If you love your garden and want to add some charm and personality to your outdoor space, you don’t need to spend a lot of money or time. You can use some simple and inexpensive materials to create quality DIY projects that will transform your garden. Whether you have a large or small space, a sunny or shady spot, there is something for everyone in this list of tips. You don’t need to spend a lot of money or time to make your garden look amazing. All you need is some creativity, some basic tools and materials, and some enthusiasm. Here are 10 simple ways to give your garden its own individual character.
Painted Rocks
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to add some colour and fun to your garden is to paint some rocks. All you need is some quick drying acrylic paint, affine brush and of course some rocks or pebbles. Then you can create any design, pattern, picture or message you like. You can also use stencils, stickers, or markers to make the painting easier. Once they are finished you can then arrange the rocks in your garden beds, along the pathways, or around the plants. You can also use them to make identification labels for your herbs or flowers.
Bird Bath and/or a Bird Table And Feeders
Watching a variety of garden birds feed or bathe in your garden can be a very entertaining and rewarding experience so why not encourage them by making (or buying) a table or bath for them to use.
Making a bird bath is extremely simple as all you really need is a shallow lid and something to use as a base. The water doesn’t need to be more than a few cm deep and an old circular dustbin lid would be perfect, but any similar sized container is fine. Make a supporting base with rocks or bricks to stabilise it and then fill with fresh water. You can also add a pebble or two that the birds can use as a perch. Change the water regularly and keep it clean to minimise the risk of disease.
Alternatively, you can make a simple bird table. This is really easy to do and its most basic form needs only to be a long piece of timber with a flat piece of wood fixed on top to give a flat surface to place food on. To make something a little better you can fix four pieces of wood around the top to make a tray that will hold the seeds securely and drill a couple of holes into it so you can hang feeders from it. Then position it in an open area away from anywhere cats could lurk and fix it firmly into the ground. As with the bath you should regularly clean it to prevent disease.
Tin Can Lanterns
Tin can lanterns are a beautiful and eco-friendly way to light up your garden at night. They are also a very simple thing to make. All you need to make them is some old tin cans, a hammer, a nail and a marker to draw your design on the sides. If you want to paint them, you will also need a fast-drying paint and brush or a spray can.
To make your lantern ensure your cans are clean and make sure there are no sharp edges. Mark your design on the side of the can then fill the can with water and put in the freezer. This will make the can easier to handle and it will retain its shape when you make the holes with the hammer. Then simply make the holes that are required. Finish by painting them and find a suitable flat surface to place them on. You can also make a simple wire handle to hang them with if you wish.
Home Made Wind Chimes
There are a huge range of items you can use to easily make a wind chime. In fact, you can use just about anything that you can make a small hole into. One cool idea is to make one using bottle caps. All you need to make these are some bottle caps of different colours and sizes, some string, a metal ring, and a pair of scissors. You will also need either a fine drill or a nail so you can make a hole in the caps. Then all you need to do is tie the pieces of string to the metal ring and thread the caps along them leaving gaps as required. Then find a good place to hang them from and listen to the sound they make when the wind blows.
Mosaic Stepping Stones
Mosaic stepping stones are a colourful and artistic way to create a path or a border in your garden. You can make your own mosaic stepping stones using some concrete, a mould, and some tiles, stones, or glass pieces. You can buy a cheap stepping stone mould or use a plastic tray or cake pan if you have a suitable one. To make them you mix the concrete as per its instructions and pour it into the mould. Then all you have to do is push the tiles, stones and pieces of glass into the concrete as required. Let it harden for 24 hours, remove it from the mould and then place in your garden. Easy!
Succulent Planter
Succulents are a range of low maintenance drought resistant plants that retain water. They are often kept in decorative containers called planters. Why not make your own planter? All you need to make one is a suitable wooden box, a drill to make holes for drainage, soil and compost and the succulents. You can also paint it any colour or put on whatever design you desire. After making the holes in the bottom and painting the box all you have to do is fill it with the soil and compost and arrange your succulents in the way you wish to have them and find a suitable place in your garden.
Create A Fairy Garden
A fairy garden is a miniature garden that you can create in a container, a pot, or a corner of your garden. You can use plants, moss, soil, and gravel to create a base for your fairy garden. You will then need to add some fairy accessories, such as houses, bridges, furniture, or figurines. There are a wide range available to buy but you could also make your own if you wish. You can also use some stones, shells, or moss to create paths and landscapes. Fairy gardens are an easy, unique and fun thing for children (and adults!) to make for their garden.
Flower Pot Tower
A flower pot tower is a creative and easy way to display your potted plants in your garden. For people with smaller gardens its also an effective way of saving space. There are many ways to build your tower but one of the simplest is just to use several pots of varying sizes and stack one on another with the smallest at the top.
You can also make a ladder tower which I think is a cool way to present your flower pots. For this you will need an old wooden ladder, some hooks and some pots of different sizes. You can paint the ladder to the colour of your choice if you wish. Then attach the hooks to the sides of the ladder so you can hang the pots from them, using the largest ones at the bottom and the smallest ones at the top. Then all you have to do is fill the pots with soil and plant your flowers or herbs in them. Finally position your ladder against a wall or fence as required.
If you have a wire fence another option is to hang pots from that. Very simple and a bonus is that it increases the privacy of your garden.
Garden Plant Markers
Garden markers are a practical and decorative way to label your plants and keep track of what you are growing in your garden. You can make your own garden markers using some wooden spoons, some paint, some coloured tapes and a marker pen. You will need to wash and dry the wooden spoons, before either painting them or fastening the tapes to create stripes or a design of your choice. Finally write the name of the plant on the spoon and place in the ground next to it.
Make a Garden Pond
To dig a small pond requires some effort but is a cheap way to make a major difference to your garden. Once you have dug the hole to the size and depth you have chosen check the ground and remove any stones or sharp objects. Even so it is best to fit an underlay to protect the pond liner from being pierced. Place the pond liner on top of the underlay and ensure it has enough overlap all the way round. Smooth it out removing any folds and then secure it around the edges using bricks or rocks. Fill the pond slowly to see how the liner settles and adjust the rocks around the side if the liner looks in danger of stretching. Cut off the excess liner with a knife and then cover the remaining exposed bits with soil, gravel or plants. Add some aquatic plants and lilies and some fish or pond snails if you wish.
Maintain your pond by removing any algae, leaves or rubbish from it and check the water level regularly.
Its surprisingly easy and cheap to find ways to add some colour and uniqueness to your garden. The 10 ways listed here are all inexpensive, easy to do and will make a real difference. We hope you find them useful.