Gardens are a wonderful way to explore our creativity. A friend who owns a rhododendron nursery once told me a quote I loved. “Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts”. So true! Gardens are never the same from year to year. They are a co-creation with nature, but they are also very personal and reflect our style and individuality. What better way to express yourself and to bring some magic to your garden than to make your own garden art. Sure, it’s great to buy a beautiful sculpture, but It can be so much more meaningful to create your own one of a kind art piece. It can be a fun family activity that creates new family memories– and repurposing feels so good.
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Here’s a collection of DIY Garden Art to spark your creativity.
Upcycled Chandelier planter
This is a sweet whimsical addition to an outside room. Easily created by giving life to an old chandelier by using the shades as planters.
Upcycled Lamp Planter
Andrea and Ricks Lamp Planter tutorial
Create Glowing Outdoor Orbs
I fell in love with these Glowing orbs that would add a magical touch to any landscape. They are made by Moonlight INC. They do residential lighting and commercial installations.
You can also make your own! This is an easy peasy inexpensive project to create some garden magic. I love scouring the thrift stores and always swing by the old lamp section to look for big old globe- shaped lampshades. They are pretty dated and I usually find them for a buck or 2. The bigger the better and they look great in groups of different sizes.
Just stuff them with a strand of lights and admire your hard work. Any old lights will work, but I like the solar ones that turn on at dusk. You can find a 2 pack here.
Don’t feel like making it and want instant gratification? No worries I have you covered. Here are some large battery powered glowing garden orbs.
Make your own Outdoor Tiki Lantern
Here’s another super simple and cheap way to create some garden drama at night. These DIY outdoor lamps look elegant and they are virtually free if you happen to have old hurricane lampshades or glass fishbowls lying around. If not, it’s another excuse to scour the thrift stores. This project is quick, cheap and looks wonderful!
You can find this great DIY tiki tutorial here.
Create your Own Fairy or Gnome Home
No respectable gardener would fail to provide shelter and a happy home for their resident Fairies and Gnomes! My friends Val and Nancy at Whimsical Woods create the most magical fairy and Gnome homes I’ve ever seen. They create them using natural materials sustainably gathered from their property here in the Pacific NW. I encourage you to head over to their site to see how they create them.
DIY Gigantic Concrete Leaf Orbs
This is an awesome garden art project that you can create and will be proud to display in your garden. To create these leaf orbs you’ll only need a large 24” inflatable beach ball, concrete mix, fiberglass drywall mesh and for texture, Savoy cabbage. So ingenious and such a fun project!
To see the tutorial check out madebybarb
Chicken Wire Figures and Art
After seeing the intricate and incredible work of Derek Kinzett you may be inspired to create your own ethereal garden sculpture from galvanized chicken wire! Thank you, Derek, for bringing magic to life. You can see his work at https://www.derekkinzettwiresculpture.co.uk/
Robin Wight, a UK-based sculptor creates dynamic and enchanting fairy sculptures out of stainless steel wire. Robin Wight shares his process here
These cute allium garden sphere sculptures are so easy to make.
Allium inspired garden spheres
Image by Katjuza; Nokia, Finland
For this project you’ll need
- Chicken wire
- Wire cutters
- Heavy Duty Outdoor Adhesive
- Gardening gloves
- Wire
- Rust protective spray paint
- Thin piece of rebar or garden stake
Note: to help you find products used in this project I’ve embedded links
Instructions:
Cut chicken wire squares and form around a hard ball whatever size you would like. Snip off excess, remove the ball and gather at the base of the sphere.
Paint Spheres with an outdoor paint that will protect against rust.
Insert rebar or garden stake, wrap with wire at the attachment point and fortify attachment with a permanent bonding adhesive LINK
Voila! Cute garden art
Create Concrete Leaves for Your Garden
Credit De Dee at 2 Crafty Sisters
Making your own concrete leaf sculptures is a fun way to capture part of your garden to enjoy as art all year. Concrete leaves have so many garden uses. They can be made into a sweet birdbath, a water feature, a planter, stepping stones or just as whimsical garden art.
Concrete leaves can be purchased, but It’s really not difficult to make your own and homemade art has so much more meaning as there are family memories attached.
There are many types of leaves that can be used, but if you want the really BIG ones try growing your own Gunnera with leaves as much as 5 ft across! Large Rhubarb leaves can also be sculptural, Paulownia trees have very large leaves when they are young, but as the tree ages the leaves become smaller. If you want a continuous supply of the big leaves try cutting your Paulownia to the ground every year. Don’t worry you won’t stunt it, because it’s vigorous and can grow up to 12 ft in a year! It can be invasive in some areas and it’s almost impossible to remove once planted, so be truly sure you want it where you plant it! Even a small snippet in mulch can grow into a tree! For textural smaller leaves try Savoy cabbage or dino kale.
