Want to refresh your outdoor space without spending a lot of money? The old concept of “reduce, reuse, recycle” is now the art of upcycling –– turning discarded or stowed items into pieces of useful décor. Check out these upcycling ideas to turn “trash” into treasure for your front and back yards.

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Q & A: What is Upcycling?
Perfect Upcycled Planters
From Attic to Amazing: Upcycled Projects You’ll Love
Upcycling Ideas for Everyday Items

Upcycled Ideas for Your Garden

Decorating an inground garden adds a bit of character to the land, and it helps to keep veggie-eating critters away from the crops. There are dozens of ways to add upcycled charm so get creative!

Cut up a couple of yardsticks or tie up long twigs into a small scarecrow or stick figure. Dress it in “clothes” using material from an old umbrella, so rainwater will run off onto the ground.

Indoor statues work nicely for the outdoors (if they are waterproof). Toy pinwheels catch the wind for a dazzling display of color while deterring garden-digging rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons.

Old music CDs are great decorations for the garden and patio. Cut them into thin strips, paint with various colors and patterns. Glue the strips to a wooden board, or punch holes in them to attach to a long stick. Place the shiny strips in or near the garden.

Garden trellises made from wooden pallets or reclaimed wood paneling can last for years. Upcycle pretreated wood from old barns and sheds.

Q & A: What is Upcycling?

I was listening to your show today and heard you talking about DIY’rs repurposing stuff from the garbage pit into beautiful outdoor furniture. This kind of thing is right up my ally, but I couldn’t remember what it’s called?

It’s actually called “Upcycling” and is the process of taking unwanted items, like old furniture, ires of pallets for example, and then turning those into something useful. By surveying both your own items and those found on the street or at 2nd hand stores, there are endless ways to restore these into something beautiful and useful!

Perfect Upcycled Planters

Garden Planters. For yards, patios, and apartment terraces, just about any type of container will work for plants and flowers. Drill a hole through the bottom to let excess water drain. Here are a few ideas:

Upcycled Wheelbarrow. Upcycle an old rusty wheelbarrow by giving it a coat of paint, drilling a small hole in the bottom, and filling it with soil. Plant colorful flowers or light shrubbery.

Upcycled rusty wheelbarrow into a garden. — Transform a rusty wheelbarrow into a container garden.

Wine Rack. Vertical gardens need something for the plants to hang on, and wine racks are perfect! Herb gardens fit into the wine slots as climbing plants crawl up the sides. Old wooden ladders also do the trick.

Wooden Pallets. These thin slatted boxes can be used intact or torn apart. Consider building a few shelves on the ground or a small bench for the garden. Paint or stain the wood to protect it from inclement weather.

Toys, tires, boots, and kitchen colanders make unique, colorful planters, too.

From Attic to Amazing: Upcycled Projects You’ll Love

Upcycling idea for a combo kiddie pool and firepit.

From outdoor fireplaces to combination fire pits and kiddie pools, brightening the outdoors with stuff you already have lying around is a fun way to enjoy the past and present at the same time. Here are ideas to repurpose treasures you may have stashed away in your attic.

Upcycled Christmas Lights. String up old Christmas lights through patio furniture and pergolas. Brighten up backyard trees and fences. Christmas lights look cute on children’s playsets, too.

Ceramic Dish Do-overs. Ceramic dishes, pottery, and glass bottles can be turned into steppingstones for the garden. Glue colorful glass stones to plates, cups, and saucers to hang as light catchers.

Upcycling old pallets to create furniture.

Fun Furniture Upcycling. Have some old furniture gathering dust in the attic? Take it outside for backyard décor:

Paint and transform tables, chairs, cabinets, and the like into brightly colored garden planters and benches. Place old couch cushions on outdoor furniture but be sure to bring them inside when not in use.
Unused tabletops are ready for a redo when you place them on a deck or patio to support tall container plants. Repurpose old wooden tables by cutting the legs shorter to make a garden or patio bench.
Old bedroom dressers make great garden tool chests. Replace dresser mirrors with pegboards to hang tools on.

Upcycling Ideas for Everyday Items

Make an Address Plaque. Turn a too-small hanging cutting board into an address plaque for the front door. Place sticky numbers vertically in the center of the plaque.

Build Bug Repellants. Create bug repellent torches by using leftover wine or liquor bottles filled with citronella oil. Be sure to rinse the bottles out thoroughly.

Upcycled plastic bottle to create a bird feeder.

Upcycled Ideas for Bird Feeders. Chipped or stained teacups and saucers are reusable as bird feeders. Permanent outdoor-safe glue attaches a ceramic teacup — on its side — to the saucer. When the glue is fully dry and set, place a ribbon, twine, or cord through the cup handle. Fill the cup with bird seed that will flow into the saucer. Hang it where birds come to visit. Your house doesn’t have to be a money pit!

With so many creative ways to upcycle household goods into outdoor décor, you’ll freshen your home, save money, and do your part to protect Mother Earth by not throwing useful stuff away.