7 DIY projects using tree branches, logs, bricks & recycled items
Now that seeds are planted, the first blooms of spring flowers and greens are coming up and there’s lots of garden cleanup and projects to keep busy. Spring cleanup is on! We’ve pulled back the winter mulch and woken up the beds. The first crops are planted and watched over carefully between the rain and wind. I’ve worked on defining the garden area with a winding path big enough for the wheelbarrow to make it thru. So, what to do in between chores? Add some décor! Time to liven up the garden and give it a few touches of interest among the plants.
I’ve been inspired by Pinterest as well as some of the garden tours I’ve been on. Upcycling bricks, sticks, and vintage or recycled items is so fun! Makes a great EcoTherapy exercise working your hands and mind in tune with nature. And it adds such character and personality to a garden.
This post I wanted to share with you some creative garden décor, plus some D.I.Y. ideas you can make and use in your own gardens from things you may already have on hand. Keep in mind in these photos it is early spring and the plants have just been planted, it will look so pretty when they grow and fill in, meantime these items fill in some blank spots and help define my garden space even in winter.
1. Birdbath – made from a log and a Terra Cota base.
Make a simple birdbath or birdfeeder with a cut log and a saucer. I like the shape of this log, it naturally looks like a good base although I had to shimmy the saucer with a small rock to level, I love the look in this flowerbed area. Add a rock in the saucer to hold it in the wind and give the birds and butterflies a place to rest and drink.
You can also use an upside-down tomato cage to hold a plate. Or just put a pretty plate on the ground with a little water in it for a butterfly bath!
2. Garden bench – cement blocks or bricks and recycled lumber taken from hubby’s pile. Wood logs, stacked bricks or cement blocks will work, and I’ve seen it done with barnwood or a recycled door for the bench. Get creative, there’s lots of ideas out there. I built this in one afternoon while hubby was away and not asking why I was logging heavy blocks around and pilfering thru his wood pile. It works great! I can put potted plants on it, set my garden tools on it, or sit and take a rest. When hubby came home and I showed him, he said that’s really cool, where did it come from?! And sent photos to his dad showing off our new seating area, (and my genius no doubt!)
3. Pagoda – I love this idea! Simply a beautiful interest piece. Everyone I’ve seen is unique. Look up ideas on Pinterest and see what you have on your property just waiting to be transformed. We had a few broken patio blocks and bricks from other projects, and there is always a plethora of rocks on our property, it’s practically a quarry along our property line. Here’s my D.I.Y. garden pagoda:
4. Plant chair – broken chairs make great garden décor! Using an old chair and plopping a pot of flowers on it instantly adds character to your flower garden. Any chair will do and how you use it is up to you. We had this bent and broken patio chair I’ve turned into a trellis for hummingbird vine and morning glories. Can’t wait for it to grow in and fill the seat! If you’re really crafty you can make a chair out of sticks and branches.
Here is a photo of a birdbath chair from a garden tour, I liked it so much I snapped a photo for inspiration!
5. Lizard house – give the lizards a place to hide and sunbathe in your garden. We want to encourage lizards too! It’s easy to make a little shelter out of rocks or bricks. Where Lizard likes to hang out by my shed, I stacked some rocks for a little shelter, it looks like a fairy cave home.
I’ve seen some put out a little teacup saucer of water for them as well, with a little stick for them to climb up. Although mine always ignore the water, they do like a rock to bathe on and hide behind. We will see if they like this little house. Maybe you prefer to add a toad house. Easy to make with an overturned pot or sideways coffee mug.
6. Logs or driftwood – add texture and visual interest to the garden with found driftwood, each piece is unique and adds a certain charm. I found a winding longer log toughened by the lake that we added in the shady area, which will look great once the plants grow in and spill around it. I’ll have to update you with a picture once it fills in!
Recycle logs into plant stands and seats in the garden. We had a large tree that was lost to beaver damage. It was totally uprooted and leaning against another tree which we wanted to save. Long story short when my hubby and the neighbor were done, we had these beautiful cut logs that were just too perfect to throw in the fire. Bigger stumpy logs were leveled for fireplace seating. They’re ideas on Pinterest on how to put handles on the logs so they can be moved around easier. That will be my next project. These also make good drink stands next to a patio chair or hammock. Interesting logs can be used as plant stands to add height and texture to an area. I like how these fill in blank spaces or edges around the garden beds and raise potted plants just a little.
7. Stick trellis– give your climbing plants a trellis made out of sticks and branches. Make a teepee with sticks and rope: you’ll need three to four strong, straight Branches. Stand them in a pyramid shape and tie the tops together with rope or garden twine. I put the bottom of each branch into the hole of a brick to help hold it in the wind. Here is a photo of the teepee in my friend’s backyard that inspired this project.
Stick Ladders look very cool in the garden and are easy to make. A ladder is the perfect piece to add some height where you need it. Recycle an old ladder or make your own. D.I.Y. a simple ladder by nail or tie smaller sticks as rungs between larger branches. Lean your handmade ladder against a fence, shed or tree and let the vines climb. Sweet peas, morning glories, and ivy look so sweet climbing up the ladder!
Last but not least, I found the spot to hang our hammock!
Okay this is not a D.I.Y.!- I received the hammock as a gift, but it was upcycled from sitting on a shelf to hanging among the shade trees in the gentle breeze overlooking the lake. Yea, it upped that spot into heaven on earth!
After toiling and sweating through chores, there’s nothing better than laying in the hammock enjoying the day. We do a lot as gardeners to recycle, reuse and save money any way we can. Once in a while we splurge on a great find, be it a plant we can’t live without or a tool we must have. I highly recommend a good chair or hammock to enjoy your yard.
I hope you enjoyed these garden décor ideas. It really was easy and fun to make these garden décor projects and added some character to the garden. What are some of your favorite garden décor or garden art pieces? I love to see creative and unique ideas. Share your photos and comments below.