41 Incredible DIY Garden Yard Art Ideas for Your Backyard Decor

Do you enjoy gazing and admiring all that your garden has to offer? Are you looking for yard art ideas that can make treasure from trash? With a little creativity and some items in your storage, you can add more beauty to your garden yard, and also more fun to your life.

Decorating a large garden might cost you an arm and a leg. However, you can save up by making use of old items, turning them into beautiful and unique ornaments with DIY garden art projects art projects. Here is a list of 41 backyard ideas, take a look to see which would fit your garden the best, and whether you have the materials available already.

#1 Make a Garden Stone Using Broken China

If your beloved dishes or china are broken and you don’t want to waste their pretty pattern, turn them into garden stones! You can add in store-bought gems, rocks, etc to make them more aesthetic-looking. But keep it in mind not to use these garden stones as actual stepping stones since the surface might not be perfectly flat and still pose as a risk.

You still keep your precious broken china? Check this link to get the detailed tutorial.

#2 Swinging Tire Planter

For this beautiful planter, all you need are a tired and valspar spray paint with the colors of your choice. The hardest part is drilling several holes into the “bottom” of the tire for drainage. Make sure that you have a drill as it requires lots of pressure.

You have got your old tires ready? Visit this link for the tutorials.

#3 Water Drop Solar Lights

These lights will make your garden look like Wonderland at night. And what’s great about it? It is extremely easy and quick to make.

If you have some useless watering globes in your basement, use this link to bring them back to life.

#4 Hedgehog Planter from Plastic Bottle

Isn’t it cute to have a whole family of hedgehoges for your flowerbed? These cuties don’t take more than some used plastic bottles, garden twine, glue, buttons, etc. Easy to make, beautiful to look at.

Visit the link for a step-by step tutorial.

#5 Stained Glass Garden Spinner

Do you have an old bicycle laying forever in your storage? If yes, this DIY idea will help you turn it into a beautiful rainbow spinner with stained glass. It requires work but the result will surely be satisfying.

Check the link to know how to make one for yourself.

#6 Wind Chimes with Colorful Clay Disks

A wind chime is always a great addition to your garden thanks to its tinkling sound in the breeze. And if you wish to make a large scale one to impress people even more, use colorful clay disks!

If you think it looks good in your garden, click on the link for the detailed tutorial.

#7 Ladybugs Made From Play Balls

If your kids have some old balls left somewhere in the house, it’s time to summon them. Adding some paint and you will have a flock of ladybugs lurking around the garden.

For a detailed tutorial, check the link here.

#8. Cute Flowers with Recycled Bottle Caps

If you have a bunch of beer bottle caps waiting to be reused, turn them into art. More beauty for your garden, less trash for the world. These caps can be used to make beautiful flowers, ladybugs, or other creative projects.

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Make flowers bloom in your backyard, use this link for more details.

#9. Recycled Water Bottle Garden Art

Don’t throw your plastic bottles away yet as you can easily turn them into these wind spirals with a few simple supplies. It is also a great chance to spend time with your kids/grandchildren.

Check out what materials you will need and how to use them in this link.

#10 Flower Garden Hose Design

If your hose has been too old to use, turn them into colorful flowers on your wall. You can also add bundt pans as the pistils.

For similar ideas, check out this link.

#11. Hubcap Flowers

If you know where to collect these hubcaps, head there and grab some. They can be upcycled into pretty flowers in your garden with the help of spray paint. To make them more realistic, add in foam leaves.

If you already have the materials at hand, check the link for the tutorial.

#12 Chair Planter

Do you own a metal chair with no seat, or accidentally see one somewhere? It can become a focal point in the garden with a little of work. Simply build a basket into the chair and you will have an artistic-looking planter for your flowers/plants.

Check out what else you would need to make one with this link!

#13 Sweet Fairy House in a Planter

Would you want to add fairies living in a terra-cotta pot, surrounded by succulent plants, in your backyard? If you see yourself screaming in joy, head to a nearby arts and crafts store. Some money will need to be spent on miniatures, but you know it’s so worth it.

If you don’t have any idea how to make one yet, check this link for details.

#14 Flower Tire Planter

Your old ties can always be upcycled, and turning them into planters is a great and common way. No hard work required, but if you want to make them more beautiful/creative, use some spray paint.

For more ideas to make a beautiful planter from old tires, check out this link.

#15 Waterfall Pots

This impressive waterfall pot requires hard work, but the outcome will impress any visitor. You might need to check if your nearby store have the frame before working on the project.

But once you have everything ready, check this link for tutorial!

#16 Teacup Tire Planter

Another creative way to upcycle your old tires is turning them into a teacup-shaped planter. This does not only help your garden stand out, it also does the environment a favor. 2 birds killed with one stone.

Get your tires and spray paint read and check this link for the step-by-step tutorial.

#17 Spiral Herb Garden

With just a few basic steps, you can make an impressive vertical herb spiral garden yourself.

Take a look at this link to decide which you desire to build.

#18 Barrel Planter Overflowing

What’s overflown? Flowers! All this project needs is just an used wine barrel. So if you have one, give it a new life full of flowers!

See also  Health Benefits of Healing Gardens and How to DIY One

For more ideas to use your barrel, visit this link!

