When it comes to displaying flowers, whether in dirt or water, real or faux, my motto is THINK OUTSIDE THE VASE! I definitely like using the unexpected and unusual for garden blooms. Repurposed items, when used as containers, planters, and vases, will add whimsy, charm and interest to your garden and home. Plus, they will beckon others to draw near for a closer welcoming look. I hope my creations do the same as you meander through Comfy Lane Cottage’s home and gardens.
Spreading love for flowers in repurposed treasures!
People often ask where I find my garden treasures. Most of my “containers” are found at thrift stores and estate sales. Some are curbside finds, which I fondly call Curb to Cottage. I’m especially drawn to vintage finds, giving new life to old things. However, anything goes when it comes to playing in the garden. An open mind filled with imagination is extremely helpful. I always envision how flowers will look in my flea market finds, before ever purchasing them. I especially enjoy sharing with the sales clerks how I intend to upcycle newfound treasures for my garden oasis. Not only does it spread seeds of creative gardening, but seeds of joy as well!
Faux flowers are beautiful too! This Valentine’s Day porch bouquet of red roses looks beautiful in the matching red fishing bucket. Rust and roses are my kind of romantic! What a way to greet family and friends!
Why the passion for transforming old things into glorious new works of heart and art? Well, I personally identify with the process of being repurposed. God took someone broken and made her new in Jesus. That someone is me. He’s transforming me everyday, and I am forever grateful that He sees beauty in the broken, worn and cast aside. With new vision, I now see wonder and beauty in a whole new light. I hope you will too as we spend time together at Comfy Lane Cottage.💙
Do you see beauty here?!❤️
Welcome to my flea market garden… and home! I am including ideas for both your yard and home because most gardeners cannot resist the urge to bring the garden inside, with fresh bouquets and faux displays. Here are some of my favorite creative ideas to hopefully inspire you to think beyond the traditional…. ThinkOutside the Vase!
1. SPREADING THE LOVE OF BLOOMS WITH A SPREADER
My husband and I frequent estate sales and ReStore on Fridays. It is our version of a romantic date. We both enjoy collecting vintage treasures, always on the hunt for something really cool. This Scott’s spreader is definitely my definition of COOL! It is perfect for flowers, so adorable. I also have a red Cyclone spreader and blue one too.
I scored this vintage lawn fertilizer on the last day of an estate sale for just a few dollars. I simply put 3 potted plants inside of it. Already open on the bottom, there’s no need to add drainage holes. A popular photo on my social media accounts, this is definitely an upcycle success story!
If you like the whimsical look in your garden, estate sales are a great place to find an old spreader. Most people pass them by, preferring new, not even considering the creative potential. I never pay more than $10, sometimes making an offer for less than priced. With drainage openings already in the bottom of a spreader, just add a flower container and watch the neighbors admire your creativity.
This ol’ spreader keeps spreading the love for blooms year after year in the garden!
People were surprised when I bought this red cutie Cyclone spreader for cheap at an estate sale. They just didn’t have the vision to repurpose it. I was so excited, telling everyone how it would make the perfect planter for flowers.
2. ROLL WITH IT: FUNCTION & FROU FROU
Vintage wheelbarrows are often harder to come by, and as a result, can be pricey. At one particular barn sale, the owner was asking $100 for his old wheelbarrow. No Thanks! Patience is often the key to finding the right treasure for the right price. I own two ol’ wheelbarrows, a green one from ReStore and a red one scored at an estate sale. $10-20 is my limit for a rusty wheelbarrow.
An old wheelbarrow works wonderfully repurposed as a vessel to display Spring blooms.
Once summer rolls around, this wheelbarrow is filled with potted plants. Although I’ve seen wheelbarrows filled with soil and plants, I prefer using containers, hoping to preserve the wheelbarrow a bit longer.
The cool thing about a wheelbarrow is that it can function first as a way to haul potting soil, mulch and more all around the yard. Then when the work is done, it’s time for some fun. Fill that beauty up with blooms! To preserve the bottom of the wheelbarrow, use planting containers placed inside, both plastic and clay pots work well. When it rains, tip the wheelbarrow and drain the rain. Another option is to fill the wheelbarrow with a drainage layer, such as rocks or broken limbs, and add potting soil on top. Drilling drainage holes through the bottom of the wheelbarrow is helpful… but will speed up the rusting process.
This is a different summer, where I display the repurposed wheelbarrow along with other vintage gardening tools. The cool thing about wheelbarrows is that they can be rolled around the garden. I call this garden my Pickin’ Patch because it’s filled with treasures picked for cheap AND flowers picked for bouquets.
