DIY Old Bookcase Garden Make Over

My latest project is this old book case garden make over that adds color to my garden bed and becomes a great place to store garden tools.

I love to re-purpose tired and dilapidated old furniture and household goods. It is fun to think outside the box and come up with a new way to use them. 

My Old Bookcase Garden Make Over Give a Pop of Color in my backyard.

The book case was an insightly mess.  It used to be white and all the paint was chipped and peeling.   The wood was intact but the finish was just horrible.

The back was falling off and the distorted. “Trying to make this into anything pretty is going to be quite a task,” I thought.I have been doing a garden bed make over this month and wanted a place to add a few plant pots and to have some of my small garden supplies handy.

This book case was the perfect size. To start, I got out an old wire brush and started scraping away.

I did not want all the paint off (not worth the work since it will be sitting outside and won’t last forever, and shabby chic is in right now) but I wanted the loose bits to be gone.

Two hours later in 85º heat and this is what I got. I have been using two colors of paint to add color to my garden bed accessories, so this is what I needed for the project:

• 2 cans of Rustoleum satin lagoon spray paint
• 1 can of Rustoleum satin paprika paint

The bookcase came first.  I sprayed the sides, tops and shelves.  It dried very quickly in the heat outside.Next came the back panels.  I gave the top of a rubber maid bin a coat of the paprika at the same time. (it holds a lot of my garden small tools.)The next step was to reassemble the back panels and fasten them to the book case with 1 1/4 inch wood nails.

Tada!  All done.  I love the way it came out.  It’s a perfect place to put a few plants, some potting mix and my small garden tools.

Be sure to have a look at the other projects that I used in the same garden bed.

• DIY hose guides
• DIY Cement block planter for succulents
• Sounds of the Southwest Musical planters

Have you used old furniture outside in your yard to add some color to your garden beds?  Tell us about it in the comments below. I’d love to hear what you have done.

Share on Social Media