Your Rustic Yard Decor

Rustic yard decor does not have to be wince-inducing. It can and should call forth the imagination of the homeowner, and delight the eye of guests or even passersby. Even a garden gnome peeking out of a patch of herbs or a path made of cat-shaped pavers can brighten someone’s day.

Some of the most attractive items that make up rustic yard decor used to serve an important purpose in a bygone era but are either no longer needed are broken or were salvaged from a structure that was demolished.

Some flowers and plants thrive in just about anything they are put in, so a homeowner shouldn’t hesitate to fill up an old, footed, leaky bathtub, galvanized metal buckets, copper laundry pots or old sinks with flowering plants and place them in a sunny or shady spot in the yard. Just displaying old items against an otherwise bland house, garden shed or garage wall draws people’s attention. These can be part of an old, wooden fence, hand-wash agitators, wagon wheels of different sizes, stoneware jugs or old milk cans.

Old lumber can be used to build a bench, an outdoor dining table, a fence or gate. The gate and fence can give a truly rustic look with the application of chicken wire, which is attractive yet does the job of keeping varmints out of the yard or garden.

Signs or advertising cards from country stores can be hung up on the walls of the house to spruce up a deck or a patio. These old signs and cards advertised everything from tobacco to soft drinks to shoes to laundry bluing. Their artistry is surprisingly excellent, and since they were often made out of tin, they could be kept out in the weather.

Old window panes removed from homes that wanted to make their windows more energy efficient can be put together to make a garden or potting shed, and old bricks from a torn down factory can be used as paving stones. These bricks are often a lot less expensive than brand new ones, and some decorating experts claim that they’re more durable.

Rustic yard decor makes use of quirky items that are old and new. Creating a rustic yard is just the thing for a homeowner who longs to let their imagination run wild.