Instead of splashing out on new garden furniture this year, why not breathe new life into old household items and transform them into statement pieces for your outside space? From DIY firepits, outdoor kitchens and rustic hot tubs to innovative planters and upcycled patio sets, these eco-friendly garden projects are the perfect way to upgrade your backyard on a budget. Click or scroll on to get inspired...

Annabelle Rogers of @designermumetc built this show-stopping garden upcycling project in a narrow pathway against a garden wall. The frame consists of an old desk, while the worktops are made from leftover tiles from a previous project. Wood pallets mounted above the counter offer open shelving for storage. A few coats of Ronseal garden paint in 'Slate Grey' turned the upcycled materials into a beautiful outdoor kitchen. 

Before you throw away your old garden equipment, think about how your time-worn items could be given another purpose. Keen gardener Sharon from @beforeandaftergarden has converted a well-loved but rusty wheelbarrow into a quirky and endearing planter blooming with character. It gives year-round colour to her garden too, thanks to a considered planting combination of tulips, dahlias and daffodils.

Outdoor lighting adds an ambient finishing touch to garden terraces and alfresco eating spaces at night. These upcycled jam jar lanterns secured with old vintage belt handles will cast a warm glow across a patio set. Place a layer of pebbles in the bottom of the jam jar to keep the pillar candles in place, but be careful to keep them away from any flammable materials. You can see the full tutorial here.

Need more garden storage and seating? Source an old hallway storage bench from an online marketplace to revamp and reuse in the garden. Clean the surface area by wiping it down with a damp cloth. Once dry, lightly sand and dust the wood for a smooth finish. Prep with a primer if necessary or choose a wood paint that can be applied directly onto wood. Apply a few coats of your chosen shade. Once dry, just add outdoor cushions and your storage seating is ready to go.

Transform old straw hats into wall-hanging garden planters. Use a nail to hammer two holes on either side at the top of a zinc flowerpot. Cut a length of strong twine about 50cm long and feed it through the holes, knotting both ends to secure it in place. Cut a generous hole in the crown of an old straw hat so the pot can be placed inside. Secure the pot to the hat with glue. Carefully place flowers such as geraniums into the planters, allowing the flowers to emerge from the hat. Hang your quirky planter from the twine on a fence or screen. 

Wood decking is a great way to zone an outdoor eating area or social space. If you want something a little more unique than standard wood planks, why not add your own design? Blogger and influencer Melanie Jade Design used a pretty Victorian-style stencil to revamp her decked terrace and the results are seriously impressive. "From start to finish it probably took me about 12 hours to complete and it's completely transformed the decking and made the area much brighter and lighter," explains Melanie. 

Reclaimed clay bricks that can withstand high temperatures are convenient building blocks for creating your own simple, low-cost firepit. But safety is of the utmost importance when carrying out this garden project. Choose a practical position away from trees, bushes and buildings. If the area is lawned, remove the turf, dig a 30cm hole and fill it with gravel for drainage. Build up your firepit in layers around a central square measuring no more than 55cm across. Fill the pit with 7cm of gravel. Follow this video for full instructions.

Inside or out, bunting never fails to look pretty and it's so easy to make. Old shirts, cushions and tea towels are ideal to transform into colourful flags. For the sewing-adverse, simply cut out triangles and attach them to a length of ribbon with hemming web. If you're at home with a needle and thread, use a sewing machine for a more professional finish. 

A garden privacy screen can make a real focal point, as well as shielding your outside space from any overlooking properties. This cool wood pallet wall will add plenty of character and useful storage. Use scraps of wood to construct simple tiered flower boxes on the pallet. Sand down the wood and paint. Once dry, screw post anchors to the base of your pallet walls to ensure they remain firmly in the ground. Then, line the new pockets with pond liner and gravel for drainage. Next add potting soil and your chosen flowers, succulents or herbs. For more privacy, make several screens and screw them together. Follow the Bosch tutorial for full instructions. 

