Everyone wants to find ways to enhance the beauty and magic of their garden, to the point that garden supplies are now a $100 billion industry worldwide. And while we applaud those homeowners committed to making the world a more beautiful place we also need to recognize the times we live in, when it's so important to repurpose items instead of just throwing them away. In this post the team that brings you world-class copper mugs, custom barware, and myriad other household amenities looks at innovative ways you can transform household items into beautiful garden decorations.

Ten Household Items to Repurpose Into Garden Decorations

Repurpose any of the following ten household items to enhance the beauty and functionality of your garden while at the same time preventing more stuff from winding up in a landfill or the ocean.

An old bike

Bikes often seem like they last forever, but at some point either we get tired of riding them or we buy a replacement, and the old bike winds up sitting in the garage collecting dust or is left at the curbside during bulk trash pickups. There's got to be a better way! Luckily there is. Move your old bike to the garden and paint it in a way that allows it to blend in. Then place planters filled with flowers over the handlebars, on the seat and anywhere else you can hang them.

An old bird cage

The bird cage is going to look right at home in the garden hanging from a flowering tree. Just paint it with rustproof paint first in whatever color you feel is appropriate and then hang it and place a large flowering plant inside. If hanging the birdcage from a tree doesn't work for you, place it on top of a large planter, surround it with small potted plants, and put potted pansies inside. The effect will be exquisite!

Disused bricks

You can create a paved pathway through your garden, or a paved section within the garden, using old bricks. Many homeowners have old bricks lying around in the garage or shed just waiting to be put to good use. If you can't rustle up enough of your own you might have to ask family, friends, and neighbors if they have any lying around they're not using. It doesn't matter if they're all the same shade of red. In fact, it might create more visual interest if they aren't all perfect matches.

Old buckets

Plants will grow in just about anything, and the joy of using planters is that you can move them around the garden to suit your needs. Do you know what makes an excellent planter? An old bucket, that's what. If you have any old buckets lying around, especially galvanized metal buckets, you'll find that they ground your garden firmly in the real world while also giving it a timeless air.

Old ladders

If you want to add more verticality to your garden consider repurposing an old ladder or old ladders. An extension ladder can be leaned up against a tree, trellis, or one leg of a pergola and used to hang plants from, while a step ladder can be opened up and planks of wood placed between the step side and support side to create a pyramid of plants. In either case, you'll break up the horizontality of the garden and make it a more well-rounded experience.

An old mailbox

If you really want to add a visual surprise to your garden attach an old mailbox to a tree with flowers spilling out of it. If you have one of those big roadside mailboxes you can place that at a focal point of the garden and again, arrange a riot of colorful flowers spilling out of it. The only concern when using mailboxes is finding the right plant that is not going to suffer if its lower portions are starved of sunlight. If you'd rather avoid that problem altogether the box can be customized to allow light and air in.

Marbles

If you have marbles left over from when the kids (or you) were young you can repurpose them in the garden. If you have a water feature in your garden like a fountain or small pond placing marbles at the bottom is a great way to catch and reflect sunlight, giving the fountain or pond an otherworldly feel. You might also embed marbles in your garden fence to catch the light at different times of the day and create visual interest.

A wooden pallet

If you have a pallet or pallets left over from a delivery of sod or some large appliance you can put that to use in the garden in the same way you would a ladder. In order to maintain the natural look and feel it should be a wooden pallet, not one of the newer plastic ones. If you have a couple of wooden pallets available you can use one as a vertical element then take the other one apart and use the wood to create flower boxes that you then attach to the vertical pallet.

Old plates

If you have a collection of old plates that don't have any heirloom value you can repurpose them in the garden. You can put some under small pots and planters. Or, if you have enough, you can use them to create an edge to a flower bed. For the record, you can do the same thing with glass bottles by burying them along the edge of the flower bed with only an inch or two of the bottom poking above ground.

Miscellaneous items

Here are a few more quick ideas that you might find useful:

• You can make rubber rain boot planters by painting old boots and hanging them on the fence in your backyard.
• If you have an old toilet you never took to the dump you can use that as a large planter.
• The same is true if you have an old bathtub hanging around collecting dust.
• If you have an old desk that doesn't have collectible value, use it in the garden to hold plants.
• Old copper cups also make beautiful, pint-sized planters you can use anywhere in the garden.

Of course if you run out of things to repurpose you can find a variety of items in the Paykoc online store that will make perfect additions to your garden, including metal wind chimes, evil eye jewelry, dragon figurines, and more.

Upcycle for Eco-Friendly Garden Decor

If you really want to create a garden that is as inspiring as it is beautiful look for creative ways to repurpose common household items. Placing things like mailboxes, metal buckets, and bird cages in unexpected places will not only create visual interest, but they will also help you do your part in saving the earth's increasingly fragile environment.

And if you are in search of world-class glassware, laser-engraved Moscow Mule mugs, and other items for your kitchen, entertainment center, and home bar shop the Paykoc Imports online store. Or stop by our brick-and-mortar location on Logan Court in Denver. And don't forget, nearly all of our items are available wholesale.