It was Going to the Garbage…now it’s Going to the Garden

January 28, 2009 at 1:31 am (Frugal Gardening)

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.

That’s my recently adopted credo.  So, instead of automatically throwing something out, it goes into my let-me-find-something-to-make-out-of-it pile.

The other day I eyeballed this mini blind.

It had a few broken slats and the twisty wand to open and close the blind had broken off and the string was broken so it wouldn’t go up and down smoothly.  I think we can say it was used up and worn out.  I didn’t want to make it do (it was pretty grungy).  And I couldn’t do without (I’m not a latent exhibitionist), so I had to replace the blind with a new one.

But I didn’t throw it away.  I’ve been reading how you can use old mini blinds to make plant markers with them, so that’s what I did. When I dismantled the blind, I had the slats and a little bit of string.  I haven’t thought of anything to do with the rest of the mind blind.

 

I cut both ends of the slats off at the point where the little hole is that the string was threaded through and I cut the remainder of the slat in half.  You can really bend it back and forth and it will break right in the middle.  Then I cut a point on one end of the slat. 

So, now I have the large size for outside in the garden and the smaller size for inside in the transplant trays or the individual transplant pots.

A while ago I used empty cans to make pen holders.  I used some raised surface border paper (thrift store, 60 cents brand new), water color paint and a sponge.

 

And this is what I came up with.

 

So, now I have some free plant markers and someplace to store them.

 

One more item kept out of the landfill.

Happy Gardening!!!!

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