We’re all pretty accustomed to reducing, reusing and recycling, but I think “repurpose” should be added as a fourth “r.”

En route to my recycling container, I caught myself looking through a multi-page, full-color ad from a big box retailer. A year ago in August, I made a pledge to “buy nothing” except essentials, which I clearly defined as food, toiletries, cat necessities and house emergencies to avoid any and all justifications.

So, I also gave up looking at promotional flyers to limit temptation (because really, there’s a lot of very cool, useful stuff out there). But this time, the colors caught my eye, and before I realized it, I was flipping through the pages.

Maybe it’s the upcoming year anniversary, or a recent obsession with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, but I’ve been thinking more about “stuff.” I’ve done pretty well with my pledge, although hardly perfect.

But in my effort to buy less, I’m consistently looking for new ways to use old stuff before it heads out the door to the thrift store or trash can.

Inspiration comes in part from my yard. The setting sun glimmered off my grape arbor as I came back from the curbside recycling box. The silvery metal arbor is made from former cable trays, reportedly from the Gates Foundation when they remodeled.

Found at Ballard’s RE-Store, the trays cost $20 each, and I think they’re a pretty brilliant display of creative repurposing. Thanks goes to my ultra-talented partner Forrest for this and so many other artful garden things. A greenhouse made from reclaimed vintage windows is in the works.

“It’s actually easier, better, and in the long run, cheaper to repurpose,” said Forrest. “So much stuff ends up in our waste stream. We throw it away, then it goes by truck, train and ship to some faraway place. When you think about how much stuff we throw away, the environmental impact is staggering. Why not try to find a new and unexpected use?”

Yard art is a fun way to repurpose old stuff that might otherwise have reached the end of its useful life. I have two delightful “yardimals” made from old garden, auto and construction implements. Betty (after local author Betty McDonald) and Lenny (after Canadian music legend Leonard Cohen) are bird and lizard, respectively.

Just across the street, my neighbor has a big metal bird made from a variety of repurposed parts: a boat motor for a body, pistons for eyes, conduit for legs, and saw blades for feet.

“It’s a happy bird,” says Jackie. “We put a hat on it at Christmas, and the other neighbors love it.”

The crème de la crème that should be hanging around my yard but isn’t yet: a gorgeous one-of-a-kind hammock created by Deckhand Manufacturing, made by Bellingham artist, hazelnut farmer and former fisherman Mark Richardson. Largely made from repurposed oak barrels and seine nets, the artist finds his materials from “industrial gleaning.” You, too, could have one of his hammocks hanging around your Ballard backyard.

Evening walks around the neighborhood revealed some other creative ingenuity. Over on Jones Avenue Northwest and Northwest 73rd Street, I found Mog Cottage, the in-the-works urban farm created by a couple with countless cats and many growing things. Two green clawfoot tubs are the focal point of their front yard; deep and with good drainage, the tubs are perfect for potatoes and herbs.

Sporting goods can have a second life as yard art. I was intrigued by the skateboard cemetery in one front yard, and the well-used croquet mallets defining raised beds in another. Hundreds of blue, green, brown and clear glass bottles became delightful “trees” seen in a backyard discovered by way of a back alley. And close to home, buttons, marbles, trivets and pottery were set into concrete for a personalized patio.

I’m coveting some of the necklaces and earrings I’ve seen lately at the Ballard Farmers Market. Jewelry and clothes become fashion statements when made from vintage jewels, aviation, bicycle and construction materials, or vintage paisleys, plaids and florals found at thrift stores or in your Scandinavian grandmother’s attic.

Even in our recessed economy, it’s so easy to “buy more” with our endless array of choices. But, repurposing keeps old stuff out of the landfill that much longer and doesn’t cost the environment with more shipping or plastic packaging.

If you’re not particularly crafty, and I’m not, Ballard has an abundance of shops and markets that carry repurposed products. A web search on repurposing offers countless ideas for creating your own inventive stuff.

I’ve always been fascinated by a treasure hunt, and now that I’m committed to buying less, it’s one way I can feel good about spending my few discretionary dollars.

Laura McLeod is a Ballard native who returned 12 years ago. She has a community garden in her yard that was a family garden for more than a century. She's a passionate advocate for sustainable food systems, environmental stewardship, gardening, conscious consumption and cultural difference.