Thrift Store Finds for the Garden: Unique and Affordable Ideas

Let me show you how thrift store finds for the garden can help create a unique cottage garden look that is affordable and looks great.

So what happens when I mix my two favorite things: gardening & thrifting?? Well, it makes for a pretty good cottage garden look!!

Friends, if you aren’t thrifting and hitting the vintage stores or flea markets for authentic additions to your cottage garden you are missing out!!

On my monthly trips to the local Savers thrift store, I am always looking for items that can be upcycled to be used in a different way or just things that will help me keep that cottage garden look that I love.

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This month I am joining Rachel from The Antiqued Journey and Mary Jo from Masterpieces of My Life in their Thrifted Goodies series where they share their latest thrifted finds.

Garden Thrift Store Finds: Making a Bird Bath

On a recent trip, I found these 2 tall wooden candlesticks…had to have them but had no idea what I was going to do with them!!

Then I had a great idea…I tell myself all my ideas are great even if they are not...sometimes you have to be your own hype girl!!

I am going to use the thrifted candlesticks to use as bases for small bird baths for my garden.

Rustoleum had sent me their new spray paint to test out so I thought this would be the perfect project to try it out on.

One trick to making spray-painted smaller items like these candlesticks easier to paint is to use a cardboard box like the one I put them in here.

In both my cottage garden area and all around my perennial borders I like to tuck in as many water sources as I can to attract more pollinators and birds to my yard.

To create a small bird bath I used the candlestick as the base and a small bowl on top for the water. So simple!

This kind of small water station is perfect for tucking in around your garden. On Summer mornings when I am out checking my gardens I take my watering can with me and fill them up.

In the back corner of my cottage garden, I’ve started to create a little half-circle of pollinator flowers.

It’s very early in our growing season here in New England but in a month this area will be full of flowers. Right now I have transplanted 2 yarrow and a catmint into this garden.

There will be small sunflowers growing next to my garden girl scarecrow by mid-summer.

Other Thrifted or Vintage Garden Finds

My garden has all kinds of thrifted or vintage finds scattered about. I love to try and create that English cottage garden feel where I can.

Here is a list of what to look for at the thrift store or flea market for the garden:

• Metal Pails/ Buckets
• Vintage Watering Cans
• Wicker Baskets
• Planters
• Tables/ Benches
• Old Garden Tools
• Decorative Lanterns
• Shutters

Planters & Pots

I’m always coming across planters and pots at the thrift store. One fun idea is to make a bird bath (see, I told you I add pollinator water sources everywhere!).

Keep your eye out for the planter saucers too…perfect for the top of an overturned pot to use for water. Add a few rocks or glass beads to making resting spots for your garden visitors.

Another thing to keep your eye out for at the thrift store are small-footed bowls. They also make great bird baths. In the front of this patch in the garden I have a $2 thrift store find.

Metal Pails/ Buckets

One of my most used vintage goods for the garden has got to be old galvanized metal pails, baskets, or buckets.

They are perfect for popping in a pot of flowers.

Watering Cans

My best all-time flea market find has to be this vintage galvanized watering can! I scored it for 2 bucks at the Todd Farm Flea Market about 10 years.

Todd Farm is a weekly flea market on Sundays from Spring to Fall in Rowley, MA.

Tables/Benches

One of my favorite garden projects was this upcycled potting table for my garden. This started out as a dumpster find!

I painted it a bright robin’s egg blue with copper accents.

The upcycled potting table is a bright spot in the middle of my garden.

And it’s a great spot to display my collection of vintage metal everything!!

lanterns

Thrift and vintage stores are great spots to find lanterns to use in your garden or outdoor decorating.

This old kerosene lamp is just rusty perfection! Plus, I love the coastal feel that it has… like I can just see an old New England lobsterman would be walking down a dock holding it!

Here I used it in the corner of my front porch along with a DIY patriotic shutter.

shutters

If you come across a wooden shutter when you are out thrifting…grab it! Using an old shutter in your garden helps to create a cottage garden look.

Here I hung a metal wall bucket on the shutter and filled it with colorful annuals.

vintage garden tools

Old garden tools can be used in so many different ways to create cottage garden decor! Last year I scored a few neat pieces including an old red metal beach shovel along with a couple of old garden claws and small terracotta pots.

With those thrifty finds, I whipped together a wreath for my garden.

And the red shovel and baby shoes became an ode to Peter Rabbit!

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The list of things that you can create with thrift or vintage finds for your garden is endless! I hope that I gave you a few ideas that you can recreate in your own home garden!

Thrifted Goodies

Stop over for a visit with Rachel of The Antiqued Journey & MaryJo from Masterpieces of My Life to see all of this month’s thrifted goodies that they are sharing today.

Thrift Store Ideas

xo, Jennifer

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