28 Charming Recycled Garden Junk Ideas

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Love garden junk? These creations provide great recycled art ideas for your garden or home. They are all from Etsy shops, so you can buy what you love or make your own.

I also have DIY instructions here for making garden junk owls, cats, and more.

Delightful Garden Junk Ideas

Garden junk is a broad and brilliant category. It can mean anything repurposed to decorate or enhance a garden or an artistic expression of something found in a garden.

This could be unusual planting containers, old signs, rusty chains or tools, or the re-imagined critters and quirky decor ideas I have shared here.

I am a life-long garden junk fan. My favourites are the pieces that take ordinary kitchen utensils or workshop tools and re-imagine them as something new.

As you browse the ideas, have a look at what they’ve used for the various parts. It’s a great way to grab ideas for your own unique creations.

Shopping Tip

Pay attention to the size of the item, and, if it’s not listed, ask the seller before purchasing. Sometimes items seem much larger than they actually are!

These one-of-a-kind garden junk ideas come from Etsy shops and may have already sold by the time you view them.

I am an Etsy affiliate and I may receive a small commission at no cost to you if you choose to purchase something.

I have listed all of the individual links below. You can also see everything on this favorites list at Etsy.

1Cat

This is one of my all-time favorites! I would love to have a giant version of this in my garden.

Visit ReidHorse Etsy Shop

More Etsy Picks

2 Scorpion

The term garden junk evolved, because, historically, long before trash collection and landfills existed, the garden was the place where people tossed their old junk.

Garden junk scorpion by TinKanDesigns on Etsy.

For my own garden art/junk, I’ll put anything outside I don’t mind wearing away with the weather—usually metal, wood, stone, or heavy glass. A quirky treasure like this scorpion would reside in my house.

Visit TinkanDesigns Etsy Shop

3Baby Sharks

This is just plain cute. You’ve probably seen spoon fish (there are some further down the page), but these knife sharks are extra delightful.

Visit NevaStarr Etsy Shop

4 Crab

This guy is so funny. One tip: if you want to make something with eyes, look for dolls at the thrift shop. The old plastic type often have realistic looking eyes like these ones.

Visit IgalUpcycledCreation Etsy Shop

Want More Garden Art Ideas?

Watering Can Art | Faux spilling water
Garden Art Flowers | DIY flower projects

5Bird

This guy is just plain majestic. Something like this is best welded and there’s some sculpting involved.

Visit OutOfMyMindMetalWork Etsy Shop

6Dog

This little guy is made from things I often see in the kitchen utensil basket at the thrift shop. Notice what his legs are made of? Door stoppers and springs.

Visit FairyJunkMother Etsy Shop

7Grasshopper

Are you a fan of steampunk art like I am? This guy is seriously beautiful.

Visit TinkanDesigns Etsy Shop

See all of these items here at Etsy

8Bike Chainrings

Bike chainrings (the part that the chain engages with) are useful for all sorts of garden art. These ones are made into stained-glass decor.

Visit HappySpokes Etsy Shop

9Lock Man

I just love goofy little things like this. If this was mine, he’d live on my desk.

Visit AdamsCraftyCreations Etsy Shop

10Butterfly

If you ever see a box of old horseshoes for a low price, nab them! Here they’ve used four horseshoes and rebar to create the butterfly.

Visit Creationswelded Etsy Shop

11Snake

I don’t have snakes in my garden but if I did, I’d like it to be this one.

Visit TheHealingHippies Etsy Shop

12Tulip Flower

This little work of art uses spoons and a fork with a marble in the middle. While large metal projects require welding, you might be able to make smaller ones using a good adhesive. I use GE II Silicone Sealant for most outdoor projects.