Don't Toss Old Golf Tees: Upcycle Them For The Cutest Garden Decor On A Budget

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After a season of golf with plenty of birdies, bogeys, and pars, you might be ready to pack away those clubs until the weather warms back up. But your golf tees don't have to be out of sight and out of mind after the season ends. If you have old tees that you won't be using again or an excess from a bulk purchase, you'll be glad to know there are actually a number of creative ways that you can repurpose old golf tees around both your home and your garden. One cute and whimsical option is to turn them into tiny decor pieces, that are also great as decorative bulb markers, for your garden. For this project, you'll be making mini ladybugs for your yard, and all you'll need are a few supplies and an hour.

Obviously, the first thing you need are extra golf tees, but you'll also want clear flat-back marble stones (like these Houseables Glass Marbles), a black Sharpie marker, paint, a paint brush, and glue. For this project, a durable and quick drying glue is necessary to adhere the glass beads to the top of the golf tees. One option to consider since these will be used outside, is E6000 which is an all-weather adhesive, although you will need to work in a well-ventilated area if you are using this glue. And since this particular DIY has you making the cutest ladybug decor for your garden and planters, you'll at least want a red paint to start with.

There are a few unexpected ways to reuse a golf tee in your garden, and adding a touch of whimsy is one of them. With this cute DIY, start by making sure the glass marbles and the tees are clean and clear of any dirt, debris, or oils so that the paint will stick to the glass and the glue will allow both to bond to each other. On the flat side of the stone, take the black marker and draw the defining details of your ladybug, with a half round at the top edge and a line straight down the rest of the stone to mimic the way the wings split in half. Then add small black dots on both sides of the line.

Repeat this process on as many of the glass marbles as you want and let them dry. Next, paint the red over what you have drawn, still on the flat side. Again, let everything dry and then glue the flat portion of the stones to the top of the golf tee where the ball typically rests. Once everything is dry, you'll have mini, glass ladybugs that you can add into your garden or in planters.

With this project, there is plenty of room to play around with paint colors, as there are different colors of ladybugs. Plus, if you're more artistic, you can do a series of different designs on the marbles, such as adding other bugs and rainbows, so that they bring interesting pops of color to your garden. Make this project your own and have some fun with those leftover golf tees.