Water in the #garden adds a natural element that can’t be beat.  There is something about seeing and hearing water that calms the spirit and makes you feel more connected with your garden and yard. You can make your own garden water fountain with just a few inexpensive supplies. Be creative in your use of vessels, and save your budget buys for the items that don’t show. We used a Rubbermaid storage container for a basin instead of buying an expensive garden fountain basin at the supply center. Use your imagination. If it can hold water, it’s a possibility! Great for any time of year, water fountains can even be heated to supply water to the birds and wildlife during the frozen winter months. Try one of these tutorials to get you started on loving you new water garden fountain.
This is an easy, charming water fountain done with stones and inexpensive aluminum containers. Learn how here.
  This Old House has created instructions on how to make a river rock fountain. Love this!
  Perfect for patios, this water feature from Apartment Therapy is a water garden in itself. Here’s how to make this.
  Creative Me and My MCG has a terrific re-purposed water feature made of an old plastic container, some pipe fittings and some old decking left over from a redo. Find out how they made it.
  This next one comes from Instructables and is a pretty ambitious project, but thought we would include it because it is just very cool. Here is the tutorial.
  Last, we love this little copper spiral water spray! By The Gardener, here are the DIY instructions. So let us know, what are your creative ideas for a #DIY water fountain?

Who doesn’t love something made from nothing? #Gardens seem to be a natural home for all things re-used and up-cycled…it just seems to make nature happy, doesn’t it? And, it let’s us be uber-creative as well… So time to visit the local junk shop, ’cause here are some ideas for garden art that will give personality to any yard, porch or garden!
Art in Red Wagons has this great tutorial using can lids to create garden markers… I love the way they look after a little rust! Check out some of their other projects on this page as well!
  Garden art mushrooms made from thrift store bowls and vases… A Pinterest reader suggested using a solar light inside? Or perhaps spray painting the whole mushroom after assembling? Be sure to use an exterior grade glue to secure the bowls to the vases.
  Another take on using glassware as garden art… this colored glass tower would look wonderful in a cottage garden space!
  This fence uses garden “junk” in a totally artsy way…Love this! Empress of Dirt showcases a really creative piece of garden art… and ironing board woman! Here’s how.
  Using an old headboard and some colorful paint, these gardeners reconfigured it into a piece of art with a practical side…a container!
  So create some garden junk art for your garden! Use these ideas as a springboard, and learn to look at everyday items in new ways. We will leave you with some more “junk” garden art to inspire you!

Part of having a #garden #space is also recognizing that curb appeal adds to the value of that #space … in other words, you want to show off your garden stuff to the world going by! One of the greatest ways to enhance your  garden is to up the ante on the style factor for your home and garden curb appeal. Long story shorter, time to replace those outdated house numbers! We have a bunch of great tutorials on DIY house numbers for you. Making this a project instead of running down to the hardware store pays off in two ways… First you don’t spend $20 a number! Second, you get something that represents your family and it’s personality, not just some generic vinyl letters. (Ick!!!) So here are TGG’s top choices for DIY house numbers for you to try this weekend! (Our featured image above is from Curbly, and you can find the #DIY tutorial here.)
We love this more contemporary frosted glass looking house number set. You can find instructions here, and it’s pretty easy! Note: You can find the Lexan (acrylic sheet) at most home improvement stores, and they will cut it for you if necessary.
  “Hit the nail on the head” with this easy project! Pick up a piece of wood of the right size from the scrap bin at the hardware store. Stain or paint if desired. Print out your house numbers in a bold font of the size you desire. Make sure to tape it to the house where it will be displayed, then step back and make sure it’s large enough to be seen from the street. Now tape the paper over the wood base. Starting in the center of each number and working your way out, tap nails into place within the printed number. The closer you can comfortably space the nails, the easier it will be to read. Use a needle nose pliers to hold each nail as you tap it into place. Try to get them straight! When finished, tear away the paper. This look would look great on both a more modern home, or if you are creating a more rustic feel.
  My Wonderfully Made has a great tutorial for you more traditional gardeners, with these bucket house numbers. Simple and charming! I had to include this as a project… This image is a purchased house number set, but how hard would it be to stencil and cut out the numbers from a grass entry mat? (Which are CHEAP, btw…) Use some Gorilla Glue to adhere to a painted board, and voila! Most creative house numbers on the block! And bonus… this screams “gardener lives here.”
  This house number set made from scrap wood by Kojo Designs is a perfect example of great design with a small pocketbook. Here are the instructions.
  Ending with a project perfect for all us gardeners… a flower pot house number tutorial by DIY Showoff. Make sure you include curb appeal in your garden design, becasue it does contribute to your garden, and your home. DIY house numbers are an easy addition to that design that you can accomplish in an afternoon. While you’re at it, dress up those front doors as well! See our post at DYSS on what a difference a door makes!