Why stop with one wheelbarrow when you find another one at an estate sale for CHEAP! I’m quite fond of red! Isn’t this a lovely colorful view?!!! Red works well for various holiday displays.
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you can’t have fabulous floral and greenery displays! Pinecones were collected from a nearby park and used with faux evergreen and poinsettias. I wanted real evergreen but didn’t think Parks and Recreation would approve if I trimmed their Pine trees!
3. WAGON LOAD!
When my children were young, we took a nostalgic adventure to an antique mall. I spotted an old wagon and could just envision it on our country porch filled with blooms. I was smitten, but also knew that it was an extravagance for our tight budget. I resisted. My husband later snuck back and bought it as a surprise Mother’s Day gift from our kids. My vision came to life; that old wagon looked so adorable filled with blooms! That was the beginning of my garden wagon obsession and wagon collecting!
When the azaleas match the wagon full of petunias, it makes quite a colorful impact! Is your old wagon parked in the garage collecting dust? Roll it into your yard, fill it with flowers and take note of how neighbors’ admire the object of your curb appeal.
A wagon load of Spring blooms adds the perfect country cottage charm to this garden area. Years ago on Instagram I created a wagon decor tour, rounding up friends with wagons. We rolled out our wagons all decorated for various seasons on our social media accounts. #wagondecortour Such a fun way to get the upcycling movement rolling!
As new seasons roll around, switching out the flowers and decor to match the season creates a darling vignette that neighbors look forward to seeing. For Fourth of July, red, white and blue blooms, along with flags adorn this cute wagon. This was my grown children’s childhood wagon. It rolls on as a repurposed planter.
When you find a toy wagon at a thrift shop, roll it on home and repurpose it as a centerpiece. This wagon is filled with dried lavender for Valentine’s Day. The smell is divine! Dried or faux blooms work wonderfully for the winter months.
4. PEDAL POWER for PETAL POWER
Seeing a colorful bicycle planted in the garden has lasting impact on a creative garden gal. That’s how upcycling ideas spread. I’ve always enjoyed those images of vintage bikes with overflowing flower baskets. So beautiful! What if you don’t have a vintage bike? They can be pricey. How about a junky ol’ tricycle?! I recently found a rusty one at an estate sale for $2.50, ideal for the garden! Add a flower basket to the handlebars or a planter of flowers on the seat. It adds a touch of cuteness to the garden.
Rolling along with another idea for potted plants! A large enamel bowl was attached to the trike seat with wire. I just slipped a potted plant into the bowl for the cutest planter ever! The tricycle was a ReStore score.
This same trike is caught again upcycling around the garden….. Petal Power! In the Fall, mums look colorful and cute placed in the enamel bowl. Don’t “mums the word” about repurposing an old trike into a planter. Spread the message!
My daughter’s childhood trike is all decked out for summer. Rag ribbons and a little basket of sunflowers adorn the handlebars. How fun seeing her treasured tricycle upcycling around the backyard gardens!
As a teenager, my younger daughter decided to sell her old pink bicycle. It was her first two wheeler, where she learned to ride without training wheels. Sentimental memories! I bought it from her and sprayed it Wildflower Blue. It makes a beautiful garden display for flowers. Notice the old rain boots repurposed as a vase?!
Look what I finally found at an estate sale! She’s the right shade of blue and the right bargain price. A dream come blue (true)! Rather than a basket of flowers, I prefer to adorn her seasonally with floral wreaths. She’s a bit tipsy, so something lighter is less likely to tip her over.
5. TOOL TIME
I have a secret. I own more toolboxes than my handy husband. Mine are for flowers though! Most of my toolboxes are from the ReStore, marked down because of rust and scratches…. just the kind of patina that makes my heart pitter patter! I repurpose them to use both in the garden and in the house. They look so sweet filled with flowers, fresh or faux. Colored toolboxes are quite fun to incorporate into seasonal and holiday decor. Don’t forget about old tool caddies and tool carts as well. Filled with flowers, they contain the perfect fix for a handy gardener.
These toolboxes add to our backyard’s patriotic charm. Begonias are planted into a rusty toolbox loaded with potting soil. Potted herbs sit inside the red toolbox.
Patriotic colors are blooming in red, white and blue from this rusty ol’ vintage toolbox. The perfect summer Americana display from May through July!
Lace and shades of lavender are lovely in this outdoor vintage vignette. The greenish blue toolbox is one of my favorites for floral displays. It has just the right amount of rust, and the color is divine.
