Organized Clutter

An Upcycle of a Thrift Shop Upcycle

2017-08-01T09:53:00.000-05:00

I purchased this pitcher plaque at the thrift shop for a couple bucks.

I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and stenciled it with "Flowers" in French and added a little shelf. I liked the finished project but was never happy with the light blue paint showing through on the sandpaper distressed edges. So I re-painted the whole thing with Rustoleum Chalked Paint in Chiffon Cream. This time I didn't sand the edges to distress, I used my FolkArt Layering Block and Ceramcoat Acrylic Paint in Walnut Noyer . Details on the layering block are here.

YARD of FLOWERS 2017 Garden Tour

2017-07-30T13:54:00.001-05:00

The Yard of Flowers is my sister in law Kris's yard and gardens. As you can see, Kris, like me, is a junk gardener. I love how the rusty fencing, turquoise container, galvanized pitcher and stencil all mix so freely with both zinnias, cosmos and hydrangea.

A Junk Garden Makeover for a Dated Birdhouse Planter

2017-07-29T14:37:00.002-05:00

This cutesy country birdhouse planter was at a neighborhood rummage sale on Friday. It was priced at $2.

Succulents in a Junk Garden

2017-07-24T19:52:00.000-05:00

This photo of a small garden area next to my deck was taken June 9th, 2017, about a week after planting. Several varieties of annual and perennial sedums, and sweet alyssum make up the majority of the planting. I also purchased a $13 plastic succulent basket with a variety of different plants.

2017 Covered Patio Summer Decor Video

2017-07-22T14:52:00.001-05:00

I was hoping to video my junk garden tour this year or at least part of it.

Today I am practicing with a short video of my covered patio area. I shared still photos of my covered patio here, but I hope you will click on the video and see the changes since June. The video is under two minutes.

2007 Organized Clutter Covered Patio Decor

My annual junk garden tour and my sister in law's Yard of Flowers tour is coming very soon!

The Prettiest Window Box in Town 2017

2017-07-21T18:50:00.000-05:00

The prettiest window box in my town is not mine! It's my sister in law Kris's.

Cousin Sue's Blooming Place Tour

2017-07-17T20:11:00.000-05:00

Today I am sharing my cousin Susan's flower border and container gardens. While Susan is not a junk gardener, she has a real knack for garden design and art. I hope you enjoy the tour!

Junk Garden Tour Sneak Preview

2017-07-15T16:13:00.001-05:00

It seems like I have complained about the weather almost all spring and now summer! It's been wet, and it's been cool, and it's been cloudy. While I think the perennials may have enjoyed the extra moisture, I think my annuals would have preferred more heat and sun.

Today, my very first Asiatic Lily bud opened, so I will be sharing my 2017 garden tour very soon. Here is a sneak preview of some of the flowers and junk too!

Buffalo Check Desktop & Upcycled Jewelry Holders

2017-07-13T14:37:00.000-05:00

This simple farmhouse-style desk was in my youngest daughter's room. I recently gave it some personality!

Fun Junk Garden Vignettes from the Yard of Flowers

2017-07-06T15:42:00.001-05:00

Finally, we are getting some warm weather and sunshine again here in northern Minnesota. Our annuals still need to do some growing before the 2017 garden tours, but for today I am sharing some awesome junk garden vignettes at my sister in law Kris's house! This is my HAPPY PLACE too! Galvanized bucket and gym locker baskets! Love!

Progress in the Junk Garden July 1st

2017-07-02T08:13:00.001-05:00

Back on May 28th, I planted and diagrammed my front yard junk garden border. Early on in June the weather was ideal, but as the month progressed, it got cooler and much wetter. The perennials seem to be thriving but the warm weather annuals are slow to grow.

Buffalo Check Your Junk Garden 4th Of July

2017-06-30T14:26:00.000-05:00

My only 4th of July blog post for 2017 begins with this vintage blue gas can. I pulled it out of my shed. It was originally purchased at a rummage sale for $1.

With my success stenciling a buffalo check pattern on a vintage minnow pail planter, I decided to try stenciling on this gas can.

