I enjoy finding a new purpose for everyday items that may otherwise be discarded in the trash. This is even more the case with garden and patio decor and I’m always impressed with some of the ideas people come up with.
From reused license plates to laundry baskets, let’s look at 28 interesting ways to recycle old items in the garden, patio and landscape.
#1. Wine Bottle Cork Log Cabin Birdhouse
Corks from old wine bottles are easy to cut in half and then place together end-to-end to create a log cabin effect. You will need to cut and put together a few pieces of board for backing to glue the half pieces of cork on. Paint the corks a light or medium brown to make them look log-colored. Wine bottle corks are sold online in bulk. Get the blank ones if you are going to paint them because they will cost even less than the fancy printed corks.
#2. Old Pair of Blue Jeans Planter
This one is pretty straightforward, not needing much of a tutorial. You only need to fill the top part of the blue jeans with potting soil, fill the bottom part with something natural but inexpensive like straw.
#3. An Upcycled Bicycle Basket Planter
Upcycle an old bicycle with a bright coat of paint and a fresh basket planter. Rust isn’t a problem because paint will cover that right up!
#4. Recycled License Plate Planters.
- Use your old license plates
- Embossed or stamped (raised) older plates look better. Many plates these days are digitally printed on flat plates and look more 2 dimensional than the raised letters on older stamped plates
- Roll a license plate around a large Mason jar to make round planters.
Crimp the license plate with a large vise grip. Drill holes in the plates and fasten them together with small bolts, nuts and washers.
You only need one license plate to make a small planter. Insert wire mesh into the bottom of the planters for good drainage. No one will see that part anyway.
#5. License Plate Birdhouse.
#6. Tea Cup Bird Feeders.
Do you have a favorite old tea or coffee cup that was broken? Get out the hot glue gun, glue it back together (if it’s not in a thousand pieces) and create a new bird feeder.
You will need a tea cup or coffee mug and a preferably corresponding color/style saucer, Hot glue and a glue gun, some string or twine, and a bent spoon (optional).
How to drill a hole in a metal spoon:
- Use a hand clamp to clamp the spoon to a piece of wood. This will make it easier to punch an indentation in the spoon so you have a place to start drilling.
- Use a small cobalt drill bit to drill the hole.
#7. Dollar Store Plastic Dishware Garden Flowers
Can’t find these at the dollar store? Check out their website. (Example: DollarTree.com), also at party stores and online. Look for “crystal cut” and “fluted” styles, also plastic serving plates and bowls intended for weddings.
I like the ones with a vintage look. You can paint them if you cannot find plates in colors that you like.
#8. Recycled Spoon Windchimes
#9. Votive And Vase Mushrooms.
These little votive candle holders and small vases can be found at dollar and discount stores and are made of glass or plastic. I like to look for the plastic decorative types with bold and bright colors.
#10. Forklift Pallet Planter.
#11. Pallet Bar.
#12. Pallet Potting Tables.
Want to see more outdoor recycled pallet ideas? Check out 8 Creative Up-cycled Pallet Ideas For The Garden
#13. Pallet Patio Furniture.
To elevate the pallets to a more comfortable sitting level, use castors on the bottom corners (see top and middle images above) or double stack the pallets (see bottom image) and use a set of thick bulky cushions.
#14. Rubber Boot Gnome House.
#15. Boot Planters.
#16. Rubber Boot Birdhouse.
#17. A Reused Laundry Hamper turned into a tower Strawberry Planter.
Use old newspaper or cardboard to line one of those laundry hampers you see sold all over the place with holes on all sides pictured above. Fill the lined hamper with a well drained garden soil all the way to the top. Then use a utility or a kitchen knife to slice cross-shaped tabs into the liner. Push the strawberry plants into the dirt using your hand to kind of force it into the soil.
Think of how many strawberries you could harvest from a “strawberry tower”!
#18. Plastic Laundry Basket Patio Pond
Home centers have water lilies and other water garden plants suitable for container ponds. Many pond plants can be shipped through the mail (purchased online) as bulbs, tubers, and many other types of aquatic plants can also be purchased by mail order.
For more inspiration, see our post about container ponds: Stunning Water Features You Can Create In A Day
#19. Upcycled Paint Can Planters.
#20. A Bowling Ball Recreated Into A Garden Gazing Ball.
This one is pretty easy. If you have an old bowling ball you don’t use anymore, transform it into a garden gazing ball! Fill the holes with wood putty, then give it a few coats of a metallic mirror surface spray paint.
#21. Wine Bottle Wall.
#22. Wine Bottle Border.
#23. Bottle Trees.
For more ideas using wine bottles in the garden, see our post 7 Ways to use wine bottles in your landscape and…
The Gardeners Guide to bottle trees
#24. A Wine Bottle Hummingbird Feeder.
#25. Wine Bottle Container Fountain.
#26. Wine Bottle Tiki Torches.
How to make a wine bottle Tiki torch (Hometalk)
- Safety Note: Some wine bottles can be somewhat top heavy and may be prone to being knocked over on patio tables. For this reason I recommend placing glass beads or decorative aquarium gravel in the bottom 5th of the bottle to keep it more stabilized. Also, it is unnecessary to fill citronella oil all the way to the top. Instead fill the bottle up only ⅔ of the way to the top. The wick will still be able to soak up the oil.
#27. Wine Bottle Windchimes.
For more on this one, see: How to create a wine bottle hummingbird feeder
#28. Vintage Birdcage Planters.
There are 2 ways to turn an old birdcage into a decorative garden planter or a hanging basket:
- Line the bottom and about 1-2 inches up the side with sphagnum peat moss or coconut coir. A hanging basket liner will also work as long as it is large enough to fit the birdcage. They can be cut to fit with scissors if too large. After lining the birdcage, place potting soil inside the new liner. Plant some colorful succulents or trailing plants that can spill out the sides of the birdcage.
- An alternative method is to simply place a plant that is already planted in a decorative planter inside the birdcage instead of lining the bottom.
These look great placed on decks/patios, used as a type of hanging basket or on a pedestal.