This old tool cart has seen better days! It works so well in creating a little flower stand in the garden seating area. We already owned this red cart, hidden in the basement corner not being used, so I merely shopped my home with a repurposing vision. Nobody puts this repurposed baby in the basement corner!
My first husband was a wood worker and collected antique/vintage tools in this old tool caddy. After he passed away, I repurposed his caddy to hold flowers. The bottom of the vintage tool caddy is beginning to decay from years of use, so I now remove the flower pots from the caddy before watering to preserve the bottom wood. Using sentimental pieces like this one gives special meaning to the garden.
This sentimental tool caddy looks right at home repurposed as a garden accessory. Its rustic appearance pairs wonderfully with petite pink flowers. A match made in heaven!
My favorite vintage toolbox is all decked out for Summer with faux flowers and delicate floral plates. Doesn’t this make the prettiest vignette displayed atop a dining buffet? Have you ever considered using a gussied up toolbox for guests to retrieve their dishes when hosting a buffet style dinner party? Adorn it with flowers, line it with lace, and fill it with plates and napkins.
6. MAIL CALL
I started collecting old mailboxes years ago, mainly using them in the garden. Pictured below is the first mailbox in my growing collection and one of my favorites, displayed on an old screen door ledge. It has proven ideal for both faux and real flowers. Mailboxes are wonderful planters because they already have an opening just waiting for flowers.
When I found this old mailbox, I knew it would look darling painted blue. Once I found the perfect spot to display it, I just had to add some flowers. No junk mail in this mailbox!
During the Fall, I change out the “mail” with the prettiest mums found at a Goodwill thrift store. The turkey is a thrifting find too. Adding old pearls, creates Autumn glam in the garden.
It’s become a seasonal tradition to change this mailbox. Snow takes this vignette to a whole nother level!
February calls for a bit of roses and romance! With the garden looking dreary from a cold winter, faux flowers add some needed color. Will you be my Valentine? Faux sure!
This just makes me smile! I have tried to grow sunflowers at home for several years, but the squirrels always devour them. I’ve settled with faux sunflowers as a decorative touch to garden spaces.
7. 🎶THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR FLOWERS 🎵
Ever heard the old Nancy Sinatra song about boots are made for walking? Well… these boots are made for flowers, and that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days these boots are gonna bloom all over for you.🎶
People like to give me their old junk, knowing that I’ll create something beautiful. Boots are no exception. I have two gifted sets of boots, very different, yet both equally fun to fill with flowers.
I look forward to decorating our yard for Spring. Before the real flowers even begin to bloom, I use faux flowers. Rain boots filled with colorful flowers add whimsy and cheer.
I was smitten when I saw this little mat with blooms overflowing from rain boots. Perfect beside the real boots!
I upcycled these old combat boots by repurposing them as planters. They make an even better display paired with my husband’s vintage shoe shine box!
8. MOP IT UP
One of my favorite flea market finds is an old mop bucket. It’s perfect for displaying flowers. This is a wonderful example of thinking outside the vase. I get so many compliments on this repurposed mop bucket. People enjoy the contrast of seeing an old junky mop bucket filled with beautiful blooms. I typically fill it with faux flowers that can easily be changed out from season to season.
Sunflowers and spindles are my kinda bouquet! This blooming mop bucket adds late summer charm to a little garden seating area.
Sweeping up for Spring with vintage flea market finds. This back step vignette is just as pretty as it is unexpected. Who would have thought that an old repurposed mop bucket could be sooo beautiful!
9. SINK OR SWIM
I have two garden sinks, a cast iron one from ReStore and a rescued bathroom sink headed to the trash. I often see old sinks tossed to the curb. Such a waste of landfill space, when they can be upcycled into a pretty planter. Repurposed sinks are such a whimsical way to display flowers. They work quite well, and already have a drainage hole. It’s quite popular on social media to photograph fresh flowers in a kitchen sink. Why not take it a step further by putting a sink full of flowers in your garden?
Both the cast iron sink and its repurposed rattan table base are ReStore scores. I like to put potted plants in this sink for a colorful little garden planter.
Stop! Don’t throw away that old bathroom sink! It fits just right on top of an old metal tool bench filled with a basket of flowers. A little spray paint and flowers made the journey down a path to my secret backyard garden joyful.
Have you seen those photos of flower filled sinks? They’re all over social media. This is my country cottage version. I’m on the hunt for a vintage farmhouse sink to replace this one. Can you guess where this sink will end up? To the garden she’ll go!