I love wind chimes in the garden, and have longed for a gorgeous set for a couple of years now. Problem is, not only do they cost over $150, I would just be waiting for the first unexpected wind storm to blow that “c” note right out of my yard! Wind chimes are simply any item that is light enough to blow in the wind, can be tied to a hanging implement with twine or fishing line, and makes a pleasant noise (to your ears) when they clink together! Unless you want to create tuned pipe wind chimes, that’s all the basic you need to know.  We searched the web and found a handful of great DIY wind chimes from the re-purposed to the downright creative, and here they are!
If you visit your local antique mall, you will find a lot of vintage odds and ends for relatively cheap prices… skeleton keys and locks are two that would make great wind chimes. Love this re-purposed idea!
  Along the same lines, Urban Threads has this tutorial on a Steampunk Wind Chime that looks really cool! Step by step instructions here.
  For all you techno geeks out there, never seen this one before, but it’s cool! This is a wind chime made from old hard drives!
  From Design Sponge, this pencil wind chime just might replicate a small bamboo chime…what a great gift for a teacher or a college student!
  Trina is Artsy has a tutorial on making a bottle cap wind chime. Love the recycles nature of this project…
  Here we have, from “Hot Glue & Sparkle”, a pretty cool Tool Wind Chime!
  Lastly, we have these wind chimes made from old bike gears. (LOVE THIS!)
  Ok … they are all from re-purposed materials, but ALSO downright creative. Make your own wind DIY wind chimes fro your garden! Which one would you like to make?

Terra-cotta pots are inexpensive, easy to find and most of us have one or two lying around the garden shed… so let’s use them! Whether you prefer a natural, more contemporary look for your garden, or love color, cute and fun, we have the garden pot projects for you to add some personality to your yard and garden space.  Check out these inspirational photos and tutorials for #garden pot projects…
Garden Muse has a great tutorial on making a bell tower wind chime from mini pots. We might prefer to leave the pots natural, but the idea is so original!
  This tiered planter from HGTV would look great on a front entry landing, and we love that it is filled with foliage plants… but you could use flowering plants as well within any color scheme. Learn how here.
  This rain chain made from pots from Natalie Witt is very cool… again, we prefer the natural, but I am liking the blue as well! Tutorial here.
  This clay pot wreath is easy and inexpensive, and just says, “A gardener lives here.” This would make a great gift for a gardener as well! Learn how to make this wreath.
  Last, but not least, we LOVE these terra cotta pot people! You can find out how to make them here.
  Or this!
  Or this one!
  They all use the same basic technique, what a creative and cute garden project!

