10 Easy Ways to Decorate with Vintage Garden Tools

Vintage garden tools are fun to collect. Here are 10 easy ways to use them in your outdoor decorating.

Vintage garden tools are such a fun secondhand find. Garage sales, church sales and estate sales are perfect places to turn up some fresh-with-garden-dirt tools. I think the definition of garden tools goes way beyond shovels and cultivators; I include sprinklers, hoses and clay pots as essential garden-making tools, too! When it comes to garden-inspired decorating, more is always merrier! Since our summer plants are finally starting to look good, I’ll give you a little peek at our porch and patio to show you 10 Easy Ways to Decorate with Vintage Garden Tools.

Today’s post is part of our monthly Thrifty Chicks Challenge, which means you’ll get a bunch of Garden Tool inspiration from my creative, talented friends. I can’t wait to see what these ladies have come up with! I’ll have all their links down below.

10 Easy Ways to Decorate with Vintage Garden Tools

Before adding garden tools to my decor, I scrub and seal them, so they look their best. {“How to Refresh Vintage Galvanized Metal”} The rust and time-worn character is a wonderful accent to fresh flowers and foliage when given the old tool beauty treatment;)

Tuck Old Garden Tools Into Your Garden

There’s nothing easier than setting an old sprinkler in with your garden flowers. Vintage tractor sprinklers don’t have to work to add an artistic touch of patinaed metal to the scene.

Enjoy Vintage Garden Tools as Decorative Accessories

You don’t even have to have a garden to enjoy old garden tools as art. Group them together or enjoy singly just setting around your outdoor spaces, much like you would with any other decorative accessory. Who needs to purchase accessories from the big box store when you can enjoy a couple dollar, old garden tool?

Nestle Your Vintage Garden Tools Together for a Simple Vignette

Sprinklers are all about greening up the grass, so why not group them together with…you guessed it…grass?! Tiered trays are a great way to display a whole theme of items to create a centerpiece. {“DIY a Junk Styled Tiered Tray”} I’ve been looking forward to using this garden-edging tiered tray to display a grouping of vintage garden tools. A pile of clay pots and some faux grass and succulents make these old yard tools centerpiece-worthy on our outside coffee table.

To add to the sprinkler theme, I added an old brass sprayer to my succulent lantern planter {“Repurposed Lantern Planter”} It’s a twist on the mini animals that are usually found in terrariums.

You don’t just have to decorate with vintage garden tools on the horizontal; they can add amazing vertical interest  to your decor, too!

Add Vintage Garden Tools to a Seasonal Wreath

A couple old hand tools can simply be wired to any of your seasonal wreaths for added texture. Or you could go all out and create a hose wreath…or a Many Hoses Wreath, like I like to do! {“DIY Garden Hoses Wreath”}

Tie Vintage Tools to a Post and Add Flowers

Any vertical element in your yard or garden can be a canvas for a vintage tool if you have some simple twine. I tied my favorite aqua shovel to a galvanized post attached to our deck, usually used for a bird feeder. With a few glass bottles tied on below, I can feature the fresh pick of the day!

Repurpose Your Vintage Tools Into Art

Grouped together and arranged and tied artistically, vintage tools can become a work of garden art! I tied old hand tools with simple twine, radiating out onto a vintage bicycle wheel and hung the whole thing from our porch wall. It’s a fun vintage artistic accent and definitely lets guests know what they’re getting into when they come to our house! {“Upcycled Bicycle Garden Art”}

Use Vintage Tools Instead of a Wreath on Your Door

For a funky twist on the usual welcoming door wreath, how about adding a few vintage tools to an old hardware apron? With some faux greenery and a seed packet, you have an instant garden-friendly greeting!

Use Vintage Garden Tools as Hangers

The tines on old rakes, cultivators and pitchforks are perfect for hanging cute signs and other items. Be careful if you have the sharp sides out; you don’t want someone losing an eye on your decor! I strategically hung mine where we don’t walk past; hopefully we won’t have any emergency room visits because of my rusty decor;)

And let’s not forget one of the easiest ways to enjoy Vintage Garden Tools…in the dirt! Decoratively, of course:

Stick Old Garden Tools Into Your Container Pots

The beauty of having some old cute garden tools sticking out of your container pots? Even if your flowers just got dead-headed, the pot will still look pretty! For the simplest container pot accent, stick old rakes or child’s garden sets right into the dirt of your container plant. You could hang a fun sign from them if you want, or just enjoy the structural form.

Repurpose Old Garden Tools as Plant Stakes

Seems like we can never find that dandelion puller when we need it (which is plenty often). Here’s my solution: I just glued on the word “Herbs” with my scrabble letters and popped it into my tabletop herb garden. Now it won’t get lost anymore; I’ll know right where it is!

Hope you enjoyed a sneak peak into our garden tool-inspired porch! I wasn’t planning on having that theme in this space, but maybe my subconscious just went that way when we hung our old garden gate for the big Graduation party {“Graduation Party Recap”}. And…I’ve never met a vintage garden tool I didn’t like…and probably brought home:)

For more ideas, check out “Fun Ways to Use Vintage Finds in your Outdoor Decorating”

I hope this 10 Easy Ways to Decorate with Vintage Garden Tools gave you some new ideas for your outdoor, or indoor spaces! I can’t wait to see what my friends came up with to add to the ideas and inspiration!

Please Pin, Save, and Enjoy the Rest of the Ideas!

Thrifty Chicks Old Yard Tools Challenge

1. Itsy Bits and Pieces, “A Fun Yard Tool Makeover”
2. Audrey Would!, “Upcycled Vintage Bulb Planters”
3. Me;)
4. Color Me Thrifty, “Repurposed Garden Trowel”
5. Little Vintage Cottage, “Upcycled Yard Tools Wreath”

Sharing at these lovely parties:

Vintage Charm

Talk of the Town

Tuesday Turn About

Waste Not Wednesday

Homestyle Gathering

Farmhouse Friday

DIY Salvaged Junk Projects