Fence Decorations for Whimsical Garden Decor

For the first time in my blogging career, we live (currently/temporarily) in a house with a fence. And before we move again later this summer, I wanted to take advantage of the situation. So, I made some whimsical garden decor from round plastic trays that I found at Habitat ReStore.

And when I say “round plastic trays”, I mean this divided kind. I’m sure you’ve seen them at thrift stores before, too!

No surprise, I looked for plastic platters in the splashiest of colors that I could find. And the thrift stores- Habitat ReStores here in Charlotte- did not disappoint.

Now, I *have* created a project with a plastic tray before. But I went in a very direction for that one, and I specifically used the sturdier Tupperware version that has deeper compartments.

For this new project idea of mine, however, deeper and more usable compartments didn’t matter one iota.

This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All blue, bold, and underlined text is a clickable link, either to a product or to a related post.

This project is also sponsored by the Charlotte Region ReStore(s).

Making the Fence Decorations

 

Once I had my trio of round plastic trays, I was ready to upcycle them into whimsical garden decor for our fence!

And I bet you can already see my vision without me first showing you the final result, right? And while you’re undoubtedly right, I do want to point out that I opted to focus on the undersides for this project.

But honestly, either way would work for these fence decorations! Anyway…

First, I needed to paint the centers- and the centers only- of each upside-down tray/platter. I decided that spray paint would be the better choice, but I needed to cover most of the tray. So, I used newspaper to cover the surrounding sections, leaving the round center uncovered.

Next, I let the center(s) dry before spraying the entire tray with a top coat. I figured doing the entire flower couldn’t hurt and may help prevent the color from fading as much.

When all the painting and sealing was done, these were my three fence decorations. Aren’t they cute? SO fun, and SO EASY to transform! Just one more step to finish them up…

 

Lastly, I drilled a hole through the center of one of the “petals” in order to string some jute twine through. This way, I could make a large loop that could go over the wooden fence posts.

Fence Decorations for Whimsical Garden Decor

Just like that, I had whimsical garden art to hang on the fence! I love how they add pops of color and a touch of fun and whimsy to the backyard.

I realized, after the fact, that the slightly translucent yellow flower was less ideal in sunlight than its opaque friends. Something to keep in mind when you go thrifting for round plastic trays.

It didn’t even dawn on me that slightly translucent trays would allow the fence boards to show through a tad. Oh, well- a lesson learned that I can pass along to you.

Which is kind of the whole point of my blog, after all!

But I still loved how they turned out. Now I can’t go thrifting and NOT see a flower when I see these kinds of plastic platters. And I assure you that this is a ridiculously easy project that anyone can do. As with many of my ideas, half the fun is thrift-hunting for the perfect pieces to upcycle!

Looking for more upcycling ideas for garden decor, whimsical or otherwise? Then I invite you to peruse this collection of inspiration for your yard!

 

Craft on!

S

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