This tutorial shows how to turn an old watering can into decorative garden art. With supplies like wire, marbles, lamp crystals, and beads, create the effect of water pouring out.
Also see the Watering Can Garden Art Idea Gallery for more ideas.
Turn Your Old Watering Cans into Art
If I had to pick a favorite collectible garden item, galvanized metal watering cans would top the list.
If they work really well, I use them for watering the plants. But plenty of watering cans—old and new—are really poorly designed and do not balance right when pouring water. But no worries, the dysfunctional ones and the leaking oldies are perfect for garden art.
Garden Art Watering Can Project
This watering can garden art project is very simple and adds a fun touch of whimsy to the garden. You’ll need just a few materials and it should only take an hour or so to complete.
Instead of wire and beads, you could also use mini LED lights.
PROJECT TIME: 1 HOUR
Here’s how it works.
Wires are threaded through the spout and secured inside the watering can.
Crystals, beads, and marbles are attached to the wires to look like water spilling out. That’s it!
Choosing a Watering Can
- When using a watering can for garden art, it doesn’t matter if there are holes in the bottom. In fact, this is good for drainage if it will also be used as a planter.
- Make sure the watering can spout is designed in a way that you can easily thread wires through it. Some have openings too tiny for this.
Materials
- Watering can
- Wire
Select your wire gauge based on how firm you want the wire to be. The smaller the gauge number, the thicker the wire.
I use 16-gauge wire for most garden art projects. You can see 16-gauge wire here on Amazon.com. - Lamp crystals (also called prisms or pendants) | see them on Etsy
I get these at thrift shops and yard sales. Look for unwanted old lamps that are ugly but have crystals on them! You might find them for a nice low price. - Beads, marbles, copper wire (optional)
- Needle-nose pliers
- Wire snips (cutters)
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
Steps
1. Cut wires for hanging crystals. Allow enough length to secure wire inside watering can and to hang crystals at various lengths from spout.
2. Thread wires through spout and secure inside watering can.
The wires will stay firmly in place inside the watering can if you wrap the ends around a screw or nail that is longer (wider) than the opening.
3. Attach crystals and beads to spout wires.
- Make one big crystal water drop or use a bunch of different sizes and lengths to get a dripping effect.
- (Optional) Wrap copper wire around marbles, leaving enough length at one end to secure to spout wires.
Done!
Show Them Off
I like to display my garden art collections on old wooden ladders. I love the contrast of the rustic ladder with the elegance of the crystals.
There are more ideas here in the Watering Can Garden Art Idea Gallery.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