Hi everyone. I often come across really creative and not too hard to do garden art projects that I’d love to try to make, and I also know there must be lots of you out there who do have the the time and would like to make something new and unique.

So, I make note of each site where I found the project for my future reference. Plus.. you know … I can’t think-up every project in the world either, and passing along links to other people’s projects stays in line with my main reason for this blog – that I want to share fun and creative stuff with everyone.

Well, this coffee cup/tea mug wind chime project is just one of those projects that caught my eye.

This DIY project requires just a few items that may already be laying around in your craft box and garage, or are easy to find in a craft and hardware store, and without having to drill a hole in the cup … you’ll have a fabulous new garden art accessory to hang outside.

This idea comes from Kathy’s “Crafty Chica” blog. Read the entire post here: http://thecraftychica.blogspot.com/2008/04/tea-mug-wind-chime.html

I get asked just how large you can make a hypertufa or concrete garden art object more than a couple times each month, and my standard answer to everyone is simply, “As large as YOU are capable of making it.”

I’m not trying to be smart or curt with that reply, but honestly, my answer is the truth. After all, if you can dream up the idea, and you have the skills and know-how to figure out how you’re going to construct the frame on which to apply your ‘tufa or concrete recipe … then by all means, go ahead and tackle the project. The size factor is basically not a big stumbling block if you know what you’re doing.

But the core issue is: do you know how to properly construct a super-sturdy frame (also called a form) that is capable of not only providing the proper surface on which you’ll be applying your wet recipe, but will of course remain firmly connected over time? Yes, you could argue that once a hypertufa or concrete mixture is cured, it pretty much has the framework “sealed” in quite well. But, depending upon the intricacy of your form – do you have slender appendages coming out from the central frame, as one example – you really ought not rely solely on the rock-hard nature of your cured recipe to be the only “glue” that bonds everything together.

So … as a bit of inspiration for you today, I thought I’d share a photo from the website of Little and Lewis, who are maestros in the art of sculpting with concrete.

If you’re not familiar with their work, I’d certainly take a little time to peruse their site. You will certainly see garden art items that ought to make you say, “Wow!”

This concrete sculpture certainly shows that large and grand is possible! It just takes the creativity to conceive the idea, and the wherewithal to construct it. Simple, huh?

And please note that this sculpture is 5-feet tall by 4-feet wide. That’s quite an impressive size. I am sure the people who commissioned this sculpture and arbor installation are in love with it.

So, for those of you that are bored with making smaller and simpler type hypertufa or concrete objects, perhaps a sculpture or other object even one third the size of the Little and Lewis 5-foot tall sculpture could be in the works for your next garden art project.

Let your imagination flow. Good luck!

I thought I’d share information on making homemade mailbox decorations for the Holidays, because often times we either don’t have the time to put up all the outdoor decorations we’ve amassed over the years, or we really just don’t have the enthusiasm or physical ability we used to, to haul out ladders and all the strings of lights, and tackle that whole “decorate the house” project!

I pretty much fit all the above! But, I don’t want my house to look totally ignored over the Holidays either and the mailbox is a nice spot to add some festivity.

I thought you might like to see how I decorate mine, and how I went about it. I am sure you’ll be able to either try to duplicate what I’ve done, or spin off from the main concept and make a creative masterpiece all your own.

Steps to Make This DIY Christmas Decoration

Here’s a photo of the completed decoration adorning my mailbox. Not too shabby, eh?

The basic components are:

• Wire ribbon (ribbon that has very thin   wire running down both edges);

• Artificial evergreen garland – it’s the kind   made on a very stiff bendable wire;

• Plastic (don’t use glass!) Christmas   ornaments;

• A rope of shiny metallic-type green and   red fringe; and

• I can’t forget to mention I used my hot   glue gun and a fair number of glue sticks   (sorry, I didn’t count).

Construction basics:

I determined the length of evergreen garland I needed to make each section that would go on either side of the mailbox post.

What is helping to hold the entire decoration onto the mailbox post is a loop of garland at the top of one of the sections. I placed this over the top of the section of post that sticks out above my mailbox. Your post may not be constructed the same. Use your ingenuity, like I did!

