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Garden Art From Trash!
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This month begs me to do something outdoors! How about you?
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Broken plates-don't throw away those chipped plates, especially the pretty ones! Stick them into the garden with the chipped parts hidden by the dirt. Alone or grouped, they make a statement! Uneven numbers work best. Mirrors and Cds-reflective surfaces attract birds and are fun in the sunlight. Make mobiles and hang from tree limbs! With a large mirror, one can place it against a fence, behind the plants and enjoy the reflections of your garden lighting. Our dog uses our big mirror to scope out squirrels without being seen. Funny to watch! She crawls into the greenery beneath the trees and watches in the mirror for any unsuspecting squirrel to enter the bed. She hasn't caught any yet but she sure likes to chase them! |
More mirrors!-broken mirrors can be found in the trash and snatched for use in your garden. Glue with mirror adhesive to fences, garden sheds, and anywhere you want to make a space look larger. Use the pieces in a loose mosaic form and you have a one of a kind piece of art!
Rusted metal anything-the rusted look is very "in" now and metal can be found easily. Use your imagination and use large rusted metal car parts, old gates, iron grates from demolished old homes, and any metal you can get your hands on to create unique garden elements. If you cannot cut or weld these yourself, try finding someone who can and offer to trade a piece of garden art for their work.
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Fabric-how about an old beach umbrella that you strip down to the bare spokes and cover with silk greenery and tiny Christmas lights? Inserted into the ground where light and a bit of fun are needed, the look is very "partyish"! Even better if you drape tulle, chiffon, netting, etc. over the umbrella! Swagged like you were draping a scarf over your shoulders. If it is to be a permanent fixture, use it as a trellis! Wonderful with lights! More fabric-these same fabrics can be used to make "tent like" areas for the private enjoyment of your family. While not usually found in trash bins, the fabric can be had very inexpensively in close out bins at fabric stores. Bamboo poles make the structure. Even more dramatic beside a pool. An informal cabana! Pottery-broken pottery is found at garden centers
and nurseries. Sweet talk them into letting you have some! Large broken
pots look great as is, or can be faux painted to look as though they are
centuries old. Or try smaller pieces glued together to make a sculpture
all your own. Paint, glue mirrors or tile pieces to make a mosaic, or
leave as is. Make this large enough to make a "statue" in your
garden! You can add the necessary "works" to make this a Lamp stands-old lamps taken apart, tall stands of any kind, and anything that you can add that is tall and slender can be weatherproofed to make a grouping of candle stands for the garden. Again, three, five, or seven work best. With or without candles, these are attractive and catch the eye! Especially among low growing flowers. Or you can line your driveway with these for a luminary look! Fence Posts-an old, tall, but sturdy fence post makes a great pole for use as a flag hanger. Just screw the hardware into the post. Mine has plant hangers and a small lantern hung from it also. A welcoming sight! Potpourri of Ideas-Are we there yet? Are your creative juices flowing? Here are some off the wall ideas. Do you have a broken box fan? The square grates are wonderful for painting and hanging as faux gates, wall decor, or wherever your imagination takes you! Snip out a design from the grate for an even better look. Have an old touchier lamp? It too is great for painting and "planting" in the garden, decked out with plants on the top. Bury the bottom to keep it from tipping, or you can add concrete to the base. Look around the house and garage and see with new eyes. Check out the dumpsters and the neighbors trash! Old TV tables can be cut out for plant pots to sit down in. How about window frames? Old pool balls, golf gear, fishing gear, boat parts and oars, wooden anything! Some of these things need to be painted with clear or colored outdoor spray paints to keep them looking good, whether the look is "old" or new. Now it's YOUR turn. This newsletter has no pictures for a reason. I would love for you to send in your ideas with pictures and I will put them in the next newsletter! I need them by the 6th of July in order to optimize the pictures and format the newsletter. Please, only send pictures if you have the rights to them. Then, please include your permission to publish the pictures in the newsletter! Include your name, website if you have one, contact information, or any groups you may want to advertise, if you wish. Or you may request "no name please". Let's see how creative you can be! And we'll show the world through this next newsletter! It's your turn to shine! Looking forward to your creative contributions! Happy Decorating! Warmly, Always think about this...in some places, taking something from someone's trash or going through a dumpster, is illegal. Please check local ordinances before you take a chance. And, another thing to keep in mind...sometimes you may find people with "not so nice" intentions hanging around dumpsters. All I am saying is...always be careful! |
 
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