Annabelle Rogers is so talented at garden upcycling that we've had to show off another of her genius DIY projects. This dip tank makes a stunning and rustic feature if you fancy a unique and more cost-effective alternative to a standard hot tub or paddling pool. The outdoor bathing area is cleverly zoned with patterned tiles left over from another project. Upcycled taps were taken from an old reclaimed bath and linked up to both hot and cold water sources.

Wellington boots, also known as goloshes or rubber boots, are certainly an 'oldie but goodie' when it comes to a fun alternative garden planter. The brightly coloured waterproof rubber makes them ideal hardy containers. Smaller sizes are endearing and usually become redundant first as your little ones grow out of them. A fun upcycling project to do with the kids, you can follow the tutorial by Cassie Fairy on her My Thrifty Life blog. 

Enjoy your patio or decking area beer garden-style with a pimped-up picnic table that's pure upcycled magic. #tidylife blogger Antonia added colour and pattern to this wooden table with soft blues and grey in chevron shapes and then vamped it up with a touch of metallic gold. 

Build a low-level sofa for the whole family to chill out on with wooden pallets. Create a base with one or more pallets, then add another as the backrest. Ensure the pallets are securely fitted together and fill in the gap with a final pallet. Finish off with pallet-sized outdoor seat pads. Leave the wood bare for a natural look or paint it to match your garden colour scheme.

We love discovering new ways to utilise our old stuff. Old picture and photo frames are a fabulous way to add an upcycled display to your garden wall. Paint them various shades that match or contrast, staple chicken wire across the back to create a base, then fill the centres with rich green moss, small ferns or succulents. Choose a weatherproof paint or seal the frames with a varnish to protect the wood from rotting.

Wicker garden furniture is a hot trend, so don't throw your beaten old chairs out just yet. Instead, give them a breath of fresh citrus air with tropical-coloured spray paint. A zingy orange shade teamed with hot pink cushions is sure to make a statement. 

If a classic garden bench won't cut it, how about turning an old roll-top bath into an ornate garden sofa? One Krieger Chick turned her reclaimed tub into a cool blue outdoor sofa for her poolside patio complete with comfortable made-to-measure coastal-style cushions.

Small balcony? No problem. Vintage wall-mounted sinks look decorative and refined as upcycled planters thanks to their ornate shape. What's more, they have a ready-made drainage hole. This traditional Hungarian-style wall sink has been transformed with white enamel paint which makes the planted red geraniums pop.

Wooden pallets are extremely versatile and have become a hero in the upcycling world. Stained a rich teak this part-dismantled pallet looks striking as a structural wall planter. 

Here's a clever idea to give a broken wooden chair new purpose. Pull out the seat and slot in a planter pot to fit. It's a simple yet super effective way of lifting a large pot off the ground. 

Encourage climbing plants to grow up a novel and interesting upcycled wall trellis. Tie string to kitchen utensils to create a rope ladder shape and hang them above a planter. Slats from an old single bed also look visually effective. 

Durable tyres make fabulous plant protectors but can look cumbersome and ugly. Update their kerb appeal by giving them a vibrant change of colour. To be on the safe side, as tyres can contain chemicals, they are best used for decorative gardening purposes rather than edible.

How's this for a stunning furniture transformation? Give a tired garden bench a new lease of life with a colourful coat of exterior wood paint. Sand it down and brush off dust with a clean, dry paintbrush then apply the reviving colour with two coats. Why not add a contrasting tone to any features or fretwork for an added individual twist?

Add some vintage style with a traditional bicycle. They can really brighten up your outdoor space in a playful fashion. Spray the old frame a bright colour and then use the handlebar basket as a pretty floral planter filled with blooms. Balance the look with an additional basket at the back.

Large empty cable reels, used originally for electrical wiring, look industrial and quirky used as garden occasional tables. Simply turn them on their sides and add a coat of paint to the table surface if you fancy. Why not decorate them with stencil patterns, mosaic tiles or go freestyle? The choices are endless. 

There is no need to spend a fortune replacing new plant pots when you can easily add a pop of colour to old ones you might have lying around. Choose your favourite colour combinations, from bright pinks to soft blues, and using a selection of spray paints transform a drab corner into a colourful feature. Why not add a touch of vintage texture into the mix by spraying a few tin cans too?

