Garden Goodies.............

Today Laura and myself went thrift shopping. I was on the lookout for things to make into garden art. I want to make flowers out of plates and glass dishes. Bird baths and feeders. So off we went looking for such things. We went first to the Salvation Army where we thought the prices were way to high. I mean, are these not supposed to be affordable for people who have little to spend? Everything is donated so I would think if they sold at a low price they would sell much more? I don't know. Anyway, it was more than I wanted to pay for what we were going to do. Many will probably break when we try to drill them. So next we went to a place called The Red Dresser. It was not a thrift store, but a resale shop. Oh my, we had a great time in there. I bought a couple of things not on my list. A bread box and a wire basket.

I will have to rearrange the kitchen to use the bread box (for flour it could hold 3 bags of flour) but I love it so will try to find a place for it.
The next picture shows some small glass dishes that will make nice flour centers. If you looked at the blog I posted the other day of the lady who makes garden stakes with plates and things you will know what I mean.

I was also looking for plates to make the flowers backgrounds or bird tables and baths. I got one bargain. I could not believe. At the Goodwill that we had never been to before, I found my jackpot. I spent about 65 dollars there. First off these aqua green plates are glass. They are like chargers. Eight of them for 8 dollars. I bought the pitcher at the Red Dresser where we also got some great ideas for making paper flowers. Anyway, back to the thrift shop bargains. There were 3 deep plates and a teapot for 7 dollars. I can use the teapot as a planter on top of a plate on a stand. The other two plates are deep enough for bird baths.


This cookie jar in the shape of a house will be a planter. The roof comes off........either that or I will just stand it somewhere to look pretty

In the next picture two lovely plates, one deep enough to hold seed or water and the other with the rooster I am not sure. I may find a plate hanger and just put it on the porch?????

Don't ask, I have no idea what the tin thing is.......looks like a hot pad. Anyway to me its going to be a sunflower and the glass plate makes a nice center. It will need a bit more but its the idea right???

This is an idea for one of the blue plates. Not sure what else to do with the mouse but that sort of just looked right. Of course, unless you look at that blog you wont know what I am talking about so I will give you another link at the end.

The teapot can be a planter or just sit on the plate as a bird table. That we shall see.

The little white bowl is glass and the wrought iron is a candle holder, I think I will use it as a base for something else. Not sure yet

I am not at all sure what I will use these hobnail Avon pots for but they may make nice little pots for ivy.

The little wire basket I
will use for eggs. At least that is what I got it for but I have a Cilantro plant in the kitchen window that would look nice in there.

The large glass bowl will be a bird bath I think. I have to attach it inside something else. I have an idea but that can wait for now, several ideas in fact.

Then there is this little house. It's for a candle but sitting in a plate it will look good as a garden decoration don't you think?

Well we certainly enjoyed a great fun day. We even had a great lunch. We went to Panda's North, a Chinese and found a wonderful curry that was the best I ever had in the States. You can be we will be going back often. Best of all it was just great to be out in the sun again. It was freezing cold but that was fine by us, it was sunny.
For all those interested in garden goodies please check out this wonderful blog. Garden Whimsies by Mary