The second section is basically one long straight piece of evergreen garland, which I attached by bending over a few of the evergreen “sprigs” to latch onto other sprigs from the top garland loop. The wires in the garland are pretty flexible, but stiff enough to hold any twisting and attaching you need to do.

I wrapped the red and green tinsel garland around all the evergreen pieces, making sure to snug it in between the springs.

I then decided where I wanted to place the ornaments and how many would be needed. I decided I wanted three ornaments grouped together with some space in between each grouping. **REMEMBER: odd numbers of anything you’re grouping together normally always looks better than items grouped in even numbers!

I hot glued the ornaments onto the garland. Let me warn you … be generous with the glue – don’t skimp. Otherwise, you might find that your ornaments fall off as the weather gets colder. I learned this the first year after I made this. I had to reglue many of the ornaments. So the next year, I yanked on each ornament, and if it stayed stuck, fine! If it came off, I used a very generous amount of glue and those ornaments have stayed stuck now for many years.

Another word of caution: make sure you put something like cardboard or a few layers of newspaper under the garland when you’re gluing as invariably the hot glue will ooze down through openings between the springs. Protect your work surface from a gluey mess.

I made the bow from scratch, and attached it to the mailbox post after I had secured the entire decoration onto the post.

With frugality in mind, I happened to have a spool of this wired ribbon in my supply box. I sometimes buy up things at the end of the season (or any other time of year I see deals I can’t pass up) – love those after Christmas 50% off sales! I bought up all sorts of different colors one year, as wired ribbon can get expensive and the prices were more than 50% off. So, that’s why this particular ribbon was used … I had it on hand and it is rather festive in coloration.

In case you’re not familiar with wired ribbon, it is sold on a spool. Here’s the empty spool – I used the entire spool to make the bow – all 30 feet of ribbon!

Here’s a close-up of my DIY Christmas decoration. I thought maybe a close-up might be helpful to those of you who are like me and not necessarily whiz kids at making something like this.

That’s about it for my basic how-tos. You still have a couple of weeks to enjoy some outside decorations. It’s not too late! I’ll bet you can rummage through your box(es) of decorations and come up with some items that if put together with a little creativity can dress up your mailbox for the Holidays.

My DIY Christmas decoration has been used on my mailbox for about 4 years now and it still looks good and is holding together extremly well. Back up into the attic it will go in early January, waiting to come back out the first of December, once again.

To see more ideas for homemade DIY Christmas decorations, make sure to read my post: Decorate Your Mailbox for the Holidays.

I decorate my mailbox each year for the Holiday season, one reason being because I don’t go semi-wild stringing lights all over my house anymore. (I used to … but now I just don’t care to deal with the heavy ladder and everything else involved.) But, so as not to have a home that doesn’t exude some sort of Holiday cheer, these past few years I have made it a point to decorate my mailbox with garland and lights and I also have always placed garland with lights around the entire opening of my front door.

You can see the photos and my how-to steps here: My Homemade Mailbox Christmas Decoration.

So … I thought perhaps some of you might appreciate some DIY Christmas decoration ideas for your mailbox. It’s really quite easy and inexpensive to do. You needn’t buy the decorations … even a few evergreen branches and a nice red bow can lend a festive touch to that poor lonely mailbox in front of your house. Easy and frugal is my whole idea for this blog post today.

Also, if you are like me, you’ve probably amassed a lot of Christmas decorations that you don’t even use anymore. Dig through those boxes and I’ll bet you will come up with a few things that, when put together, will produce a fine decoration that you’ll be proud to place on your mailbox during the holiday season.

That’s what I did a few years ago … I have some artificial evergreen garland and 2 boxes of round gold plastic ornaments that I made a very nice long swag-sort-of-decoration for.

Okie-Dokie … Get Out Your Hot Glue Gun …
Here Are Some Nice DIY Ideas Even the Kids Can Help Make

Idea #1: A wreath around your mailbox is pretty darn easy. You might have a small one sitting in your decoration box. Or, you could use a piece of long real or artificial evergreen garland, and then loop it around at least twice to make a wreath. Add a bow and/or a few ornaments.