10. GOT MILK?
We definitely have milk in our home! Milk cans AND milk bottles! Since both are vessels designed to hold milk, they hold flowers just as wonderfully. Estate sales and flea markets are great places to find milk vessels, big and small. One of the first things you will notice as you walk up to our house are vintage milk cans flanking the path leading to our door. What a delight when I found milk bottles and a wire bottle carrier at an estate sale for a bargain price! In our home, they are almost always filled with flowers, sometimes faux and sometimes real. They are a wonderful dining table centerpiece. Milk bottles and cans add a bit of nostalgia and conversation to the table… and the yard.
A dear friend made these paper daisies. I think of her and smile often when I walk past this delightful centerpiece. They’re cute and quirky… no water needed.
My husband likes to buy me fresh flowers from our local grocery store, Hy-Vee. They sell clearance bouquets for $3.99, and I find it a fun floral challenge to keep the blooms from wilting. Repurposing vintage milk bottles as vases is easy peasy; just add water!
What do you do with those blossoms that break off from faux bouquets? Use them! These broken off blooms are gently placed in the opening of each vintage milk bottle. Pretty in pink for Spring!
A single stem in each milk bottle creates a beautiful bottle blooming bouquet for Valentine’s Day!
Got milk? Yes we do! Vintage milk cans look extra special when filled with flowers, both faux and real. Just slip a potted plant into the can opening for instant magnificence. If the plant is too small and falls into the milk can, prop it up with a plastic milk jug, brick, or whatever is handy. It’s Spring at Comfy Lane Cottage!
These faux flowers are a gift from Aunt Martha, who rescued them from the trash just for me. Their long stems are the perfect length for an old dairy farm milk can.
11. LET THERE BE LIGHT
I must shine a light on the endless upcycling possibilities for worn out old lighting fixtures…. lamps, chandeliers, candelabras. It’s a light bulb moment when I come up with a new way to repurpose vintage lighting fixtures in the garden. The end results are illuminating!
When your old thrifted lamp finally wears out, cut the cord and remove the lighting/shade parts. This lamp stand is spray painted a bright purple. A watering can tied on with ribbon creates an adorable upcycled garden decoration. Flowers are a must for the watering can; I use real and faux, depending on the season.
This blue-tiful sunflower garden chandelier is from a vintage stained glass hanging chandelier. My husband uses the shades to pair with old lamp bases to create cool upcycled lamps. Rather than trash this part, it gets new life hanging from my garden arbor.
Even the dog admires this crystal chandelier adorned with purple coneflowers. Small floral water tubes help to preserve the fresh blooms. This beautiful chandelier was a $10 find at ReStore years ago. What a bargain!
This rusty candelabra is a hand-me-down from a dear friend. Because the summer heat melts the candles, faux blooms are preferred. Roses add a romantic and eye catching pop of red color.
12. COFFEE & TEA WITH ME!
Coffee cups, percolators, teapots and more, they’re all my cup of tea… for flowers! They have an opening, perfect for holding blooms. What more can a gal ask for?!!! From time to time while thrifting, I will find a teapot missing its lid. Not a problem! A lid just gets in the way of a floral display. What others deem as broken, I view as a treasure. Also, don’t be afraid to use faux and dried flowers when designing a seasonal vignette with a kettle, teapot or cup. The end result can be a beautifully creative work of heart.
My husband found this 1911 Thermos coffee decanter on FB marketplace. Flowers seem like the inevitable way to display such an unusual antique.
What’s brewing in the garden today? Chives and a vintage coffee vignette! These are the kind of treasures that make a walk through the garden a delightful surprise at every turn.
This fresh bouquet from our backyard garden looks lovely in an old repurposed tea kettle.
Dried lavender looks lovely in a free curbside find, set beside my parents’ wedding topper. This is an example of a teapot, tossed aside because it has no lid, and given new life, repurposed into something treasured.
This teapot is another curb to cottage find. No lid… no problem! Isn’t she beautiful?!
Flowers take this hutch to a whole new level of pretty. Doesn’t the repurposed teapot vase capture your admiring eye?!!!
An I Love You bouquet gets center stage attention in a vintage coffee percolator. It fits our style. This example of using fresh flowers in a repurposed percolator vase just brews with blooms.
Who needs a large mug filled with a vanilla cinnamon latte when you could have a mug overflowing with a honeybee and sunflower bouquet!
Check out this bouquet made of flowers, lace and wooden utensils!
