What to Look For at Yard Sales to Spruce Up Your Garden

After seeing so many clever repurposed garden projects, it’s easy to forget what to look for once you’re at a yard sale. Keep our printable wishlist handy to jog your memory and help you spot those one-of-a-kind finds.

If you’re curious how I created my garden on a low budget, this shares all my frugal shopping tips.

---

Yard Sale Wishlist for Gardeners

If you’re someone like me who spontaneously stops at yard sales, do yourself a favor and carry a wishlist to review before you start shopping.

I’ve found so many great pieces this way—items I would have never noticed if I hadn’t looked at my list before getting out of the car.

From there, be sure to ask the seller if they have any specific items you’re hoping to find. Sometimes they’ve got other items they’d like to sell hidden in a basement or shed.

I also make a point to look under and behind displays. Items like rickety old ladders and homemade potting benches may be used to display housewares and toys with no thought about their potential value to DIYers like us.

If I see something I love that’s in use for the day, I pay on the spot and arrange pick up at the end of the sale .

If transport is an issue, always ask if someone might help. The worst they can say is no.

I’ll walk you through a bunch of items to look for and their potential in the garden. Often, if you’re willing to do some cleaning and painting, there are unique bargains to be found. And I’m sure you’ll notice that the words “old” and “vintage” come up a lot because they just don’t make stuff like they used to.

You can grab a copy of my wishlist in the Resources section to keep or print out.

---

1Wooden Ladders

I like vintage painter’s ladders in all their paint-speckled glory. One downside is the untreated wood has a limited lifespan. I paint mine and add boots to buy more time.

While they look great as-is, old ladders can also make good plant stands for potted plants (in a sheltered location), provide support for vines, and look great loaded up with garden art collections like old watering cans or birdhouses.

---

2Unwanted Silverware

If it’s not wanted in the house, old plated silverware might just have a second life as a garden fountain.

---

3Potting Benches or Worktables

Any sturdy table, cabinet, or wooden bench can be turned into a potting station or plant table.

And you can always add shelves, pegboard, or a little storage cabinet.

If you want it as a signature piece, paint or stain it to suit your color theme.

---

4Globes, Orbs, & Bowling Balls

Gazing balls were popular in formal gardens years ago. The modern version is bowling balls or other sturdy orbs painted or decorated to add interest to the garden. The one pictured above was a globe kitchen ceiling lamp I spraypainted silver.

5Doors and Windows

Old wooden doors and window frames have countless practical and decorative uses in the garden.

There are so many possibilities including turning them into an upcycled potting shed, mini greenhouses, and cold frames.

If the glass is intact, you can use glass paint or glass gems to create a stained glass effect.

I’ve also seen window screens painted or cross-stitched with botanical designs.

---

6Clay Pots and Planters

This is where you can really save money if you’re willing to get your hands dirty.

Paying retail prices for nice garden containers never fits my garden budget so I rely entirely on yard sales, thrift shops, and curbside finds. Old pots are often dirty or even chipped but still fabulous after a good cleaning.

Keep this in mind for houseplant pots too.

And don’t be afraid to learn how to drill holes in metals or ceramics if that’s the only thing stopping you from snapping up a fabulous find.

---

7Ornate plates & Dishes

Any sturdy plates or dishes can be turned into garden art flowers, totems, or fountains. Once you know how to drill with a diamond drill bit, you can create any holes needed for assembly.

---

8Watering Cans and Galvanized Buckets

Vintage metal watering cans, buckets, or washbasins make great planters or accents.

If you want to use them as plant pots, be sure to drill some drainage holes.

---

9Ceiling Fans

The blades from old ceiling fans make excellent dragonfly wings! For the one pictured above. an old table leg was used for the body and assorted household items for the finer details.

---

10Metal & Wrought Iron Pieces

Metal prices are high enough these days that (unfortunately) a lot of classic old items end up at the metal recycling depot instead of in our gardens but it’s still worth looking.

I’m always on the lookout for old fencing, garden gates, and wheelbarrows past their prime but perfect as planters. After all, if the wheelbarrow tray has rust holes, that’s built-in drainage.

If you spot a metal bed frame, consider it a garden border in disguise. Paint it, plant around it, and turn it into a literal “flower bed.” Headboards also work as trellises or supports for vines.

---

11Shutters and Fence Panels

Old shutters work nicely with old windows, of course.

I’ve also used tall metal shutters and sections of old fence as privacy screen on a garden deck.

You can also use the old wood to create yard waste bins (if the type of wood/paint is deemed safe to do so).

---

12Garden Tools

Don’t skip past that pile of rusty tools! Old rakes, hoes, and spades can become garden art, especially when grouped together, standing in the garden, or mounted to a shed wall.

Old hand saws, hammers, and other random tools can be turned into wonderful garden creatures.

---

13Baskets & Crates

Wooden crates or wire baskets are perfect for organizing garden gear or showcasing potted plants, especially on a covered patio or porch.

I have a bunch of old wooden fruit crates and they are great for creating multi-level potted flower displays.

The display of baskets (shown above) turned this woodpile into a work of art.

---

14Old-Fashioned Wood Birdhouses

Old, homemade birdhouses are one of my favorite must-haves for garden décor.

While unsafe for actual birds (this explains why), they’re perfect as garden art. I always block off the entry holes to be sure birds don’t get trapped in them (that’s a common problem) and paint them to make the wood last longer.

When the wood wears out, I take the whole thing apart to use as a template to build new ones.

---

More Ideas

• Ready-made garden art and signs
• Any weather-hardy containers (with drainage holes or that you drill)
• Window boxes and hayracks
• Stepping stones, flagstones, or bricks (the older, the prettier!)
• Birdcages (quirky is best)
• Wood chairs and footstools
• Chandeliers
• Cutlery (for windchimes and garden art flowers)
• Drawer pulls and doorknobs (for hose guards)
• Ceiling fan (for garden art dragonfly)
• Patio furniture (whatever you love)
• Hammocks
• Plants

---

Resources

Happy trails!

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