Just make sure the interior opening of the wreath is wide enough to fit around the exterior of your mailbox if it’s preformed or you’re making the wreath. Otherwise you could just wrap it a few times or more around the mailbox. Make sure it’s bushy enough to look like you did want it to be a wreath, and not a few strands of garland wrapped towards the back of the mailbox.

Idea #2: Here’s a pretty easy idea … make a nice large swag from real or artificial evergreen boughs, slip in some berries, pine cones or small ornaments, maybe add a bow and there you have it, another very attractive DIY idea.

Idea #3: Here’s another pretty and easy to make DIY Christmas decoration … a variation of a swag for the top of the mailbox.

Idea #4: Evergreen boughs can be tied at the top the the bunch and attached to the post under your mailbox. This idea should be easier to attach than swags perched on top of the mailbox.

Idea #5: If you’re not able to get your hands on any real or artificial greenery, or perhaps just not wanting to decorate your mailbox that way … how about using Christmas lights? Just wind them ’round and ’round until you’ve got enough of them to make a nice visual presentation.

**Caution … if you have to use an extension cord to get power out to your mailbox (I do because mine is out on the street curb) make SURE you use an extension cord meant for outdoor use.

I will assume that if you plug that extension cord into an outdoor socket, that the socket is a GFI (Ground Fault Interrupter). Nowadays in the USA and Canada it is a building code for every electrical plug in a home, whether inside or out, to be a GFI socket.

Last but not least … Idea #6: I just had to post this photo … kinda sad looking, isn’t it? (Note that it appears half of the lights aren’t even lit!)

The first thing that entered my mind when I saw this photo was “Gee, why did they even bother?” I’m sorry, but it is just not attractive and I think it would have been better for these people to not have bothered. I’m not meaning to be cruel, but really!

What I’m merely trying, and hoping, to convey in the photo is what NOT to do with a string of lights.

Well, there you have it, some easy DIY Christmas decoration ideas (and one “don’t do this” idea) to help give you some inspiration, especially if you need to do a last-minute Holiday spruce-up to the outside of your house. Dressing up youre mailbox will help give a nice impression and show your Holiday spirit, don’t you think?

I love it when I see women break away from fearing heavy-duty type industrial equipment like welding torches! Yeah, I don’t care what is said about “we’ve come a long way, baby!” in terms of women’s lib (is that terminology dating me, or what?? Yes … I did march up 5th Avenue in NYC many moons ago, screaming “What do we want”? Equality! When do we want it? NOW!!!” But I digress…) I find that many woman are still very hesitant to pick up anything more menacing than a paint brush.

Anyway, I came across an article by an Alaskan gardener, Christine who shared her experience in picking up a welding torch and making these cool rusty metal fish.

I thought you all just might get some inspiration to try your hand at a new way of creating garden art items – whether or not your tool of choice is a welding torch. It could be anything, even something like picking up a sponge to try your hand at daubing to very easily create a decorative paint technique on a pot to use outdoors. Let your creative juices flow! It’s fun to try new things. You might find a new hobby, too.

You never know … you might gain a passion for something that allows you to give really personalized gifts to friends and family to grace their gardens (and they’ll always remember you when they look at what you made), or maybe this new hobby you enjoy could turn into a side income for you. Hey – who knows?

Anyway, as I always say “Remember … Have Fun!”

Hey everyone. I’ve had this photo in my files for some time now (yup – I save up photos as I stumble upon them if I think they’ll be of interest to y’all ) and am trying to clean up my “to be filed” folder. I decided to post this today because for a lot of us, the temperatures are dropping and Fall weather is starting to kick into gear, which means the leaves are starting to drop off the trees.

What’s that got to do with this wooden garden gate project? Well, seems to me having less leaves on tree branches will make it easier for you to spot some limbs you might be able to use for this DIY project.

