Organized Clutter

Do you have any whiskey barrel planters?  I currently have two round ones and one horizontal one.  Oak barrel planters weather into an awesome grey patina that is perfect for a junk garden.  Over the years, I have filled my barrel planters with a variety of annuals. I like to layer some plastic milk or water bottles on the bottom of barrels.  This saves on the amount of potting soil needed to fill the containers. The barrels also have drainage holes.  I always empty the soil into a wheelbarrow first if I move a barrel planter to another location. (But sometimes the barrel bottom has rotted out so the barrel stays put!) Above, my horizontal planter is filled with impatiens, asparagus ferns and filler vines.  Several years ago, I decorated the barrel front with an aluminum cover. It's nailed on.

As winter winds down, it's time to think about flower gardening! Do you have enough galvanized buckets for planting?  Galvanized buckets are my favorite rustic outdoor planter.

Here is an assortment of older blog projects and newer ones. Let's talk old suitcases! I scoop them up when they are clean inside and have a reasonable price.   I spray painted the one above with  Rustoleum Painters Touch Flat Black Spray Paint  and decorated it with   Redesign With Prima's Somewhere In France Transfer. Keep scrolling for more upcycles and ideas with suitcases.

The wooden basket on the left was found at a garage sale, and the miniature sled at Goodwill. Each cost $4.  I transformed the items with paint, stencils, napkin decoupage!

In April of 2017, I upcycled a thrifted wooden cracker serving tray in a blog post  HERE.    After being sprayed with Clear Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac Spray  (to prevent stain bleed through on light colored paint), I used  Krylon Colonial Ivory Spray Paint  on the tray. After adding the metal label frame and "Succulents" tag, I filled the tray with four succulents from Dollar Tree .   Lately, I have moved on from super creamy whites in favor of black and whiter whites, so the tray received a new makeover.

I purchased this set of four fall, cutting board shaped coasters at our local Menards. They were perfect for a fall project that I had in mind!

 In 2012, my son was tearing down an old treehouse in the back of his property, and I saved the treehouse ladder. I leaned the ladder up against my house and added a vintage minnow bucket and minnow bucket insert to the rungs.  Since the ladder is on the northwest corner of my house, it is in a shady spot, perfect for impatiens. Here is the ladder over the years including this year's vignette.

  I found several old window screens at a garage sale a few years ago.  This one gets its second makeover here.

  Old drawers are not that plentiful in my small town.  We don't have a ReStore or salvage type store.   I find them at consignment and thrift shops mostly, and not often. Here are 14 of my favorite drawer projects.

  I love to shop the 40% off galvanized items in Hobby Lobby's Spring Sale. I paid $11.99 for this galvanized metal container with handles.

 I love old crates! I use them all the time in my decor inside and out, every day and holidays. See 20+ ideas here. Coca-Cola Crate on the Rustic Christmas Mantel

 Over Christmas, I purchased this 1980's wooden lap desk from a Goodwill store in the Twin Cities.  I paid $3.99. These little lap desks were quite popular for letter writing before email.

I purchased this Spring Shop  galvanized wall planter from a Hobby Lobby store in Bemidji.  It came in two sizes.  I chose the smaller one that was priced at $9.59 at 40% off.

 I found this double wide, oak recipe box at a Goodwill shop in the Twin Cities. How about the large "rainbow trout" knob on top?

 I found this old drawer at a local consignment shop.    I think I paid $5 for it.  I repurposed the drawer front into this farmhouse style wall hook board.  Details for that project can be found  HERE. Here's what I did with the rest of the drawer...

I picked up this vintage fruit crate for $5. The Daisy California Fruit Label is still in pretty good shape.  I scrubbed the inside and outside of the crate, except for the label.

I picked up this little wooden tote in July at a garage sale. I think it was $1.   Have you seen these galvanized metal cursive words at Dollar Tree yet?   Three words for $1, Thankful, Harvest and Welcome .

 I finished planting all of my annuals the first week of June.  It has been a cool/cold spring with frost even into June. Over the years, I have accumulated several old galvanized scrub or mop buckets.  They work as annual planters just like my galvanized laundry tubs and feed buckets.  This old bucket is planted with two red  Nemesia annuals.   Nemesia has become one of my favorite annuals.

My birthday is in June, and I always pick up a few to  me from me  gifts for the garden. Like this tulip crate from 1986.  I've wanted one for a while.  So far, I am displaying it in the corner of my deck.

 This wooden box/drawer was at the thrift shop all through the holiday season.    It was filled with faux Christmas greenery. I really never paid that much attention to it, but after Christmas, I gave it a little more scrutiny.  I discovered it was a small square wooden drawer.  The wood divider was already in the center. Hmm.  I thought.  This will make an easy upcycle project!