If you take a look around your home, or even in your recycling bin, then you will probably find items that you can use in your garden. This is, obviously, good for the earth. When you upcycle everyday items into functional garden decorations, it also saves you money. After all, you don’t have to buy something to enjoy the function you’re creating when you use something that you already have.
Benefits of Upcycling in the Garden
Upcycling items for your garden has several benefits including:
Environmental Conservation
Upcycling reduces waste and promotes sustainable practices. By repurposing or reusing items that would otherwise end up in landfills, you contribute to the conservation of natural resources. Moreover, you reduce the need for new production. Remember: reduce, re-use, recycle.
Financial Savings
Obviously, we love frugal gardening options around here. Upcycling allows you to save money on purchasing new garden items. Instead, you can creatively transform everyday objects into functional garden decorations.
Unique and Personalized Garden Design
Upcycling gives you the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind pieces for your garden. Each upcycled item becomes a unique feature, making your garden stand out. By repurposing different materials, you can add a personal touch and express your creativity.
Flexibility and Versatility
Upcycling offers flexibility in terms of both design and functionality. The possibilities are endless. You can tailor your garden design to suit your preferences and needs.
Educational and Creative Experiences
Upcycling provides an opportunity for learning and experimentation. It encourages you to think outside of the box. This helps you to develop your problem-solving skills as you explore new ways to repurpose objects.
Encourages Gardening
Upcycled items can make gardening more accessible and enjoyable. By getting your creative brain thinking about how you can repurpose items into functional garden decorations, you get more and more excited about getting out into the garden. It keeps things interesting as the old becomes new again.
Everyday Items That Can Be Functional Garden Decorations
With enough creativity, you can repurpose just about any items into functional garden decorations. That said, here are some of the most popular everyday items to upcycle for the garden:
Old Tires
You can use old tires in the garden in many ways. They can become:
- plant beds and raised planters
- fencing, edging or used as a retaining wall
- trellis or shelving for a vertical garden
- lawn furniture and tire swings
- steps or stairs
I also recently learned that you can use them to make a small pond. Dig a hole in the ground and place a large tire inside the hole. Then line the tire with a pond liner and fill it with water. You can even create a small water feature by adding aquatic plants and small fish, just be sure to include Pond Pumps and any other necessary equipment if you plan on expanding your pond and enhancing its features. This is a great way to repurpose a large tire and attract wildlife to your garden. However, if you are looking for something a bit bigger than a tire for your pond, you’ll need to ensure that you have the space of course. You don’t have to go too big and can always keep it simple, but it would be nice to add something decorative that makes your garden stand out. Plus, you can add a plethora of additional features to your pond if it’s bigger, such as pond fountains or mini-waterfalls.
Mason Jars
Mason jars are great for creating hanging lanterns or tea light holders. They can also become candle holders or you can insert solar-powered LED lights into them. These enhance the ambiance of the space, of course. However, they also serve as functional garden decorations since they bring light to the space.
Other ways to use mason jars as functional garden decorations include:
Add An Herb Garden Section to Your Garden
Fill mason jars with soil and different herbs. Hang the jars using twine. You can also use to create a hanging herb drying rack. Tie bundles of herbs together with twine and hang them upside down in the jars to dry.
Terrariums
Build mini terrariums inside mason jars by layering rocks, charcoal, soil, and small plants such as succulents or air plants. The clear glass allows you to observe the tiny ecosystem. Terrariums can be displayed on tabletops or used as hanging gardens.
Seed Storage
Use mason jars to store and organize your seeds. Label each jar with the seed type and date collected or purchased. The airtight seal of the jars helps maintain seed viability and keeps them protected from moisture and pests.
Garden Tool Storage
Attach mason jar lids to the underside of a shelf or a board in your garden shed or workspace. Screw the jars onto the lids, creating practical storage for small gardening tools, seeds, or other small items.
Other everyday items that you can turn into functional garden decorations for tool storage include:
- Wooden pallets, crates or boxes
- PVC pipes
- Buckets, bins, or other vessels
- Hanging shoe organizers
- Old aprons or purses with pockets
Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottles can be upcycled in numerous ways:
Hanging Planters:
Cut the top portion off a plastic bottle. Then poke holes in the bottom for drainage. Next, hang it upside down using string or wire. Fill it with soil and plant cascading flowers or herbs. Hang multiple bottles at different heights for an eye-catching vertical garden.
Self-Watering Planters
Create self-watering planters by cutting a plastic bottle in half and inverting the top portion (with the cap removed) into the bottom half. Fill the bottom half with water and place it in a tray or container. Insert a wick, such as a cotton string or fabric, through the bottle cap and into the soil. This allows the plant to draw up water as needed.
Drip Irrigation System
Make a DIY drip irrigation system by poking small holes in the bottom of a plastic bottle and burying it next to your plants. Fill the bottle with water. It will slowly release water into the soil.
Wine bottles, plastic bags, used ice cream containers, PVC pipes, and old watering cans can also all be recycled into drip irrigation systems.
Garden Edging
Cut plastic bottles into strips or use them whole to create edging. Bury them vertically along the edge of your garden beds to create a decorative and functional border. The different colors and shapes of the bottles can add visual interest to your garden.
You can also upcycle wine and beer bottles to create garden edging. Rope, twine, and bricks are also good choices if you have any around.
Seed Starters
Cut off the bottom section of a plastic bottle. Then use it as a mini greenhouse for seed starting. The clear plastic allows sunlight to penetrate while retaining moisture.
Other great everyday items that you can turn into seed starters include egg cartons and newspaper.
Bird Feeders
Create a bird feeder by cutting out openings on the sides of a plastic bottle. Insert wooden dowels or sticks through the bottle for birds to perch on while they feed. Hang the bottle in a tree or attach it to a fence or post.
You can also create bird feeders by recycling:
- egg cartons
- toilet paper rolls
- pinecones
- chipped tea cups
- citrus halves!
Plant Markers
Cut plastic bottles into rectangular shapes. Write the names of the herbs on the plastic with a permanent marker or paint. Then simply insert them into the soil next to each plant.
Kitchen utensils also make great plant markers. Just write the information on the handle and stick the spoon, fork, knife, or spatula into the ground!
Read More:
- Are Old Tires Toxic to Plants?
- 45 Upcycling Ideas for the Garden
- 5 Cheap Substitute for Seedling Trays
- 50 Cool Upcycling Ideas for the Garden
- 5 Ways Healthy Gardens Help the Planet
Kathryn Vercillo is a long time writer, crafter and author of several books. A resident of San Francisco, she is committed to helping others explore, articulate and share their own individuals stories. When she’s not evaluating investing opportunities Kathryn is an avid knitter, researcher, and blogger.
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