Repurpose – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

Repurposed Bin Planters

Published on June 27, 2018June 26, 2018 by JennaLeave a comment

Today I’m sharing another couple of planters I mentioned in my recap post. These cuties were made from old conveyor belt scoops that I got from Alaska Picker. The first I snagged at the AK Picker Day sale – right after finding the garage sale milk can. I hunted high and low for more of them but someone else had beat me to them. So when I spotted another at the Alaska Chicks Vintage sale I immediately claimed one.

The first still had a section of conveyor belt attached, but the second was mounted to a piece of old barn wood. I wanted them both to match so I had the Hubs remove both the belt and board so I could mount them on new boards.

The Hubs cut me two pieces of wood from some scrap we had from another project and I dug out my outdoor teal paint to give them a couple coats. A little distressing around the edges gave them the perfect rustic look. The Hubs attached the bins to the new boards and I had this cuteness!

I wasn’t sure where I was going to use them at first but when I came out and saw the big open area on the chicken coop expansion I knew they’d look great there. After I painted the coop the Hubs drilled some drainage holes in the bottom of the bins and put them up with a couple of screws. I filled them with purple alyssum to finish them off.

I absolutely adore how they turned out. The combo of teal, rusty metal and purple flowers makes my heart do a happy dance. And it’s perfect for decorating a chicken coop – not to fussy but not to messy either.

I still have a little painting to do on the lower part of coop and the Hubs plans to finish off the storage area door with siding to match the rest of the coop. I’ll share more about the expansion and new set up once it’s all done. We also plan to fill the area in front of the coop with pavers and pea gravel to finish everything off.

Of course neither the chickens nor the dogs – or the cats for that matter – care about any of that. They just like having a window where they can see each other face to face. But this doggie/chicken/kitty momma is happy to have a pretty space for them all.

Purdy-ing Up the Chicken Yard – Again

Published on August 10, 2017 by JennaLeave a comment

Remember when I decided to make the chicken yard pretty last year? Well I’m at it again. This time I went with planters that are up high and out of ‘chicken reach’ so they should be pretty safe.

I didn’t want to spend a lot for this little project since it is just a chicken yard and I am a self-proclaimed bargainista, but I still wanted it to be cute. I’d seen wall planters made of various materials and realized they were just simple pockets of fabric. I’m not a sewer so I brainstormed what might provide an inexpensive, already sewn fabric pocket. Then the light bulb went off – a fabric shoe organizer!

I snagged this one at Fred Meyer for around $10. I only needed 4 pockets but I figured it the idea panned out I could always make more for other spots too. It was an added bonus that it was a cool grey fabric rather than the typical canvas ones I’ve seen that would show dirt immediately.

Luckily each row was exactly 4 pockets! I cut off one row, leaving the seam and trim at the bottom. From there I cut down the center of the stitching on the trim between each pocket to create 4 individual pockets.

I filled each with dirt and a plant while on skype with my mom on a sunny afternoon and then recruited the Hubs to help me hang them. We folded over the top section of fabric for a bit more strength and just screwed them into the post using deck screws.

Although the screws are noticeable from the side angle, they blend in when you look at the planters from the front of the yard which is the typical way they will be seen. Plus as the plants grow they should help hide them even more. Hopefully they will have enough time to really fill in and start to trail over before the season wraps.

I also decided to give the block planters at the bottom of the posts another try. The canvas curtains I made last summer didn’t survive well so this time we used scrap clear panels left over from building the green house. It keeps the sight lines open for both the cluckers and the dogs, but prevents the chickens from decimating the plants.

The chickens were not to pleased with this innovation and kept trying to peck at the leaves through the plastic! They eventually gave up and went on about their clucking business elsewhere in the yard. This time around I filled the blocks with mint, transplanted from the rain garden where it ended up after being in the herb container 2 summers ago. Those who have grown mint, know it is super hardy so it can take some tough love, will return year after year and should spread to fill in a bit more. I will have to watch that it doesn’t spread out from the blocks but it’s easy enough to remove if I catch it early so I’m not to worried. Plus it will help keep things smelling pretty – because this is a chicken yard and there is always a constant supply of “fertilizer”!

Because we used scrap panels each is a bit different size so the panels don’t all line up with each other. It doesn’t really bother me in person but looking at this image I really notice it. If it still bugs me in a few weeks I’ll have the hubs cut the two larger ones down to match.

I put another clear panel on the front of the yard and added marigolds there for a bit of color. Now if I could just get that darn walkway covered with gravel like I’ve been planning this space might start to really look complete. Hopefully that will happen before the end of the season, but if not it will be on the list again next summer. 🙂

From Lantern to Vase

Published on March 31, 2017March 30, 2017 by JennaLeave a comment

The best thing about thrifting is that you often find pieces that can be reworked into something new. Usually that involves a coat of paint or major altering of the original item, but every once in a while you stumble upon a super simple upcycle that requires barely any effort. That’s exactly what happened with my new vase. The mason jar style and the green tint to the glass are what caught my eye at the thrift store. But it had a different purpose when I first saw it.

It was a lantern for a small votive candle! I didn’t originally intend for it to be used as a vase but when the Hubs brought home flowers and I needed another large container for a second bouquet this new treasure was on the counter and the idea was sparked. I simply pulled out the votive holder rack, filled it with water and plopped in the flowers. That has to be the quickest upcycle ever – literally 30 seconds flat!

I kept the votive holder rack in case I ever want to use it that way again, but I see many more days as a vase with summer bouquets in it’s future! 🙂

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No-Cost Large DIY Tray

Published on March 2, 2017March 8, 2017 by JennaLeave a comment

Here’s another quick project I did as part of my inventory for the holiday bazaar. This large tray started life as a cabinet drawer. When we installed the laundry room cabinet we took out the drawer on one side because we needed clearance for the sink drain. Knowing I could use it for something, I kept it and eventually took the tracks off. When I did, I immediately thought to make it into a tray.

But I was busy and it got set aside for more priority projects. When it was crunch time to create more inventory for the show I pulled it back out, dug through my stash of supplies and found two handles we had replaced on our desk cabinets. They were originally gold, but a quick couple coats of ORB gave them more of the farmhouse style I was going for.

The hubs helped me attach them, since I’m not good at making things line up. He also had the brilliant idea to use Q-Tips to paint the screw heads once they were in so they matched the handles’ new paint job! Have I mentioned recently how much I love that man? 🙂

Although it didn’t sell at the bazaar, it’s found a home in our guest room. It’s just the right size for the bed at 20″ by 20″ and can easily be moved to the hope chest when it’s bedtime. I plan to stage it with some simple toiletries guests might appreciate when they visit. I know I’ve seen similar set-ups on blogs I follow so I’ll be looking back to get an idea of what all I should include, but I’d love your suggestions as well.