Vintage Backyard Ideas, Ridiculously Easy and Stunning

With flea markets, yard sales, garage shopping, and thrift shops being some favourite spring and summer activities, why not spruce up your garden with some spectacularly frugal and DIY vintage backyard ideas?

Ladder Planter

If you find a ladder that either has rusted out hinges or a few broken rungs, it’s a perfect candidate for a vertical planter. Lean it up against your house, a tree, or your gardening shed – be sure it’s nice and stable! If it’s a bit wobbly, secure it with L-brackets or wire. If your ladder opens to a full A-frame, consider putting boards across it to replicate this style planter, or just perch pots across the rungs. You could even paint up your ladder a pretty color to make your garden even more festive! For more vintage backyard ideas please keep reading.

Tea Cup it Up

Collect chipped and battered tea cups, milk jugs, and sugar pots then string them up and wait for the rain to fall. Or grab some jewelry making tools, and string up a tea cup and saucer to make a bird feeder to attract some feathery friends to your new garden haven.

Watering Pot Planters

If you can find yourself some old aluminum or galvanized steel watering pots, but they no longer hold water, don’t fret! Those rusted out bottoms and leaky sides turn poor watering cans into excellent planters. Load them up with potting soil and a bit of gravel in the bottom for drainage, then plant to your hearts delight! Or hang that pot up from a hanging basket hook, and create a great “watering” effect!

Birdcage Chandeliers

Old birdcages can be a wealth of DIY fodder – why not take a few, clean them up, and turn them into outdoor chandeliers? Place large votive candles in the bottom of your birdcage, then hang them in the trees of your choice (or if they’re small enough, use them as table centerpieces). Be sure that they’re not close enough to any leaves that may catch fire! You could also place tea lights inside of mason jars – like here – and get the same effect, but with the light bouncing around off the glass.

Broken China Stepping Stones

For this project you’ll only need a few additional items – cake pans, and garden stone cement. You can make large stepping stones, decorate your outdoor furniture like this artisan, or even make an old tea pot into a new flower vase like this!