#19 Rock Caterpillar

With creativity, you can literally turn anything into art. You can make a colorful caterpillar by yourself or turn it into a craft day with your kids/grandchildren.

For more kids craft, visit this link!

#20 Bicycle Planter

If your bicycle has been useless for a while but you don’t want to throw it away, give it a new beautiful life with this project.

For more ideas to create a gorgeous planter with your old bike, take a look at this link!

21 Planters from Old Bag and Shoes

Add some feminine look into your garden, using your old handbags and shoes! Use what you have and remember to make some holes for water drainage.

For more related ideas, check out this link!

#22 Broken Terra Cotta Pot Garden Markers

A broken claypot doesn’t necessarily go to the trash can. They can still be upcycled with some signs written on it to tell which herb is which.

Check this link to see how great they look together.

#23 Watering Can with Lights

We love easy DIYs with amazing outcomes, and this is one of them. All you need are a watering can and some meters of fairy lights, and what you get is an amazing, unique piece of art.

If you are convinced, check this link for the tutorial.

#24 Old Jeans Planters

Everyone has old jeans in the closet, but not many know to turn them into unique planters. They are not only easy to make, but also bring a smile wherever they are hung.

To see what you can do with your old jeans, check out this link!

#25. Tin Can Lanterns

This is another wonder with lights to put in your backyard. Extremely easy to make, impressive result to have.

To get a step-by-step tutorial, check out this link!

#26. Tea Cup Bird Feeder

All this beautiful bird feeder requires are these simple supplies for a: a tea cup and saucer, a string, and glass and ceramic glue.

If the story under your bird feeder says “I’ve been a mess my whole life!”, why not landscape under the bird feeder? You can complete this simple landscape project in under an hour. 

Make one for the lovely birds using this link!

#27 Tree Stump Mosaic

Mosaic in the museum in Delos.

This is an ideal project if you love using your mosaic hammer, and want to work on a mosaic. Grab some tree stumbs and make your own art.

If your materials are ready, visit this link for the tutorial!

#28 Glass Garden Balls

Gazing balls are not cheap and they are surprisingly fragile. But luckily, you can make one yourself, using a bowling ball and lots of glass half marbles.

If you are a big fan of them, click on this link to make one yourself!

#29 Glass Plate Flowers

Give your garden a vintage look using your old dishes as flowers! First, it’s environment-friendly. Second, it adds colors to your backyard no matter what season it is!

You have some old dishes you would want to show off in your garden, visit this link!

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#30. Wine Bottle Bird Feeder

Do you have a nice-looking wine bottle that you really want to show off? Time to take it out and use it for good.

Check this link to know how to drill a hole through the glass.

#31. Bottle Tree Sculpture

It might not look so interesting at first, but believe us, the more you see them, the more they grow on you! Not to mention that it’s a great way to recycle your empty bottles.

To make one yourself, take a look at this link!

#32. Mosaic Pots

Breath new life into your old pots with mosaic tile pieces from old decorative dishes. It will easily light up your once dull garden.

Get the tutorial at this link!

#33. Dresser Drawer Planters

If you have an old drawers and a ladder-shaped base, turnit into a beautiful home for your favorite plants.

For the tutorial, visit this link!

#34. DIY Sandbox

Add some fun into your garden with this simple sandbox. Your kids/grandchildren will love playing here under a sunshield (which you can also DIY).

Visit this link for the detailed tutorial!

#35. Rope Lights

To light your backyard pathways at night, all you need are a strand of rope lights with end caps and some garden staples.

Visit this link to know how to make one safely!

#36. Pallet Flower Display

This will light up your boring garden corner! And also, you can consider it as a seasonal display, pumpkins on Halloween, pinecones on Christmas.

To get the tutorial, check this link out!

#37. Pocket Garden Using Old Shoe Holders

Creat a cute outdoor planter only by recycling a shoe holder. Use the compartments to plant herbs, you will get a fun twist on a vertical planter.

For the tutorial, check out this site.

#38 Mason Jar Luminaries

Use your old jars and tea lights to make elegant DIY lanterns leading for the steps to your front door. You can put on different labels for different holidays.

For the step-by-step tutorial, visit this link!

#39 Garden Bed from Litter Tray

If you feel sorry for your cat’s old litter trays, you now can make up for it by putting on fragrant flowers. Or you can also use the serving trays.

To know how to make one, check this link!

#40 Bird House

If you want to give shelter to birds, make them a house, using an old-school plate. It is really easy to make with a screw or some hot glue.

To know exactly the process, take a look at this link.

#41 Terra Cotta Pot Garden Mushrooms

Light up your garden with these bright colored terra cotta pot mushrooms. Your kids/grandchildren will love joing hands making one.

For the tutorial, check this link!

Have you enjoyed our list of 41 garden art ideas? Have you decided to try out any of them yet? Take a look at your storage and you will find something interesting to start your DIY garden art journey! If the tutorial is already here, that’s great. If not, we are sure that with some creativity, you can still pull it off.

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Jill Sandy

I am a sustainable focus gardener. I love decorating my home backyard with beautiful landscape design and creative garden care techniques I develop myself.