A once favorite tea kettle, left on the burner for way too long and ruined on the bottom…. She looks adorable in the backyard all decked out with flowers.
13. DON’T FORGET THE DISHES
Some of the prettiest vintage dishes can be found for cheap. Just look for the lonely solo pieces, missing their set…or the chippy broken ones. Upcycled dishes add beauty to the garden in unexpected ways. Have you planted any dishes lately?!!!
Provincial Bouquets of plates are growing in this shady garden. Collecting these matching plates was an exercise in patience. I planted vintage floral plates, repurposed as both a border and fancy fence, to keep the dogs at bay.
Butter pat for better pretty! Adorning planters with vintage dishes is all about the PRETTY aspect. My mama collected butter pats, and I enjoy showing them off in our garden.
Broken tea cups and saucers are so lovely when planted in the soil of a clay pot, right beside the flowers.
14. HIT THE BRAKES FOR RUSTY GOLD
There’s just something beautiful about rust when paired with something completely opposite, something dainty and delicate. My husband does the maintenance on our cars, including changing out the brakes. By stacking two rusty rotors, an upcycled centerpiece is created. The round center opening of the rotors, allows for a jar of flowers to be placed in the center.
Rusty rotors filled with a bouquet of zinnias and alyssum are paired with a delicate lace tablecloth to create a gorgeous Fall centerpiece. Tip: place the rotors on a plate to protect the lace from rust stains.
15. SEW BEAUTIFUL
My husband likes to scour FB marketplace and estate sale photos, looking for hidden treasures. Because I like to sew, one of his found treasures given to me now adorns our home, a vintage sewing box. I don’t use it for my sewing supplies. I use it for decor, of course!
What goes well with a quilted tablecloth? A sewing box centerpiece with red, white and blue patriotic flowers! Fourth of July is the perfect reason to redecorate!
16. SOME BIRDIE LOVES YOU
I am blessed to have friends who are there for me in the good and difficult times. When my first husband passed away, a sweet friend, Lisa, was there to help with the little details of planning a funeral. Rather than giving us the usual funeral flowers, she adorned a bird cage with Autumn flowers and filled it with pumpkins and squash. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I treasure that birdcage because it reminds me of the importance of friendship during all seasons of life. I will never fully be able to recapture Lisa’s heart and art poured into the bird cage, but I definitely adorn it seasonally with flowers.
A red birdcage with white poinsettias greets all who pass by the greenhouse. I’m usually the only one to work in the greenhouse during cold months, but neighbors can get a wonderful winter glimpse from the road behind our home.
A happy yellow potted mum just pops from behind the bars of the backyard birdcage. Such rich Autumn colors!
As you walk along the garden path, this bright red birdcage filled with flowers, rather than birds, is a whimsical sight to behold.
17. MY DRAWERS OVERFLOWETH
Have you ever visited Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore? What a treasure trove of secondhand goodies! They definitely have all kinds of items just waiting to be repurposed in your garden. Single drawers are sold there for about $3, and I’ve indulged in a few for my garden. Anything with drawers has potential for flowers and garden displays.
What’s better than a wooden drawer? White wicker drawer! Potted plants placed inside a drawer are just dreamy! Put a drainage dish underneath the plants to preserve the life of the drawer.
This little table is another ReStore deal found on a Friday adventure with my husband. I tuck it under our roof’s overhang to protect it somewhat from the elements. It’s a nice table for potted plants, and of course, flowers planted in the drawers.
Smaller drawers stacked and styled with flowers create a lovely vignette for the top of a dresser, end table or buffet. Notice the matching flowers on the dishes. The shades of lavender tie it all together.
If repurposing one drawer as a flower planter is lovely, then two are even lovelier.
For this charming covered garden area, faux flowers peeking out from a drawer add some needed Spring color to a $4 chest found at an estate sale.
18. CROCK OF BLOOMS
My first crock, from my mom’s kitchen, isn’t our oldest crock, but definitely sentimental. It’s fun finding a crock at a really low price, usually from a small family run estate sale or yard sale. Little by little the collection grows. When decorating for seasons and holidays, crocks can be accented with flowers. It’s all the little touches, like flowers, that make a house a comfy cozy home. Grouping crocks together creates a pretty and impactful display.
These flower adorned crock jugs are a Spring welcome at the top of our split-level landing. The chippy vintage door is the perfect backdrop.
A thrifted crock of yellow daffodils is a happy addition to our kitchen hutch.
Forsythia blooms are long stemmed and pair well with a vintage butter churn crock.