Stepping stones in a garden can create a path or patio, or simply point the way on a visual trail through your garden. They make a great DIY project year round, and most can be easily done on a covered craft table or in a corner of the garage. This is a great project to get creative with and allow your personality, or the personality of your garden shine through. Here are our favorite DIY stepping stone projects, complete with instructions for creating your own.
Our Basic Stepping Stone Recipe Portland Cement Water Mold Release Agent (We use Pam) Decorative elements You can use almost anything as a mold, as long as it’s smooth and can release the stone once it’s cured. I like disposable plastic containers, becasue the stone will pop right out like ice cubes from a tray. You could line boxes with plastic wrap, use cake pans or even line nursery flats for large stones.  Trick we learned: if you are making a large stepping stone, or one that has a lot of detail and therefore not as thick, place a piece of chicken wire into the mold after you have poured or applied half the concrete. Then apply the rest of the concrete over the wire. This will strengthen your stones so they are less likely to crack. As you see in the photo below, partially burying the stones into gravel or soil will help protect the more delicate edges from breaking. Next is one of our favorites – from Family Crafts, this tutorial takes you through using a leaf to create these garden stones that are more like natural art! Here are the instructions.

  This is another example from Garden Mama.
  You can also use this technique to make larger areas of patio or pathway. I’m fascinated by this art form using only natural elements!
  Here is another idea, same technique.
  And this one by artist Jeffery Bale, he explains how here.
  If you want a simpler project, try these stones created by Madigan Made, using just concrete and plastic trays! Instructions here.
  These last two are easier still… purchased stepping stones with paint. This first one is from Benjamin Moore using a stamp and concrete stain. I would link to the instructions for you, but that is them! Finally, if you are looking for a fun project with the kids, this is it. Birds and Blooms has these easy glow in the dark stones we love! Here’s how. Let us know which of these projects you plan to try!

Halloween is just around the corner, and I’ve found that most of us DIY’ers are a creative bunch… Not decorating our porches and gardens for Halloween just seems wrong somehow… Few other times are we allowed to publicly let our imaginations go a little wild, and maybe even a little creepy… and yes, I’ll say it… a little sick.  I sincerely believe Halloween is one of those times we can bring the fears of life that we live with every day down to size…to use the opportunity to make light of all the scary things out there in the world. Personally, I’m not into gross… creepy yes, but I’ll leave the gore to someone else. So here we go… our picks for #DIY #outdoor Halloween decorating ideas… let’s have some fun!
Can you imagine how creepy this would be, with the right, barely there lighting? This project uses standard chicken wire, and you can find the tutorial for shaping your fencing ghost here. I have seen some blogs recommending spray painting with glow in the dark paint. I think that would be cool until the paint losses its glow, so maybe placing where it gets hit by car lights, or a porch light casts just enough glow?
  Tired of that old skeleton just hanging on the porch, blowing in the wind? Gotta love these creative takes… This first one you can find instructions here.
  This one is way cool! Instructions at Halloween Forum.
  Ok, this is just cute… and a little creepy, especially if done with a really large pumpkin! Check out how to make a pumpkin spider from Budget Wise Home.
  These spider sacks are easy, cheap and creepy… what if you used semi sheer stockings to give them a more ethereal quality? Here’s the instructions from Hello Paper Moon.
  Finally, want your Halloween  ghosts to look a little more…um, realistic? Check out these easy versions!
  Whatever you choose to do for your outdoor Halloween decorations, make sure they are creative and fun! Which are your fav’s, and if you know of others great tutorials, please share in our comments!

We all love a #garden path… whether winding or straight…neat as a pin, or overgrown with #plants , garden paths lead our eye through a garden, and add charm and focus as well. Every garden needs a good pathway. If you are not in need of an actual walkway through your garden, consider a path to lead to a focal point, around garden beds to make the yard look larger, or simply to nowhere in particular to add some structure and design elements. Here are five great #DIY garden paths you can do this weekend!
See our post – Stepables: Perfect Plants for Paths and Walkways This path is a real money saver… it only uses a small amount of large stone for the focal point of the path, then fills with inexpensive gravel.
  Here is a simple yet effective gravel garden path with instructions and tutorial via Sunset.com
  Stone pavers can be cut into the lawn easily and creates a natural look for any yard. Lay each paver on the lawn in its place, then cut around the stone into the sod with a sharp knife. Remove the sod, then drop the stone into it’s place.

