People have always discovered ways to bring nature indoors through decorative elements. Decorating with nature, whether real houseplants or pressed flowers, may lend a sense of comfort to your home. Because your environment effects your mental health, bringing a touch of nature indoors may help lower stress, make you calmer, and even enhance your energy.
Aside from the mental health advantages, incorporating outdoor treasures into your design may help you save money while also making your house more environmentally friendly. To convert outdoor treasures into home décor, you don’t need to be an expert in interior design. By understanding what to search for and using a little imagination, you may find methods to make your home decor absolutely distinctive, unique, and beneficial to you and your family. Let’s have a look at some repurposing ideas for making the most of your outdoor finds.
Use What You Have
Using materials found outdoors or stuff you’ve had in your garage for years is a terrific way to infuse fresh life into old items. Some of the finest items to recycle and repurpose from your garage or shed include:
- An old ladder into a bookshelf
- Camping mats into gardening knee pads
- Empty paint cans for storage/organization
You may even take your repurposing efforts a step further by constructing something from recycled materials. PVC, for example, is an useful construction material that can be used for a range of tasks. Consider making industrial shelves, a baby gate, a water table for your kids, or even a laptop stand out of leftover PVC tubing from a plumbing upgrade or other work on your home.
If you have any leftover timber in your garage or shed, you may utilise the same creativity and resourcefulness. Consider anything like a bookcase or cupboards that might be beneficial to your house. Using such “forgotten” items rather than letting them deteriorate in your garage is a far better approach to live an environmentally responsible lifestyle.
Go Treasure Hunting
Going “hunting” for outdoor discoveries is one of the finest ways to recycle them. Even if you don’t have many reusable goods in your garage or yard, it doesn’t mean you can’t hunt for them elsewhere. Outdoor treasure hunting is a fun way to include the whole family. You’ll spend more time outside, and everyone can use their imagination to find materials that inspire them.
Consider utilising a metal detector as a simple way to get started. You might be amazed at what you can find in your own backyard, but you can also visit nearby public beaches, farms (with permission), and friends’ and family members’ yards. The following are some of the most common metal detector finds:
- Antique coins
- Jewelry
- Buttons and buckles
- Heirlooms
- Toys
While these items might not be “natural,” by digging them up you’re doing something good for the planet, and you never know what unique items are just waiting to be repurposed. Old jewelry can be turned into artwork. Antique coins can be used for backsplashes and countertops. If you want to spend more time outside, either with your children or as a relaxing pastime, treasure hunting is a terrific way to do it while also perhaps finding some unique artefacts to use as decor.
Bring the Outdoors In
We’ve discussed repurposing and reusing goods that have already been “created” up to this point. However, decorating with natural elements might help you achieve a more sustainable look.
Utilizing natural decor is a great way to save money while creating an interior environment that fits your personality and sense of style. Not sure how to get started? Consider placing a bowl of pinecones on your coffee table as a centerpiece. Use moss-covered branches to decorate your mantle. Make pressed flowers with your kids to place in vases around the house.
If you travel a lot, you may make it a habit to gather outdoor items wherever you go. Depending on how much space you have to carry items home, this may include seashells or stones from various beaches, as well as driftwood.
Your goal when repurposing outdoor items should be to do something good for the earth, not to take away from it. Learning how to repurpose things found in nature is a great way to live more sustainably and educate yourself on the importance of reusing and recycling things.
The best part about reusing outdoor treasures is that you’ll have a one-of-a-kind piece of decor. Nobody else will have the same “pieces” as you, making your house a haven of comfort and familiarity — your sanctuary.
So, don’t be afraid to start exploring, get your hands dirty, and observe what’s around you in the great outdoors that you can bring back to life in a new and unique way.