Mums the word! Mum plants are inexpensive in the Fall and can be placed inside of a crock for a festive Fall centerpiece.
Dollar stores sell sunflower bouquets for just $1. Using them to fill a crock is such an easy inexpensive way to decorate for Fall. Plus, it looks fantastic!
Isn’t this crock bee-utiful?! Yes, beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder! This is definitely drawing the bees.
19. FISHERS OF FLOWERS
I like to fish…. for ol’ fishing gear! Minnow buckets, tackle boxes, fish baskets… they’re all great catches for the garden. You’ll often find vintage fishing gear in the garage or basement of an estate sale. Occasionally, they’ll be priced to sell for next to nothing. Those are the best catches!
Dollar store poinsettias are a wonderful way to dress up a porch at Christmas time. These are tucked inside repurposed vintage minnow buckets and a rusty ol’ tackle box.
My sweet friend, Lisa, made this fishers of men sign just for me to add to our fishing display. It’s perfect! The minnow bucket, sign and table are all blue-tiful. I tuck the sign under the table to protect it from the weather.
The compartments in a rusty tackle box look great filled with clay pots. It’s getting a little rusty on the inside, but who doesn’t like a little patina!
This fishing bobber belonged to my husband’s father. It’s a whimsical addition to our front porch fishing garden.
20. WHAT’S COOKING?!
From vintage stoves, to rusted out smokers, to old pots and pans, there’s a lot cookin’ in the garden. This is where creativity comes in handy, cookin’ up clever ideas for the garden. I sure do like this kind of whimsical gardening! It tends to bring smiles from onlookers and admirers.
This ol’ kerosene stove is a yard sale find. She’s gorgeous and deserves a new life. Repurposing her as a planter display for clay pots and growing herbs just makes her and me happy!
Smokin’ Hot Blooms! This is my husband’s old BBQ smoker. Just remove the lid, and she’s now a potting bench/ planter. Wildflower Blue spray paint gives her a little glam for the garden.
This darling mushroom pot is a trash pickin’ rescue find. It has drainage holes in the bottom, drilled by the previous owner. Cheerful marigolds in colors matching the pot are sooo cute. In a couple months, this will be overflowing with blooms.
Enamelware trimmed in red is my favorite, not for cooking… but for flowers! A simple summer patriotic display can be created using an enamel pot, red begonias and a stick flag. This pot has rocks in the bottom for drainage.
21. SPLISH SPLASH!
$50! That’s what I paid for this gorgeous claw foot tub. It’s a ReStore Score. I waited till it was marked down and then bought it on half price day. Patience, patience, patience! My nephew works in home plumbing, so I was hoping that he’d come across an old claw foot tub during a bathroom renovation. Often, they just get thrown out, so that’s another way to score a vintage tub for the garden. He was my backup plan.
My sons carried this HEAVY tub all the way around the yard to the perfect spot. So much fun planting flowers in it and adding little extras as well!
TIPS: Putting pavers under the claw feet helps to prevent sinking into the soil. These kinds of tubs are soooo heavy. Filling them with all potting soil makes them even heavier; plus, a drainage layer is vital to the success of the plants. This one has 3 layers: broken limbs for drainage, old potting soil for filler, and potting/top soil for the top layer.
My first year of blooming bulbs in this tub, both tulips and alliums. The broken rake heads help keep the squirrels from digging and destroying hard work and beauty. Old BBQ grills placed on top of the soil from Fall till Spring help with hungry squirrels as well.
Zinnias planted from seeds are quite the attention getter when they finally bloom. The butterflies and bees really like our repurposed claw foot tub planter.
22. GO CART!
My husband and I visited an estate sale on the last day when items sell for cheap. In the garage, I discovered an old yardwork Cart. I excitedly wheeled it into the living room to pay for it. The woman running the estate sale said I could have that “filthy thing” for free. YES! It’s such a fun planter, quite whimsical. Because of the wheels, it can be moved around, like rearranging furniture in the garden. I fill it with 3 layers: fallen broken limbs, old potting soil, and I save the best soil for last, using new potting soil on top.
A flower Cart of tulips ready to bloom! The anticipation, waiting for this Cart to come alive with flowers each Spring, is so worth it!
This cute red Cart now resides on the corner of our front yard. It’s the first thing others see as they approach our home. It makes a statement of what’s to come. These flowers are the result of sowing seeds directly into the Cart’s soil. They look happy.
Zinnias, marigolds and vincas all grow well in our garden Cart. These new plants are from our local Sutherland’s store. They have incredible plant sales every Spring. This Cart creates a colorful corner at Comfy Lane Cottage.
