{"id":5382,"date":"2020-02-17T10:46:16","date_gmt":"2020-02-17T19:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/makeitagarden.com\/?p=5382"},"modified":"2022-01-17T16:40:15","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T01:40:15","slug":"trash-to-treasure-how-to-shop-for-garden-delights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/makeitagarden.com\/trash-to-treasure-how-to-shop-for-garden-delights\/","title":{"rendered":"Trash to Treasure: how to shop for garden delights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Blue bird votive candle holder. A cheerful presence in my garden<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Trash to Treasure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’d have fun shopping together! Going around to garage sales or thrift stores, we’d surely find a special treasure or two to take home for the garden. That’s precisely what this article is about. Turning trash to treasure: how to shop for garden delights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not sure what to look for? That’s ok! I’ll cover the types of things that make great accent pieces. Plus how to use them in ways you never thought of. I’ll show you some of things I’ve found and how they complement my garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, the timing couldn’t be better. Because Spring is the best time to find goodies for the garden. Thrift stores operate just like retail, so they’ll have all their Spring and Easter stuff out on the shelves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ‘key’ for trash to treasure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The key to success when shopping for the garden is to know before you go. In other words, know what decorating “look” or ‘style’ you want to achieve. Is your garden formal or informal? Do you like Rustic? Shabby Chic? What about country cottage? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shopping dollar stores is more than stretching your legs or stretching your budget. It’s also about stretching your imagination. You’ll see a lot of stuff on the shelf that doesn’t look like much. So, you’ll have to imagine it painted, or planted or as part of a vignette display. And that just takes practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, I found this plain old brass butterfly nik-nak. It had some greasy, gooey stuff on it, too. Certainly didn’t look like anything special. But almost ANYthing can be spray-painted! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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plain brass nik-nak after spray painting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I took it home and soaked it in hot, soapy water. Then, I took it out in the sunshine and played around with some different colors. That day, I learned a new spray paint technique and added a beautiful butterfly to my flower garden. What “critters” would you like to see in yours?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get the creative juices flowing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here’s another example. This cutesy owl is actually a metal kitchen trivet. He was just laying there on the shelf with a bunch of other cooking gadgets. Other shoppers overlooked him because, who needs a trivet, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But to me<\/em>, he’s not a trivet! I love owls. I live in the countryside and have owls around. So, this little guy would fit perfectly in with my garden scheme. I snatched him right up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metal or cast iron trivets make fantastic garden art because they’re indestructible in any weather. They can be painted any color or left to get good and rusty if that’s what you like. Hang one up by the garden shed, on a fence post or on a tree. Ta-dah!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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