  This pathway was created by Funky Junk Interiors from recycled pallets. See how they created their pallet walkway.
  Simple and easy if you have access to a saw and tree logs!
  This path has a more modern vibe, and is created with gravel and modern tiles with small ornamental grasses planted throughout.

This is a great time of year to tackle some of those bigger #garden projects that have been on our “want” list. A bigger project doesn’t mean that it has to be complicated, however. Arbors can be used in the garden as an entry, a focal point, or even as a swing structure! Here are some easy instructions on building a #DIY garden arbor that even a beginner can handle. No complicated carpentry instructions here!
Supplies 2 10 foot long pressure treated 4×4’s 2 6 foot pressure treated 2×6’s Optional: pressure treated 2×2’s for decorative elements Galvanized screws Drill Saw (preferably a hand held circular saw) Gravel 4 bags quick setting concrete Level Step One: You are using ten foot long 4×4 posts so that you can dig them at least two feet into the ground, preferably three. This is necessary to keep the structure stable, especially where the ground freezes. Using a post hole digger, dig two holes five feet apart where you would like the arbor to sit. Add gravel into the bottom of the hole to ensure good drainage. This prevents the post from rotting. Add the posts to the holes. Add two bags of quick setting concrete to each hole. Partially fill with water, then use the level to make sure the posts are…well, level. Fill the rest of the way with water as per directions on the concrete bags. Continue to periodically check the level until the posts are firm. Allow concrete to set several days to harden well. You have to work fast here, keep leveling as the concrete does harden quickly. Do one post at a time. Step Two: Measure up each post seven feet from the ground and mark. Hold up one of the 2×6’s lined up with the marks you just made, then use the level to make sure it is level across and make any adjustments to your marks as necessary. Use a saw to cut off both posts so they are the same height. Do I have to say it? Do NOT be careless here! Especially if you are using a power saw. If power saws scare you or are too heavy for your to hold, (I feel you ladies…) use a sharp hand saw. It will work, it will just take longer! Step Three: Using screws and a drill, attach each 2×6 to the side of each post at the top, as shown in the photo. Make sure they overhang the same on each side. You will need an extra hand for this part of the project. (I actually think an extra hand for the whole thing is a good idea!) The photo shows bolts but you can use screws.
Step Four: If you want, you can create more decorative details by cutting the ends of the 2×6’s at an angle, or adding equal lengths of 2×2’s or whatever size you prefere, to the top as shown in the large photo. Also feel free to leave it simple…you know what you like. That’s it! Plant a wonderful vine at it’s base to make a dramatic focal point in your garden that you created yourself. Yes, you can do this project! Build yourself a simple garden arbor and enjoy it for years to come. What do ya say? Got the guts to give it a try? Here are some more garden arbor ideas to inspire you! You might want to try one of these depending on your abilities.

  Here’s a great idea of using old doors and a tutorial here.
  Here are a couple modern and contemporary arbors.

Garden art is a great way to add focus and interest in the #garden either in colder months when less is in bloom, or to bring a different dimension to a garden full of life. Either way, art belongs in the garden. After all, nature is our best art inspiration. Since your garden is already such a wonderful expression of self, use the opportunity to create #DIY yard art for your garden, using these ideas for inspiration!
Use a masonry bit and drill on each stone, and then place a piece of rebar into the ground to slide the stones onto.
  Take old wooden ceiling fan blades when the fan quits working and create yard art, like these butterflies. Waterseal, then polyurethane them well to prevent warping. The bodies are old table legs!
  Drill holes randomly in a fence, then place in colored marbles.
  Fun use and great recycling. Garden art with windows! Moss spheres on rebar shoved into the soft soil. Create mosaic art with silicone caulk, tiles and glass and grout on old bowling balls.

Which one would you like to try, and why?