23. Getting Fruity
Homemade applesauce is a delicacy these days. So much so, that when I found at an estate sale a vintage fruit seive, used to make applesauce, I had no idea what it was. I was simply smitten with its green handle and how it would look filled with flowers. It didn’t disappoint. Flowers look cute as can be in a fruit seive.
It’s Fall ya’ll! Two of my favorite Fall things: apple pickin’ season and sunflowers blooming everywhere, including in my kitchen. Isn’t this the sweetest Fall centerpiece?!
This fruit seive is always filled with seasonal flowers and on display. It’s my idea of an unexpected whimsical way to share flowers.
24. SIFT THE FLOWER
I still remember learning how to sift flour for baking in 7th grade home-ec class. What a memory! If I’m being honest, I never sift flour when baking anymore. However, I own a collection of vintage sifters and always sift my flowers. Flowers look delightful arranged in a sifter. I especially enjoy using sifters that are colorful and/or rusty.
It’s spring in the kitchen, with colors of blue and green in abundance. This precious green sifter fits in well, showing off a bouquet of blue flowers.
Faux lavender leaves a lasting impression when blooming from a bright green sifter.
25. VINTAGE TIN FOR THE WIN
Vintage lovers will often own a large and growing collection of tins. I’m quite frugal, so my collection size is hampered somewhat. However, from time to time I will score a bargain tin for the win. My favorites are those found at sales in a garage, usually filled with old nails or screws. The rustier the better! I will ask the surprised owner if I can just buy the tin, not wanting the contents. A dollar or two will satisfy the seller. Flea markets, thrift stores and estate sales are all places to purchase tins, but you will probably pay more.
Matching tins for the win! They are a rare vintage set from ReStore. Aren’t they blue-tiful!
I call this our anniversary tin. The graphics are getting rusted over, but A Kiss for You is still in view. I plant a geranium in this tin every year for our anniversary.
The perfect example of a junky ol’ tin looking mighty fine as a planter.
This vintage Guy’s Potato Chips tin looks like new. I found it in a local collectibles shop for men. It was the only tin, and I sweet talked the owner into selling it for just $10. He and my husband both were tickled by my excitement and vision of using it as a planter. This beauty is protected indoors and only gets faux flowers.
26. OVERFLOWING OILCANS
My husband collects oil cans and gas cans. They’re all over the garage with nowhere to show them off. I like to find ways to decorate using his vintage treasures. He’s tickled by my endeavors. One way is to flank the stairs going to our garage with oil cans. I like to gussy them up with flowers, since the stairs are in plain view when first entering our house.
Rustic meets romantic for Valentine’s Day!
I think this is a stunning view! Everything is coming up roses.
Can you tell which holiday it is by the flowers blooming from the vintage oil cans?! Christmas!!!
This repurposed tailgate bench is a Christmas gift from me to my husband. The rusty blue oil can pouring out yellow Spring blooms seems fitting. It’s pretty obvious to the neighbors that we like to repurpose old junk into beautiful new creations.
27. PRETTY PAINT
What does one do with an old paint can? Why not paint the can and plant flowers in it?! You will be amazed at how beautiful a repurposed paint can looks filled with flowers!
Yellow makes this paint can shine, especially when filled with white/yellow mums. So pretty!
A repurposed yellow paint can overflowing with mums helps to transform this container garden into a fabulous Fall display.
28. BARREL OF BLOOMS
My husband and I ventured out of the suburbs one Saturday to a barn sale in the country. We hit the jackpot with a multitude of irresistible bargains. Many of the things that I found were for the garden, including a weathered old barrel. Of course, I didn’t just see a barrel, I saw a barrel that would look gorgeous overflowing with flowers.
Ladybug Garden is even prettier thanks to a barn sale barrel filled with begonias. A propped up planter is the perfect fit for this barrel.
29. WATERME WITH FLOWERS
Watering cans are an integral part of keeping the garden lovely and lush. One can never have too many of them… old ones, cute ones, colorful ones, and especially unusual ones! Besides, all of the extra ones can be filled with flowers. They sure do well at sittin’ pretty! Flower power!
Bobbi runs a local estate sale business. We frequent her sales. She’s been good to us over the years. She once sold a bundle of old watering cans to me for just $5. Wow! This pretty in pink watering can looks even prettier when the mums bloom.
Violas in this watering can are the perfect match. They’re just hanging out on the corner looking too cute!
Another watering can bought from estate sale Bobbi as a bundle. It looks like summertime filled with daisies.