I love everything about this wooden gate, which is found at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden in California. I have had a real interest for a long time in “functional art” – meaning artwork that also serves a “functional” purpose, such as would be the case *IF* this particular gate swung open and led somewhere.

Though this gate is certainly a piece of artwork on its own and it serves a definite purpose … it really can’t be considered “functional” because it doesn’t “function” (swing open and closed). But it is sculptural and serves as a beautiful and artistic focal point in this spot in the botanical garden.

Anyway, some garden art is functional, and some merely serves a visual decorative purpose. These painted ladybug bowling balls nestled amongst garden greenery are what we would consider simple garden art. But these gorgeous functional art examples created by my friend, artist-sculptor Alice M. Bateman, are not only visual “eye candy” but also serve a definite purpose. You’ll see a window; gates at an exhibit at the Ft. Worth Zoo; water spouts for a private pool; and a very fancy fireplace.

But let me get back to this wooden garden gate project idea … whether you make your gate to be functional – it swings open and closed and defines the entrance/exit to a specific area of your yard or garden – or merely to lend visual impact to a special spot is up to you, of course. But I’ll wager that whichever way you end up using a bentwood gate like this in your garden will certainly prove to be a lovely focal point in years to come.

To make a similar wooden gate for your garden as the one pictured here, you will obviously have to be somewhat skilled with wood working and have access to power saws and such, and know how to construct a sturdy frame on which to fasten the branches. Or … you’ll need to convince a spouse, relative or friend to help you make it. (Heck – bribe them with cookies or pizzas if necessary! ) The frame doesn’t appear to be too complicated, nor will I assume the task of attaching of the branches.

*TIP: use screws instead of nails if at all possible, as screws tend to “stay screwed in”, but nails tend to begin to start creeping up and out of where they were hammered in over time, especially with wooden items left outdoors. As example, have you ever seen wooden decks that were nailed versus screwed together? Well I have – my neighbor’s backyard deck – and it is starting to fall apart after just a few years. My deck was constructed using screws and it’s holding together quite fine, thank you!

I am sure that somehow, this photo of this really good-looking wooden gate might help to kick-in some creative juices for you, and you’ll come up with a way to make one for that special spot or entrance to your garden that you’ve been wanting to liven up.

I tried searching online for videos that show how to bend branches in case some of you might want to construct a wooden gate a little differently than the Botanical Garden’s gate which utilizes rather straight branches, but couldn’t find anything worthwhile to watch. But, I did uncover this book, that you might want to check out Making Bentwood Trellises, Arbors, Gates & Fences. It’s not too expensive and might have some good bits of information that will make your project go a little easier.

If anyone has any tips about working with bentwood or willow branches, let me know please. I’m sure many others reading this blog would like to read about more creative ways in which to make their own wooden garden gate. Thanks!

I received an email the other day from garden art friend Louisa G. who was kind enough to share some very helpful ideas pertaining to repairing broken garden art items (or anything else you might have around the house that needs to be stuck back together, for that matter).

Whether you are using a “super” type glue, epoxy glue, or even concrete or hypertufa to try and reattach a piece or pieces that got broken off a favorite decorative item, these tips just might help make your repair come out even better than you’d hoped for.

I think you’ll agree that often the challenge in doing a repair is trying to hold together the part(s) that need to be glued back on. Many times we cannot use fast-acting glues, and wait times for other type glues or adhesive’s (or ‘tufa or concrete’s) hardening/cure times may be 15 minutes on up to hours.

This is often the biggest challenge … how to keep the pieces stuck together AND how to achieve the most “invisible” repair possible.

I will agree it is frustrating to make a repair, only to find out the piece shifted ever so slightly, and though yes … you’ve been successful at sticking the item back together, it is now obvious that indeed there was damage that had occurred to it!

So … here’s Louisa’s great tips:

Here’s some easy ways I’ve found to keep odd-shaped pieces together while waiting for repairs to cure:

Obtain some NON DRYING modeling clay (something like Sculpey or other art clays that won’t dry out in a short time) and mold release to go with it. Sometimes (not always) mineral oil can be used. You would want to test this prior to going forward.

