How to re-use a scrap tarp

The deeper we go in our learning garden journey, the more clear it is to us one of the main skills we want to share is the creative perspective of making do with what we have.

When we removed the old garden boxes, we rolled up the giant old ripped tarp that had been underneath them to protect the concrete. Recently, we unearthed the tarp, asked permission of a few black widows to move their home elsewhere, and searched for how we could re-purpose it.

Sadly, tarps are not recyclable in conventional recycling bins. If your tarp has reached the end of its life, and it’s in good condition, you can donate it. If it’s worn through, like ours, you can cut it up and use pieces as liners for plant pots and veggie boxes. Alicia Burke shows how you even sew a DIY beach tote bag with scrap tarp!
With our very worn tarp, we cut off the shredded edges to salvage pieces with minimal holes.
We realized that the “worn” look actually makes a beautiful camouflage cover for our bags of potting soil, providing a strangely elegant solution to a storage challenge we had. With garden design, often simpler is better!