In early spring, I like to decorate my front stoop like a flower market. I use lots of watering cans and faux flowers. It’s still too soon to set out real flowers with freezing night temperatures. This absolutely sets the stage for Spring!
A watermelon themed summer mantel looks yummy with this watering can repurposed as a vase of roses.
30. WASH UP!
Do you set out fresh flowers in your garden? When the weather is nice, and the gardens are blooming, I like to create backyard bouquets and display them in our outdoor living spaces. One of my repurposed vases of choice for fresh outdoor bouquets is a pitcher and basin. Very delicate! Garden vignettes make me smile!!!
Isn’t this GORGEOUS?!!! The colors are amazing on the pitcher and basin, all the more reason to repurpose this as a vase. It’s fun picking backyard bouquets and stationing them in secret spots along the garden paths.
When the colors of nature match your vase!!!!
Sometimes you have to play in the garden, creating works of art and heart just for the sake of pleasure.
Garden vignettes are guaranteed to draw onlookers… and smiles! Everything you see is a thrifted/ flea market find.
I have three of these pitchers, same speckled colors, but different shapes. Three is the golden number for the start of a collection. They’re wonderful as vases. Doesn’t this pitcher look lovely filled with homegrown purple coneflowers?! Don’t miss the tiny blue blooms (weeds to some) tucked in the back.
31. THERMOS NATION
There is a craze happening on Instagram for thermoses… collecting, styling, photographing, restyling and photographing, restyling and photographing, collecting more…. again and again. A special hashtag #thermosnation is designated for all the thermos enthusiasts. It’s a lot of fun and worth checking out. Personally, I like thermoses because they are both functional and frou frou, practical and pretty. They’re ideal for repurposing as vases… and fun too!
A thermos is made to carry liquid, so it’s awesome repurposed as a vase. The added nostalgia from this blue thermos is table talk.
A Blue Bonnet thermos jug and diy daisies are sooo cute as a centerpiece!
Chilly days call for hot coffee, soup, and a thermos full of flowers. This thermos was a bargain $1 find because it’s missing the lid. Who needs a lid anyways when there are flowers!
32. HAVE A SEAT
I have a thing for lonely old chairs, missing their mates. I can’t resist them. My two favorite places to find them are ReStore for $1 and curbside for free. I like to spray paint them bold colors and plant them around the garden. Because they’re wood they naturally decay over time. I then repurpose the spindles for all kinds of home and garden projects.
This chair is how my garden chair obsession began. Her yellow paint… DIVINE! The older and more weathered she became, the more beautiful as well.
A garden chair looks glorious sitting amongst the wildflowers.
How about this blue cutie! It’s her first summer in the garden. She’s beginning to show her age. A basket of backyard wildflowers is delightful to the eyes.
My husband drug this old chair from the basement to the trash. I saw it sitting at the curb… love at first sight. I drug her out to the backyard garden titled Lover’s Lane! There she sits, year after year, always with a pretty potted plant.
Because I enjoy wooden garden chairs, I have an abundance of spindles. If a chair falls to pieces, I save the parts and repurpose them. These spindles are tomato stakes.
As the tomato plant grows taller, she gets tied to the spindle stake for support. Pretty and practical!
These colorful spindles are planted into the soil to add a bit of color and cheer.
An old crock deserves some love with a bouquet of daffodils and chippy chair spindles. I enjoy adding interesting items to a faux bouquet, like these colorful spindles.
33. BEDCOILS& BLOSSOMS
The neighbors are watching me, always seeing what crazy projects I’m working on. One summer I gave them quite a show by deconstructing my youngest daughter’s childhood mattress. I stripped the bed down to its bare coils and put her in the garden, repurposed as a ravishing new trellis.
There’s something stunning about an old rusted bed coil and a clearance clematis plant, both brought back to life.
This little shed side garden is exquisite. Rust is the new gold in my garden!
I just counted how many Comfy Lane Cottage photos are in this not so little blog post… all about using vintage repurposed and upcycled goodies with your flowers and garden. It’s well over 100! I’ve been working on this article for longer than a year. It feels more like a book than a blog. Wish I could just give you a BIG HUG for spending time with me all the way to the end! I’m definitely a repurposing enthusiast, and I hope to spread some of my enthusiasm. Creativity begets more creativity. I can’t wait to see your ideas as I wander through the gardens of our community, both online and on foot. What a blessing to share ideas with one another, transforming the broken, worn, and cast aside… creating all kinds of wonder and beauty in the world!
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