Thanks to Sharonnah59 for the instructible on Concrete leaves for Gardens or Fountains!
Dianne and Pete Havekoft over at concrete leaves have also put together a nice tutorial for you.
Cast Your own Stepping Stones
Creating your own concrete stepping stones can be a fun way to add garden interest. Instead of making a path with just concrete stepping pavers try inserting just a few select ones along a pebble or plain stone path. Here is a stepping stone mold that I found.
Rock Sculpture
This one reminds me of the Inuksuk made by the inuit, Inupiat, Kalaalit, Yupik and other peoples of the Arctic as landmarks and to mark special places. You can create them by simply balancing the stones, but a little permanent adhesive wouldn’t hurt.
Pebble Mosaic
Making your own pebble mosaic path or pathway insert is a fantastic DIY garden project that can really showcase your creativity while adding an added focal point in your garden. Few projects can have this kind of charming impact on your garden. Learn how to bring your pebble mosaic pathway ideas to life in this book.
Pebble Mosaic Rug
DIY Painted Rock Plant Markers
To create them all you need are some rocks from your garden and some waterproof outdoor paint or a paint pen.
These cute painted rock herb markers are made by Jennifer at https://augustwren.blogspot.com/2011/07/herb-markers.html
These sweet ladybug rocks were a gift from my neighbor and they look so cute in my red garden! Thank you, Leslie. Making painted rock animals is a creative and inexpensive project for “Kids” of all ages. Unless you’re a little Picasso and want to wing it… It would be helpful to have this book on hand for inspiration.
DIY Spoon Garden Butterflies using recycled old spoons
Here’s a charming way to use your old silverware. Garden ornaments don’t have to be big to make an impact. Create your own garden butterflies from spoons. There’s a great tutorial at Weed it and Reap
Repurposed Tire Art
Have some old tires hanging around? Then this idea is for you! Freda the tire frog is such an easy and ingenious way to recycle old tires and bring a smile to all your garden guests!
Lynn Lapka shares how this Tire Froggie was brought to life at Two Women and a Hoe
DIY Gazing Ball
Gazing balls… No, it’s not an activity for creepy men. It’s garden art and every garden needs at least one. You can easily make your own garden gazing balls. This gazing ball was made by Patti with Modpodge and food coloring. Check out the tutorial at Hearth and Vine.
Here’s another Garden gazing ball idea made from old pennies. So Cute!
Check out Penny Gazing Ball from House of Hawthornes
DIY Standing Stone Totem Tower
You’ll love this beautiful diy garden art idea. To create this standing stone tower, a piece of rebar was pounded into the ground and then the stones were slid onto the rebar. Stones were drilled using a masonry bit. You can use the same technique using materials of your choice to create one of a kind garden art!
Teapot planter/ bird feeder
Vintage teapots can easily be made into a charming conversation piece. Do you have an old teapot or cups that have family memories attached? What a great way to remember someone you love and turn it into something that doesn’t just sit on a shelf.
Just remember to bring it in before a freeze if it holds water and you live in a cold climate. Here they’ve made them into a teapot garden totem.
Here they’ve turned some old plates and teacups into a bird feeder. So eclectic, romantic and sweet. There are so many teapots out there… endless possibilities to suit your garden style.
Here’s an inspirational Teapot, mosaic totem to inspire you.
Source http://www.inspiredmosaicsstudio.com/
Blue and red teapot tower on a large ceramic ball. So creative!
Photo by gillm mosaics
Here’s a tutorial for DIY teapot garden art.
Water catchment as Art?
DIY Ferrocement Giant Water Cistern
This is the Big Daddy of functional outdoor projects! It takes eco garden art to the next level.
I’ve been dreaming of creating this beautiful ferrocement Thai Urn cistern at my nursery for years. Who knows maybe I can get volunteers from my PNW Garden Guru group to help me bring it to life this Summer? Hint, Hint. I’ll admit it looks a little intimidating, but we’ve done other shotcrete projects with my trusty Shotcrete sprayer and I think it’s doable.
I’d like to build a really large one as we have an incredible amount of rainwater in the winter months here in the Pacific NW, but you could easily build a smaller DIY water catchment that is as beautiful as any garden art.
Here’s the must have book to make your own water catchment Thai urn that doubles as a work of art!
It is an indispensable resource with complete plans to build this Ferrocement Giant Thai Pot for water storage as well as many other projects.