BEFORE GLUING: Put the repairs in position (you may need a helper to hold the pieces in place) and mold the clay – be generous – around your area of repair such that you can remove it easily. This may require more than one or two sections that will later be smooshed together.

Remove the clay and clean off any residue, then glue the repair as needed.

LIGHTLY apply the mold release agent and then place the prepared modeling clay around the repair – blend and smoosh separate sections of the modeling clay together GENTLY so that you don’t dislodge the repaired pieces. Wait for it to cure.

Other options:

–Spring clamps or C-clamps with toweling or other padding
–Rubber bands
–Bungee cords
–Binder clips (for smaller items)

There you have it!

Thanks Louisa for taking the time to share these tips with everyone!

To read my informative article about different methods to glue or wire broken pots back together, please go to Terra Cotta Repair Methods.

So let’s make good looking, sturdy and long lasting cages from copper tubing!

Right after I posted the Copper Trellis Project the other day, I received a nice email from Odile saying:

Hi Claudia,

I have been a subscriber to your Artistic Gardener newsletter and I just have to tell you how thrilled I am with all of the information you have compiled for all of us and to thank you! I am especially thrilled with this copper tubing newsletter that you sent today regarding a copper trellis.

I was wondering if you had any ideas for tomato “cages” that we could make using the copper tubing? My family and I will be growing lots of vegetables this summer, including tomatoes, and my husband mentioned that we would have to be getting some of those wire tee-pee looking tomato cages.

I think they are soooo ugly, and when I saw your newsletter today, a light bulb went off and I thought, what if we could make the cages out of the copper tubing? What do you think? Do you have any idea of the pieces we might use to make this?

Imagine how pretty the patina would be on a copper tomato cage, and how sturdy it would be, and it would probably last forever! I hate those green wire ones from the big box stores – they always bend! Any help you could provide would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Odile K. / Easton, MA

Yes I sure do have an idea for you Odile! I had to do some investigative work about easy-to-find copper parts and the right adhesives, but now I can share an idea that you all can use. This basic design is simple and plain, so I am sure many of you will think of creative ways to embellish or jazz-up your tomato cage.

I have to admit I just don’t have the time to actually construct this project. (Sorry.) So I will walk you through it. But! I discovered some online photos that show a PVC tomato cage designed by a gentleman named Tom, and his configuration is basically the same configuration I had first thought of. (Great minds think alike! )

**My idea was to use 4-way connectors on the top rung of tubing versus the T-connectors, so that you can have short cuts of tubing sticking up above the rung, to add a slight decorative “finish” to your cage.

But of course my brain was thinking about copper tubing. Anyway … I’ll get to Tom’s construction information in a moment.

Let’s Talk About The Parts You’ll Need To Round Up

Here is what you will need to know about parts and such to construct your cage from copper tubing:

• Use 1/2″ copper tubing – the 3/4″ is way more expensive and I think it’s not necessary to use 3/4″ for this project.
• You will use copper 90-degree connectors.
• You will probably have to use PVC 4-way connectors sized for 1/2-inch pipe because for most of us, copper 4-ways will be impossible to find at local stores.
• You will need to use this epoxy to glue everything because it will bond copper to PVC parts (yes – I called the factory to double check!): Super Glue’s Waterproof Epoxy Adhesive.
• Make sure you clean/scour off the oxidation on the copper tubing that will come into contact with the epoxy. The oxidation will most likely prevent a good adhesion of parts.
• Optional: copper end caps to finish off the tubing sticking up from the top rung (if you use the idea I came up with as mentioned above).
• Optional: you may want to invest in a $10 – $12 copper pipe cutter to make this project easier for you – especially if you’re making more than one cage. I think it is well worth the investment, even for one cage.

All of the copper tubing, copper parts, epoxy glue, and the PVC 4-ways are found in most big-box stores. Or of course a plumbing supply store – they might even carry the copper 4-ways, which will really make your cage spiffier looking.

