Recycle Archives - Eightymillion

June 12, 2015

Quick and Easy DIY Flower Pots Using Cement Bricks

Here’s a DIY project that anyone can do. Give those cement bricks a new life by recycling them into flower pots. It’s easy and inexpensive. If you don’t have any laying around you can buy them for around $1.75-$2. each. Every year I always use annuals because I like to experiment with different varieties. This year is my favorite combination. Fibrous Begonia and Celosia.

This is my fourth year using these bricks. For a step-by-step tutorial click here. Feel free to check out the previous years here and here.

Here’s a few additional tips that I discovered along the way to save you some time.

Right before the snow arrives, pull out the dead plants from the bricks. No need to cover them or change the dirt from season to season. Just let them sit as is.

Use a tarp. It saves on cleanup time.

If you have dogs, keep them away from the bricks. My three loved to “mark” one brick in particular. So much that their urine was trapped in between the spaces of the bricks. Gross right? I ended up switching out that one.

Don’t worry about the excess dirt. As it rains it’ll wash away.

Easy right?

I had four leftover plants from the flats I purchased for this project. I’ll share another easy project tomorrow on what I did with those.

July 20, 2012

DIY Inspiration: Smash Book Progress

©JenniferSchultingPhotography2012

I’m extremely excited yet overly tired. Honestly, I could fall asleep within 30 seconds of hitting the pillow. First I want to share an update regarding the Smash Books. If your new to the blog, *thanks* for visiting. Also, read here for the history behind this awesome handmade project.

I’ve got three piles of cutouts ready to go. Huge piles. I surprised myself at how much I’ve collected for this. Every page in the book isn’t going to be the exact same size. Why? Because I hate to measure and I don’t want to take the time to cut again. I’ve spent enough time with the scissors for the prep work. And it doesn’t matter if they match. I’ve got an idea to make each page fit within the book. It was inspired by a child’s toy that I saw in the store. I’ll share more when I approach that step.

I also kept the odd pieces from each box that I broke down. Not sure where they will fit in, but I couldn’t throw them away.

That’s all folks. Girl needs sleep. Check back tomorrow for Friday’s Top 10 List (I’ve made new connections and found some goodies from around the web). On Saturday I’ll show you what supplies I’ve gathered to place in the books. Everyday oddities that are inexpensive yet creative.

Until the next word…

~Jennifer

May 6, 2012

Recycling: DIY Flower Pot Project

I had these two plastic flower pots taking up space in my storage area “aka” the garage. They have a unique vintage look to them. In the process of cleaning out the garage I thought of a way to reuse them and save them from the garbage.

I flipped one of them over and used three screws to connect them. Now I like them again. I recently replanted a shrub that was growing out of control in one of my flower beds. I noticed that I forget a portion of the plant in the ground, so I’m attempting to give some life. So far so good.

~Jennifer

March 4, 2012

DIY Outdoor Recycling Inspiration: Think Spring, Part One

Has cabin fever set in? It has here and I can’t wait for Spring. Mother Nature has been dishing out some funny weather, so I decided to look back on projects that I did in my yard last year.

I try to recycle everything in some way. The vintage doors were given to me from my mom. They were already hinged together with the flower box attached. The only thing they needed was some color. So, I found a quaint little corner in my yard and added some flowers. The silver teapot was a $5. Ikea find. Love that store! The greenery is from Hobby Lobby.

My favorite part of the door is this pair of crocks I found at the thrift store for $1.00. Instant flower pots.

A local downtown business had a pile of bricks in their alley. One day I decided to call the owner (whom I knew) and ask if she had plans for them. Sounds crazy, right? Well, they are now mine. Score! Again, another instant flower pot. I lined them along the sidewalk by my back door. They fit the length of the walk way perfectly. I “thought” they would serve as a distraction to the dogs and prevent them from jumping off the edge. Perhaps encouraging them to use the steps. No, didn’t work. They jump even higher now over them.

And then there’s the garden. The best part of spring. This was the third season for planting and as my three beloved dogs got taller the need for a taller fence grew as well. My neighbor had multiple pieces of a dog kennel leaning up against her house. I asked her if she would be willing to sell some of it. She told me that it was free if I could make it disappear. Another great find! But I couldn’t take it for nothing. A case of cold beverages put a smile on her face.

So, my boyfriend and I found the pieces we would need to complete our project. We relocated our exiting garden by expanding it to the corner of the yard. Therefore, we only needed panels to cover two sides. And we were lucky enough to find a piece with a gate. It helps with the maintenance.

A new season brings new projects. There will be a part two to this post. I have additional recycling projects I’ll share as soon as the snow melts and the ground softens. And yes it involves me asking people for their junk.

Do you have any outdoor projects to share? Feel free to share links for your projects in the comment section below.