Thrift Store Refashion: A Fish Bowl Vase Update

Ah, the thrift store!  An upcyclers dream come true, junk piled upon junk.  One such piece of "junk" is a very common find....the fish bowl flower vase.  You know... the "throw away" type that florists send bouquets out in every day.  I made one over with a little bit of sisal rope, which coincidentally was also an upcycled find.  Check it out:

It's a pretty easy project to complete and requires only a bit of sisal rope, hot glue, paint and a button.  But just in case you're interested in seeing it done here's the video tutorial.

Here's another option, using a large soup can:

Happy upcycling!

An Upcycled Herb Garden... Anywhere

This is my favorite time of the year!  If I could be in the garden all day, I would be.  I've added two flower gardens to my yard, decked out the patio and have quite the vegetable garden growing in the field behind the house.  There's not a lot of room left to do much more, but I found a way and thought I'd share it with readers.   Yep, that's it over there on the left side of the page.  I love how rustic it looks and that I can put it anywhere.

Here's what you'll need:
* Soup cans (cleaned and labels/glue removed)
* Spray paint
* Chalk board paint (and chalk)
* Paint brush
* Twine (optional)
* Drill

First things first, drill two holes in the bottom of each soup can for drainage

And one just under the rim for attaching your twine should you choose to hang your herbs (optional):

Now spray paint your cans with the color of your choosing:

Once your cans are dry add a strip of chalkboard paint, you'll probably need two coats:

Add your plants:

Use a piece of chalk to label your herb:

You can stop here and decorate your patio or window ledge with individual herb pots or you can string a piece of twine through each can and tie it off.  You'll want each piece to be a little longer than the one before it so they form a tiered effect once hung. Then just tie all of the lengths together forming a loop that can be hung from anywhere you please. You can also use these in the office or the kids playroom to store pens, markers, paint brushes, etc.

If you make a soup can herb garden, I'd love to see it.  Post a link below so we can all check it out.  Happy gardening!