Durham, NC on Aug 15, 2011

my husband and i finally finished the backyard!

{used bricks from craigslist, reclaimed glider from the flea market that we painted to match the chairs, a $10 beat up coffee table with a new paint treatment, a zebra print painted astroturf rug, and recycled bottles to edge the garden!} (see more pics at my blog: www.thegypsypursuit.wordpress.com)

26 Comments Displaying 25 of 26 comments | See Previous

Traci C Durham, NC

Thanks! : )

on Aug 15, 2011 · Like 0
Miriam I New York, NY

Traci, I LOVE what you did with the coffee table!

on Aug 15, 2011 · Like 0
Harold M Franklin, NC

I like seeing people recycle stuff. Very nice and keeps it out of the landfill. My wife and I are always looking at yard sales for "vintage" stuff. Have found some really cool stuff. Amazing what a good cleaning and a coat of paint can do. You know your getting old when you buy somthing to refurbish and you remember your parents having it when you were a kid

on Aug 15, 2011 · Like 0
Traci C Durham, NC

Thanks, Miriam! I actually wish I had 2 b/c it looks great in my living room too! We are all about Some mid-century modern mixed w/ vintage, shabby chic... I grew up tagging along w/ my parents to antique shops. Not to mention, my change purse loves me for my thrifty finds! Lol!

on Aug 15, 2011 · Like 0
Steve G Fort Collins, CO

Hooray for repurposing and recycling.

on Aug 15, 2011 · Like 0
Stacey B Florence, KY

great edging....thinking about my back patio now......hmmmn!

on Aug 16, 2011 · Like 0
Douglas Hunt New Smyrna Beach, FL

Love to see stuff get re-used so creatively. The zebra astroturf rocks! And the bottle edging.

on Aug 16, 2011 · Like 0
Donna Raleigh, NC

love the contrast between the vintage chairs and the modern look of the bench and repurposed coffee table!!! Good job.

on Aug 16, 2011 · Like 0
Lisa H New Smyrna Beach, FL

Sooooo loving the bottle edging! I'm all over it!

on Sep 03, 2011 · Like 0
Traci C Durham, NC

Thanks! I love sitting out there now. Most of the bottles are actually old clorox bottles from the 50s. And the old bottle dump where we got is about to be covered w/ dirt & asphault to extend a road. I'm bummed about all that history being covered up. I spent all last weekend (my bday) digging for more! I'm a cheap date. Lol. :)

on Sep 08, 2011 · Like 1
Tasha W Hiram, GA

used brick I never thought of that what a neat idea was it expensive...

on Sep 08, 2011 · Like 1
Tasha W Hiram, GA

beautiful job too!

on Sep 08, 2011 · Like 0
Melissa A Fort Dodge, IA

love love love what you did with the jars!!!

on Sep 08, 2011 · Like 0
Traci C Durham, NC

we got 700 bricks for $100 on craigslist....i priced out the entire backyard (9x10 brick patio & materials, glider, chairs, table, rug, dining set, umbrella, entire mulched garden, planters, and all accessories--the whole kit n kaboodle) at $973... the white bench was a curb find! bottles dug outta the ground... and the dog was a rescue! lol :P

on Sep 08, 2011 · Like 1
Douglas Hunt New Smyrna Beach, FL

You definitely know how to get the most bang for your buck, Traci!

on Sep 09, 2011 · Like 1
Peace Painting Co., Inc. Alpharetta, GA

Quirky, delightful and tastefully done. Once I saw a fern growing inside a half-buried bottle; it looked so happy in there.
CP

on Sep 12, 2011 · Like 0
Bernice H Yakima, WA

I love the bottles! I am sooo in love with glass of most any kind, and this is so super cool! Now, do they break? How careful do you have to be around them in the ground? Did you plant the whole bottle or break them shorter? Have you seen the bottle trees some people have in their yards? I swoon when I see them. Glass and sunlight! What a combination! I bet your walkway glows when the sun is shining on them. Beautiful!

on Sep 15, 2011 · Like 0
Kathy W New Carlisle, OH

I too LOVE the bottle idea! In fact it's all quite nice. But i wanted to warn Northern (I'm Ohio) freezes bust up old used bricks. I laid one out all around the air conditioner and it was gorgeous. Come spring it looked like I had bought a bag of crushed brick. Still pretty though.

on Sep 17, 2011 · Like 0
Traci C Durham, NC

Thanks! Hopefully Durham won't get as cold as up north! We have some extra bricks in case we need to replace some though...and some extra bottles in case they break too. Keepin my fingers crossed for a mild winter this year!

on Sep 24, 2011 · Like 0
Traci C Durham, NC

bernice, we planted the entire bottles and packed them with clay that we made out of the dirt that we removed from the garden. theyre pretty sturdy. we put rocks on the outside so we dont have grass growing right next to the bottles. that would be difficult to weedwhack! I plan to add another layer of rocks or maybe a line of pebbles to add to the buffer...haven't decided yet. I wanna see how they fare in the winter too! and I love the bottle trees, i've already asked my hubby to make me one! :)

on Sep 25, 2011 · Like 0
Bernice H Yakima, WA

Hey Traci..can you revisit this post, because i have questions above.

on May 24, 2012 · Like 0
Dana M Austin, TX

I bought a bird bath like yours; did your's peel and leak? Within 3 months, it was shot. I was going to repaint it, but not sure if the material its made of is the problem. Thanks, love your patio.

on May 24, 2012 · Like 0
Jeanette S Atlanta, GA

Great job...enjoy!

on Jun 13, 2012 · Like 0
Traci C Durham, NC

bernice, we planted the entire bottles and packed them with clay (made with our dense dirt and some water). some of them have plants growing inside them. i decided not to use weed killer on it because it gives it a terrarium feel. my husband shattered one of the bottles with the weedeater, but other than that, walking around them and planting around them is not a problem. they have not broken over the winter either. we replaced the one my husband broke and haven't had any issues. ...»

dana, my birdbath has faded as well. we got it discounted because it was a display and had already started fading. so we were kind of expecting that to happen anyway. i will probably just paint it one solid color later.

on Jun 13, 2012 · Like 0
Karianne R Woodsville, NH

Very clever! I love it

on Jun 16, 2012 · Like 0