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 ›
Fairy Garden Furniture from the Junk Drawer
January 28, 2021 · By · 32 Comments
A reader recently asked (on my Facebook page) if I had ever upcycled a pizza saver. You know, those little plastic pieces that keep a pizza box from caving in on the toppings. And I instantly remembered a VERY old blog post that I had put together in 2014 (but never published) on fairy garden furniture that I made using household junk.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 ›
Repairing a Rustic Birdhouse with Barnwood
January 9, 2019 · By · 29 Comments
Several years ago, I saw a rustic birdhouse that was done up like a “junk shop”. And while I didn’t make the purchase, I never forgot how cute it was. So, when I found this broken birdhouse while thrifting, it seemed like I had been given a second chance at a junky birdhouse. I just needed to fix it up and I already had the right piece of barnwood to do it!Read more ›
Wren Birdhouse from a Wooden Tissue Box
July 19, 2018 · By · 25 Comments
This wooden tissue box was one of the last things I snapped up at a favorite thrift store before it closed. It was sturdy and well-made, but I didn’t have a project idea right away. After a while, though, I wondered if I could tweak it and use it as a wren birdhouse for the backyard.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 ›