DIY Outdoor solar fountain?
Bringing the element of water to your garden can take it to a whole new level. It can be sophisticated, whimsical or earthy and peaceful.
Though this looks difficult it can easily be recreated by finding any closed ‘water tight’ vessel you like and adding an inexpensive floating solar fountain like this one here
Here an old galvanized tub makes a rustic water feature. For this one I would use a larger solar fountain to achieve more height. The water won’t create sheets off the side of the vessel, but instead will bubble or spray, but will remain contained in the container. There’s no need to create a water catchment underneath. So simple!
One of the benefits of using a solar fountain is that it can be positioned anywhere, even far from a power source.
If you’re ready to step up your DIY fountain making and have access to a masonry bit you can create this Basin less Water feature. Wouldn’t this be charming along a woodland path?
Here’s a tutorial for a Pondless rock fountain
Repurposed Trampoline swing/ outdoor bed to watch the stars
I bought an old trampoline on Craigslist and had high hopes of transforming it into a shabby chic, bohemian outdoor swing. I found myself too busy, so instead I draped old sheets and fabrics on it and made an outdoor bohemian bed to just lay and watch the stars. Trampoline swing? You might have to wait till next year.
Garden Post Garden Art
Here a post becomes a canvas for creativity. This one is for sale at Wayfair, but you can easily create your own with art that speaks to you. Use a 4×4 post outdoor paint, sealer, a post cap, and have fun painting.
Make your own Succulent Sphere
From Rainyside.com
You can make your own Kokedama ball using waxed hemp string and Kokedama potting soil or you can prepurchase your ready made ball to begin creating your own succulent sphere work of living art.
- Succulents
- Floral pins
- Sphagnum Moss Ball Hanging – 6″ Diameter with 50 floral pins included.
- Sphagnum Moss Ball Hanging – 8″ Diameter with 50 floral pins included.
- Sphagnum Moss Ball Hanging – 10″ Diameter with 50 floral pins included.
- Sphagnum Moss Ball Hanging – 15″ Diameter with 50 floral pins included.
Here’s a Succulent Sphere tutorial from Drought Smart Plants
Make your own Garden Totem
What is a garden totem you ask?
You may be familiar with ‘Spirit animal’ totems that represent qualities we want to align ourselves with or the large ones carved from trees that tell stories of native legends. To me it represents something we want to energetically anchor in this world and celebrate.
Garden totems are a relatively new term and can offer us an avenue of self-expression and introspection or they can simply be something that creates a little element of surprise and color in your garden.
They can be elaborate or simple, DIY or store-bought. made of found natural materials. I think handmade Garden totems have the most meaning. They can be made of wood, ceramic, glass, pottery, driftwood, old teapots, plates, cups, silverware or anything that speaks to you. They can have deep spiritual significance to you or they can be a way to remember and honor loved ones or pets.
I warn you if you start creating DIY garden totems it can be addicting! You’ll soon find yourself scouring second-hand thrift stores for materials or hoarding things from your garage.
Can’t find any teapots to use? How about a Terracotta pot totem? Let your imagination be your guide. Here’s a great example for your inspiration.
Photo by gillm_mosaics on flickr.
They are made from glazed and terracotta pots assembled together to form a column
A vintage teapot stack can easily be made into a charming conversation piece. Do you have an old teapot or cups that have family memories attached? What a great way to remember someone you love and turn it into something that doesn’t just sit on a shelf. Just remember to bring it in before a freeze if it holds water and you live in a cold climate.
You can create beautiful garden totems from ceramic.
https://www.occidentalpotteryandwood.com/garden-totems/
These 4 ft ceramic garden towers were created by Occidental Pottery and Wood using weatherproof stoneware shapes threaded by a ½ inch iron pipe and mounted on a round cement base.
Source https://craftcouncil.org/magazine/article/free-range
These whimsical ceramic bird totems create a playful feeling. Who needs flowers with the riot of color provided by these ceramic beings? Check out the creative and colorful arbor behind them, that could be another DIY garden art idea!
He even has a beautiful Tibetan Buddhist prayer spelled out in ceramic letters. “May happiness and well-being arise in all sentient beings, equal to the sky”. I’m sure you couldn’t walk around this sculpture garden without smiling. You can read more about Russ and his wife Suzanne here.
Photo and art by:Russ Vogt
Hope I’ve given you inspiration to create your own garden art that makes your heart soar. Have you made your own garden art? Do you have any great ideas? Send me a pic. I’d love to see.
Happy Creating
Author: Stephanie Beach