Buffalo Check Garden Junk Planter

2017-06-26T18:59:00.000-05:00

I love planting annuals in metal pails. If you are familiar with old metal minnow buckets, there is the outside like this and an inside water strainer part. Both can be planted in. I purchased this bucket for $5.

As you can see it has some dings and fragments of red paint in spots from a painted label. I washed the outside surface with a wet rag and KRUD KUTTER Tough Task Remover. Krud Kutter removes any grease or dirt that may cause problems with paint adherence.

Junk Garden Containers Around The Deck

2017-06-25T08:35:00.001-05:00

Wow, it's June 25th and our northern Minnesota weather continues to be very cool and either rainy or mostly cloudy.

This is the view from my kitchen window today. The potted annuals haven't changed much since being planted.

Dairy Farm Stanchion Junk Garden Decor

2017-06-21T08:52:00.000-05:00

One of my latest junk garden purchases is a old dairy farm stanchion. A stanchion held a cow in place while being milked.

YARD of FLOWERS Junky Purple Coneflowers

2017-06-18T16:22:00.002-05:00

Sometimes garden junk falls apart. Sometimes it's sad, but thankfully sometimes it's not because broken junk can become something even better.

Here is a old nail barrel in my sister in law Kris's garden from a few years back. The bottom had rotted out of it.

And here is a rustic white wooden planter that Kris had added some junky rusty metal panels on all sides. Unfortunately, this planter fell apart as well. The wooden parts were rotten but the rusty panels were removed and reused.

Re-Arranging the Junk Garden Planters

2017-06-17T16:41:00.001-05:00

As I said in a previous blog post, I don't get all new, old junk every garden season so I add a few new pieces and re-locate the old stuff. Above is a super cool rusty junky spring wreath made for me by my sister in law, Kris, and a half barrel on my deck with coffee pot planters on stakes. These past junk garden plantings were changed up for 2017.

My New Junk Garden Shed

2017-06-15T08:13:00.001-05:00

Late last summer, I purchased a Princeton 10' x 10' shed kit from Home Depot. My husband put the kit together with a few reinforcements to the floor and door to make it stronger.

The shed sat all winter unpainted and un-landscaped.

Here is the shed early this spring.

Mandala Stenciled Bistro Table for the Deck

2017-06-13T21:05:00.000-05:00

A couple years ago, I purchased this little rustic bistro set at the neighbor's garage sale.

My 2017 Junk Garden Potting Bench

2017-06-11T19:24:00.000-05:00

This is a sign/planter that I made in May from a barn door, a rummage sale flower box and Old Sign Stencils Farmhouse stencil.

I hung it above my potting bench/sink.

Changing Up the Junk Garden Vignettes

2017-06-10T16:11:00.001-05:00

How do I make different junk garden displays every year (or every other) to keep it interesting? Reuse the same pieces with different pieces and flowers. See how my barn door with pot lids and coffeepot planters on stakes become a new vignette.

Early June Junk Garden Changes & Progress

2017-06-07T19:38:00.000-05:00

On May 28th, I planted my 2017 junk garden.

This is my junk garden border on June 7th.

A Comfortable, Vintage, Covered Patio

2017-06-06T15:45:00.000-05:00

Join me on the covered patio! Do you remember my white DIY flower urn from thrift shop parts? It's on the covered patio with an ivy cascading over the brim. I found a plastic liner pot that fit perfectly in the urn so I didn't have to put the dirt directly into it.

The galvanized vase, also a thrift shop purchase, holds a Cretan Brake Fern.

The magnetic, galvanized roses are made by Darice. I purchased them at a local drug store but they are available online at ebay.

The fern mister is also a thrift shop purchase!

I have had the weathered buggy wheel forever, and it is one of my favorite backdrops.

A Junk Garden "Gallery" Fence

2017-06-04T14:04:00.000-05:00

I always love garden backdrops and this section of chippy white fence is perfect for a junk garden.

Nicotiana And My Rustic Garden Wheelbarrow

2017-05-30T10:37:00.001-05:00

I've had this old wheelbarrow for close to 20 years. I paid $15 for it at a garage sale. I treat the wood with THOMPSONS WATERSEAL Wood Protector every couple years to make the old wood last as long as possible. You can also brush or spray Thompson's on handles of garden tools as well.

This is my newly planted wheelbarrow 2017.