If you prefer a low-maintenance garden, why not add a floral explosion with garden art? These sunflower-esque sculptural flowers are made from upcycled oil drums and will bloom with bright colour all year long. 

Finished with your old heavy curtains? Bring out the sewing machine and turn them into a beautiful hammock to relax in the garden. The floral fabric from this lined upcycled hammock was sourced from a charity shop; the floral and bird motifs are perfect for the outdoors.  

An old chest of drawers makes a marvellous feature planter as the drawers can be pulled out at different levels to display foliage. Choose varieties that like to overhang to create a waterfall effect. This dresser painted sunshine yellow looks stunning filled with plants and set against a black contrasting background.

Add a musical tinkle to your garden with a whimsical wind chime. Create your own DIY version with any metal objects that gently jingle together such as keys, cutlery or even old jewellery and hang them together from trees with pretty ribbons. Or, these antique spoon wind chimes have been sanded and moulded to resemble delightful fish swimming in the breeze. 

Reclaimed chimney pots are another interesting option that works super well as upcycled garden planters. Often made from terracotta or clay they withstand the elements, add height to gardens and look ornamental.

Instead of throwing away your old bed use the mattress springs to make a feature wall garden trellis. This is a very easy project by modernshelterblog, just stand the entire mattress spring in your garden or mount it to a wall and allow vine plants to climb on it. Or, change the colour of the springs with spray paint for a vibrant contrast and then fill the springs with moss and succulents.

Reclaimed railway sleepers make a superb structural accent in gardens as the sturdy timber can be used for landscaping, raised beds, pathways and much more. The rustic, hardy wood adds texture, depth and interest however it's used.

Old kitchen equipment makes for fun garden hack projects, especially for vegetables. Look for utensils with ready-made drainage like plastic carrier bag storage or a metal colander. Then plug in seedlings such as chillies, cherry tomatoes or strawberries, hang up and watch your fruits grow!

Incorporate height into your garden by using an old stepladder to display potted plants. Add extra colourful personality by painting each step a different shade with chalk paint and then seal with water-based polyacrylic varnish.

It's not just wooden garden furniture that can benefit from a new coat of paint. Metal garden furniture can be transformed, especially if updated with a zingy on-trend colour. This bistro set has been upcycled with a combination of gloss lacquer combined with chalk paint, so you can dine alfresco in style! After sanding and cleaning, apply chalk paint and then finish with a coat of a hard-wearing, water-based polyacrylic varnish to seal and protect it against the elements. 

Looking for a weekend DIY project? Transform a tired shed into a colourful, country-cottage outbuilding with a coat of fresh green paint that will blend into the garden. Turn floral tea towels into curtains to hang in the window and display wildflower blooms in jam jars mounted by the door.

A DIY teacup cup bird feeder is super cheap and easy to make. Take an old teacup and saucer from the cupboard, stick the cup to the saucer with superglue and once secure hang the feeder from a tree with twine or ribbon from underneath the saucer or the cup handle. Sprinkle seed mix around the saucer and in the cup. Birds will love the shelter of the teacup to hide in too. 

Retro louvre cupboard doors can be reused in your garden as pretty plant displays. Paint and hang with rope to a brick wall and fix small terracotta pots to the slats with wire. These purple pansies set off the lavender-blue background perfectly.

Mounting a mirror in a small garden is a good idea as it maximises space by reflecting light. This upcycled window frame mirror adds to the illusion as at first glance it looks as though it could be a window to a whole other garden room. For this project, you might need to enlist a professional to help with the glass installation or you can pick up a pre-made design on Etsy.

Instead of throwing out those old wooden dining chairs why not create a stunning piece of unique garden furniture instead? This rustic tree swing looks super inviting and is sure to turn heads. Remove the legs from three painted farmhouse-style chairs and securely attach to a piece of prepared plank wood. Then hang with strong rope by each corner to a tree that can bear the weight safely.

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