To many of us, our yards are our own private oasis, granting us solace and protection from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
That's why I love outdoor DIY projects that completely transform our home's exterior — like this dad who turned concrete steps into a gorgeous staircase and garden.
But sometimes, creating your own peaceful, relaxing garden can get to be kind of expensive… Buying flowers and plants for your garden, cute little lawn gnomes, pink flamingos, fountains — these things can add up!
That's why I love this homemade gazing ball! While a similar store-bought object can often cost around $50, this clever DIY-er decided to beat the game and made her own gazing ball for only $5.50 in total.
Scroll down to see pictures of just how thrifty you can get with some garage sale perusing and just a bit of inspiration.
Would you have something like this in your front yard, or do prefer getting things retail?
To make her unique yard art, this clever crafter began at a garage sale, where she bought a bowling ball, ball bag, and shoes for just $1! She didn't need the bag or the shoes, so she donated them to Goodwill.
When she got home, she filled in the bowling ball's holes with caulk.
She then gathered $4.50 worth of pennies. To brighten them up, she first tried soaking them in Coke Zero.
But what wound up working best for our DIY-er was 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of table salt to clean and brighten the pennies.
She used silicon sealant to glue the pennies to the surface of the ball — all heads up!
She covered the entire surface of the bowling ball with bright copper pennies.
She then set her sparkling new gazing ball on top of an old birdbath.
The gazing ball also fit perfectly in an antique silver chafing dish. What a genius DIY way to save some money!
What DIY decorations do you have in your garden? Let us know in the comments, and please SHARE!
