17 Creative Ways to Use Old Chairs in Your Garden

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Use these ideas from home gardens to turn old wooden and metal kitchen chairs into garden planters and art. It’s a fun way to repurpose unwanted items and transform your outdoor space.

There are lots more garden idea galleries including creative garden paths and ways to dress up fences.

Yellow garden art chair with flowers hanging on fence. — Yellow chair (no legs) converted into flower planter mounted on fence

Garden Art Chair Gallery

Old blue kitchen chair used as a plant stand.

It’s a simple idea, but a good one. Old wooden and metal kitchen chairs are super handy in the garden. Paint them to stand out and use them to hold flower planters or other garden art.

I gathered these ideas at home garden tours—my favorite way to find inspiration for my own garden.

Row of painted chairs in garden with flowerpots — Row of painted chairs in garden

Lead Paint Check

Older windows, doors, and furniture painted in the 1970s or earlier may contain lead. If you do not know that status of your painted item, find out using a lead test kit (Amazon). If there is lead, follow your government’s safety instructions.

1Succulent Chair Planter

Chair planted with succulents: Gallery of garden art chair ideas — White kitchen chair with succulents growing on seat

I love this chair. If you look closely, you can see the planter was created with chicken wire and some coir lining. Succulents are ideal because of their shallow roots.

Related: Gallery of Garden Art Easels

Chair seat planted with succulents — Close-up of succulents on garden chair

2Old Blue Kitchen Chair

3Broken Chair Legs? Put it on a Fence!

4Face Plant(er)!

Ferns in galvanized containers in the garden.

5Red Chair with Watering Can

6Rustic Branch Chair

Rustic branch chair with flower pot — Rustic chair made from tree branches in garden

7Turquoise Kitchen Chair in Garden

Turquoise wooden kitchen chair with flower pot — Turquoise chair in garden holding pot of pansies

8White Chairs with Purple & Pink Flowers

White chair with pink flowers hanging basket — White cane chair in garden with begonias

White chair with purple flowers in container — White dining chair in garden with pot of petunias

9Rustic Bench with Creeping Jenny

Mini garden bench with creeping jenny in planter — Miniature garden bench with pot of flowers

*Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is considered invasive in some areas of North America.

10Traditional Chunky White Metal

Gallery of garden art chair ideas — Traditional metal chairs in garden

I don’t know if I’d call these garden art, but they’re small and uncomfortable so designating them as art is the only option left!

These were a staple in gardens for years and then seemed to disappear. For years I thought they were hideous but now I get a little nostalgic when I see them.

11Lime Green Wooden Highchair

Old wooden high chair painted green for the garden. — Green antique highchair in garden

12Wood Chair With Cutout For Flowerpot

Chair with seat cutout for flower pot: Gallery of garden art chair ideas — Brown wooden chair with seat cutout to hold flowerpot

This idea is very popular right now: cut out the seat of an old chair to hold the rim of a flowerpot.

Old doors and windows used as garden decor.

13Wooden Yellow Chair

Painted yellow chair: Gallery of garden art chair ideas — Yellow kitchen chair on front porch with pansies

This milky yellow color is a favorite of mine. I love how it contrasts with purple and red flowers.

14Rustic Twig Bench

Rustic white twig garden bench: Gallery of garden art chair ideas — White rustic twig two-seater in garden

Not exactly a chair, but this wood bench adds a rustic, cottage look to the garden.

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15Red Adirondack Chairs

Red Adirondack Chairs: Gallery of garden art chair ideas — Red adirondack chairs by garden pond

I know some people love these chairs (“They’re so comfortable!”) but when I see them all I can think of is how hard it is to get in or out of them. That said, I love how you can use them to add bold color to the garden like the red ones shown here.

16Red Metal Vanity Chair

Red metal vanity chair: Gallery of garden art chair ideas — Red metal chair with cushion on deck

These old-fashioned metal chairs are not exactly comfortable but again, with the right paint color, they make good garden art.

Garden art on fence including old window with shutters and funny face.

16Made in the Shade

Planter on chair with red flowers in shade garden. — Old kitchen chair with flowerpot in garden

17Blue Schoolhouse Chair

Blue painted schoolhouse chair: Gallery of garden art chair ideas — Vintage school chair in garden

Potted plant arrangement with an assortment of succulents.

This photo is actually from my old garden, taken approximately 15 years ago. I’d never seen a chair in a garden at that time but I didn’t have room for it in the house (and didn’t want to get rid of it) so it somehow found its way to the garden and stayed there. The birds and squirrels enjoyed it.