Makeshift Gardening Tools: Getting more use out of things you already have on hand

Among of the many things my kids never want to hear me say again is “Use available materials.” It was my standard response when they tried to wiggle out of doing a particular chore:

“I couldn’t find a shovel.”
“Then use a stick.”

I taught them not just by decree, but by example as well, mainly through a lifelong practice of inherent laziness. Why walk all the way over to the shed for a hammer to drive a stake in the ground when a brick is just a step or two away?

I have found infinite value in leftover broomsticks and shovel handles of all sizes, so much that I keep several scattered around the gardens for seeding, digging, and poking anthills and hugelkultur beds. Similarly, since I’m always misplacing my pocketknife, broken kitchen knife blades are safely hidden outside in stump splits and wall cracks for trimming weeds, splitting bark, and cutting twine. I’ve been known to use an old serving spoon to plant seedlings, and a tin can for digging small furrows...

What odd things do you find are handy around the garden?