About those white PVC 4-ways: yes, I know … they aren’t going to lend much visual impact to your gorgeous copper tomato cage, but as I have already explained, copper 4-ways are probably going to be near impossible for most of us to find. So here’s a thought about how to camouflage them … how about spray painting them a medium dark green or perhaps black. If you’re letting the copper oxidize (you won’t clear coat it) – it’ll become blueish/green anyway. So similar colored or darker colored 4-ways shouldn’t detract too much visually from the finished cage.

Or don’t worry about the white PVC, because ultimately you’re going to have a huge bushy tomato plant hiding most of the cage, anyway!

Step-By-Step Photos & Instructions To Build The Tomato Cage

Here’s where you’ll find the photos that will clearly show you how to go about this project: Tom’s PVC tomato cage. You will find the instructions there also, but I am taking the liberty to provide an abbreviated version here:

So there you have it everyone – a darn good way to make a not-too-complicated DIY copper tomato trellis. And perhaps you’ll want to make yours completely out of PVC, because you don’t mind white supports around your tomatoes, or because it will be a more affordable project to tackle.

Either way, good luck … I sure hope you have great tastin’ tomatoes this summer!

The-Artistic-Garden disclaimer: I have tried without success to find a way to contact Mr. Matkey to ask permission to refer to his project. I have done my best to give him full credit for, and to link directly to his project information. Mr. Matkey if you are reading this please contact me. Thank you.

Need a nifty idea on how to make an attractive looking trellis for your tomato or viney-type plants? Use copper tubing that you can find at any “big box” store or plumbing supply store.

The neat thing about copper is that if you don’t coat it with a clear sealant, it’ll get a wonderful greenish patina over time. It’ll blend in beautifully with your garden, whether you have a traditional type or contemporary type of setting.

There are many different configurations that are possible for a trellis – you just need to familiarize yourself with what parts are available, such as the different angles, elbows or T-joints that will allow you join the tubing together. Then you can get down to designing your own configuration, if you don’t want to follow the trellis design I’m showing you here.

The fact that you can buy curved and angled pipe fittings opens up all sorts of options for your trellis design. It doesn’t have to be totally square or rectangular in shape. You’ll have to sit down with pencil and paper and sketch it out, and of course drawing in the exact angle of whatever pieces you’ll be using to make sure your “on paper” trellis will go together properly.

After you’ve finalized your design and cut the pipes into the lengths you’ll need, I HIGHLY suggest to first do a dry run – lay out all the pieces and fittings as per your sketch. Make sure everything will fit together correctly before you begin to solder or glue!

Now, typically copper tubing needs to be soldered so that everything stays attached together, so this project isn’t one that most all of us could tackle. I sure don’t have a butane torch in my tool kit! But perhaps you have a “handy” spouse or helpful neighbor who’ll solder everything together for you. Lucky for you if you do. BUT … BUT!! …

Don’t Have A Torch Or Know How To Solder The Pieces Together? No Problem – I Found A Glue For Copper!

There’s an easy alternative for us torch-less folks!   The alternative is an epoxy glue that is specially formulated for copper and it’s made by the Super Glue people. Here’s a link to their website so you can read about it and so you’ll know what to ask for when you go to the store: Copper-Bond® (Yes I’ve been doing research for you garden art enthusiasts – I’m always interested in learning how we can do our projects as easily, but also as successfully, as possible!!)

There probably are a few other glue products that will also work on metal-to-metal appllications. So if you can’t find Copper-Bond® perhaps asking the sales associates in the paint department (where you will find most all the adhesives and glues at the big-box stores), or maybe the people in the plumbing dept. for glue alternatives they’ll point you to other products.

This project in it’s entirety is sitting on the Reader’s Digest website (links provided below). Since this trellis project really does a good job taking you through all the steps, I feel confident it will do a great job of getting you familiar with just how a project like this needs to be done – from strat to finish.

I’ve put a little of the project overview and the photo of what the project will end up looking like here on my blog. I’ve also included the link for all the assembly steps at the end of this article (in case you are curious and want to skip right to those).

OK, let’s get down to it.

To read the individual construction steps, click here: Copper Trellis Step-By-Step Instructions.

Trellis Project -Copyright © 2009, The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.