Salvage Style for the Garden: Simple Outdoor Projects Using Reclaimed Treasures [Paperback]

Marcianne Miller (Author), Dana Irwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2004

Turn “trash” into garden treasures with 40 creative ways to craft functional and decorative outdoor objects. It’s ecologically and economically smart. All it takes are these easy-to-follow instructions, ideas and photos to make fabulous furniture, fixtures, stepping stones, whimsical pinwheels, and more. Why throw away a worn copper kettle when it makes a wonderfully attractive planter? Don’t scrap weathered wood; transform it into a comfortable Adirondack chair, perfect for whiling away those summer days. Some projects are really for the birds, including a feeder fashioned from an ashtray, or a birdbath constructed from a salvaged sink. From benches and trellises to scarecrows and luminaries, these one-of-a-kind objects are far more beautiful than anything store-bought.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Garage-sale enthusiasts, thrift-store shoppers, and bargain hunters will welcome Miller and Irwin's salvage-art showcase. Discards such as old heating grates, window shutters, lighting fixtures, damaged farm tools, and old barn siding can all be transformed quickly and inexpensively into surprisingly attractive, always innovative garden focal points as, for example, grates become stepping stones and barn wood planks become Adirondock chairs. Zigzagged windows of the same height, cleaned and sanded, with painted designs on the glass, become table "legs" when an old, weathered door is secured on top. Tongue-and-groove flooring or wallboards, with a little sandpaper, paint, and wood screws, are easily made into outdoor shelves for flowerpots. And with only an old paneled door, banister balusters, and a few tools, a door is transformed into the seat and headrest of a garden bench supported by baluster "legs" for seating that is truly one-of-a-kind--as is this delightful collection of ideas that could jump-start a lifetime of unique garden projects. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579905978
• ISBN-13: 978-1579905972
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #550,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Salvage Style for the Garden Review, January 21, 2005

By 

Katelyn Thomas "Mama On the Go editor" (Port Deposit, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Salvage Style for the Garden: Simple Outdoor Projects Using Reclaimed Treasures (Hardcover)

I'm always looking for more accessories for my gardens, but I don't like my garden looking like a display for the local garden centers, so I was excited to see the interesting new Marcianne Miller book, Salvage Style for the Garden. I was inspired to create more than one of the projects in this book, and it also helped me think more creatively when I looked at some of the things I already had laying around in the shed.

This book has projects that will please the most sophisticated gardener, as well as projects for gardeners who like a more primitive or country look. Miller and Irwin have an original and creative sense of style and many of the projects in this book are very different from the standard copycat projects everyone else seems to have. Planters, benches, trellises and projects that are just plain fun fill the book.

As the book progresses, you will see some of my favorite projects, such as a huge pinwheel, which I am very excited about making for my children's garden. You will learn step by step techniques for creating garden ornamentation like a glass hanging planter or a window leg table from pieces that you can find in your local salvage yard or pieces you may even have in your own cellar.

All in all, there are over forty ideas with step by step instructions. There are also many more ideas to inspire you to create you own garden art and structures in the galleries of additional ideas.

The best thing about this book is that it is not just a pattern book for making projects. It is also set up to teach you to look for and use salvage to create your own unique pieces. It is well written, crammed with ideas, and fun to read. The pleasure these women feel when they create a new ornament for their gardens comes through very clearly in this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars "Green" up your garden, by using salvaged items, September 22, 2010

By 

Marilyn C Garrett - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Salvage Style for the Garden: Simple Outdoor Projects Using Reclaimed Treasures (Paperback)

Most of us know that using a wine barrel cut in half makes a great planter. This book takes you beyond the stereotypical salvaged items and shows you a new way to look at your throwaways. An old floor grate becomes an interesting trellis. An old column finds a place in the garden for a statue or a potted fern. "Reclaiming your treasures" is what its about. Re-using things that you were going to throw away anyway and isn't that what the greening of America and your garden is all about. I love this book.