of the jars so you can hang them from the ceiling or on a vertical wall. Then fill the jars with potting soil and flower seeds or you can also re-pot grown flowers into these jars for a pretty hanging garden.
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2. Old Drawer Raised Beds
This is one of my favorite easy Upcycling Ideas for the garden. If you have old furniture and home decor that has seen better days lying around, such as nightstands, dressers, or desks, you can easily turn them into raised flower beds or cool-looking planters. There are so many upcycled furniture ideas that you can go wild with.
This is an easy way to breathe new life into your old stuff, give them a new a look with a lick of paint even spray paint, a touch of acrylic paint in your favorite color, or use wood stain for a bit of color and protection from the elements. Then fill the old drawers with potting soil and plant just about anything from succulents to flowers to ferns.
Alternatively, you can use old metal footlockers as raised garden beds and use the same embellishing treatments above.
3. Paint Bucket Planters
You don’t have to spend a fortune on pots for your garden. If you have old empty cans of paint lying around, you can easily transform them into gorgeous planters, just make sure to drill drainage holes at the bottom so that excess water can escape every time you water.
A fun idea to make them extra special: you can spray a little paint on them with bright and fun colors. Now fill them with potting soil and start growing all sorts of plants in your very own planters!
4. Colander Hanging Basket
Colanders aren’t just for making sure your tomatoes and other produce are washed and drained perfectly. If you have old metal colanders lying around, it’s a great idea to use them as hanging planters for flowers, succulents, and air-loving plants.
5. Boot Planters
Another creative and charming Upcycling project and Idea for your garden is to grow your garden plants by using boots as planters. Children’s rain boots make for whimsical planters that will make your garden extra special.
What’s more, they often come in gorgeous colors and designs that will make your garden a happier place.
Or even old purses or old suitcases, here are 2 I did last year:
6. Soda Bottle Water Feeder
Did you know that you can keep your garden properly watered without picking up a sprinkler or garden hose every single day? Simply use an empty soda bottle or any plastic bottle as a water feeder for your garden beds to keep your plants happy and hydrated.
To make a drip feeder for your garden, start by poking holes all around into an empty soda bottle and then bury the bottle near your plants. You can then fill the bottle up to the top.
The water will slowly leach out the holes you made into the soil. Once drained, simply refill as needed.
7. Pallet Garden
If you’ve ever wanted to try vertical gardening but didn’t know where to start then pallets are your new best friend. You’ll love these clever upcycling ideas for your yard:
You can easily construct a vertical planter to grow flowers, herbs, and even small crops. This is perfect for homes with limited yard space.
Stand the pallet on end, cover the back, using a staple gun, with landscape fabric, you can find it at any gardening center, fill the pallet up with soil and start planting in each row.
If you don’t have wood pallets around, you can also use old wooden step ladders in a similar fashion. You may add planter boxes on the steps of the ladder or use the steps as a sort of shelf for your potted plants.
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8. Egg Carton Seed Starter
You don’t have to purchase seed starter containers for your seedlings, all you need is a bunch of egg cartons. Simply poke drain holes in the bottom of the cartons, fill with potting mix, and plant seeds of your choice. You can also use sour cream containers, styrofoam cups, let your imagination run wild.
Bonus tip: you can use egg shells to boost the calcium content of your garden soil too!
9. Silverware Wind Chimes
Wind chimes are charming upcycled yard ideas for any garden, and you can make them out of different materials. One excellent way is to use old silverware and kitchen utensils like old spoons and forks to make an enchanting wind chime.
Simply drill holes into the handles of your silverware and thread them with twine. Attach them to a wooden stick and let it hang in your garden. You’ll love the final result.
This DIY project is a great way to give your everyday items a new purpose and second life while adding a little rustic charm.
Apart from wind chimes, you can also use old silverware to make reusable plant markers. This has to be my favorite project. You only need to engrave the name of the crops you’ll be planting, or you could use chalk paint.
10. DIY Birdbath
Attract birds to your garden with a simple DIY birdbath. Use anything for a stand with a bowl or upturned dish glued on top to hold about an inch or so of water. This is also an inexpensive way to achieve the overall look that you want.
For this simple project, you can use an old waste basket turned upside down with a bowl or dish glued on top, or an old lamp stand, or even an old stool. Anything could work, take a look around the house for a little inspiration, and you’ll be surprised at what you can come up with from just your living room or kitchen or in a closet.
Making your garden beautiful doesn’t have to be expensive. As we’ve shown you in the tips above, you can turn simple items into an easy project and garden treasures just by repurposing them.
I hope you have so much fun finding new clever ways to decorate your garden for less! Do you have other upcycling creative ideas to share? Let us know in the comments.
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