20 Creative Watering Can Garden Art Ideas

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Use these ideas to turn a favorite old watering can into a flower planter or garden art. Old metal watering cans and kettles are perfect for one-of-a-kind garden decorations.

You can also find instructions for making a Garden Art Watering Can with Faux Spilling Water here.

Watering Can Garden Art Ideas

Watering can art displayed in the garden

Have a look at these ideas for turning watering cans into garden art. Many gardeners love old galvanized watering cans just as they are. Others can be painted to suit your garden and planted with colorful annuals or decorated with faux water sprays using old lamp crystals or beads.

Display a Collection

Ladder decorated with watering cans and kettles in garden. — Watering cans and other garden art displayed on old ladder

Old wooden ladders have lots of uses in the garden from trellis to displaying favorite garden art. And the more paint splatters, the better!

You can find an entire gallery of garden art ladder ideas here.

Collection of watering cans — Watering can collection

Is it possible to collect watering cans without ever paying more than $5 per can? So far, so good.

Fence Decorations

This next one is from my old garden.

Watering can art with fence decor — Watering can art with faux window on garden fence

Old window frames make wonderful garden art. Here I’ve added a hayrack with petunias, moon art, and an old watering can with faux water spray.

Garden before and after planting large flower and vegetable garden.

Decorative watering can with fence window art — Watering can art over window box

The great thing about garden art is you can change it up whenever you want and move things around.

Old doors and windows used as garden decor.

Old galvanized watering can hanging on garden fence

Whatever you do, don’t throw out an old galvanized watering can. They last for years as art.

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

Spilling Crystals

My favorite watering cans are the older ones made from galvanized metal as well as newer ones painted in clear, bright colors.

Galvanized watering cans with dripping crystal art — Lamp crystals make beautiful faux water drops

If a watering can is really well designed, I’ll actually use it to water plants (crazy, I know), but any other odd ones are perfect for garden art projects.

And don’t worry if they have holes in the bottom—those ones make great planters for flowering annuals that need drainage.

Watering can art with faux water made from beads and crystals — Use lamp crystals and beads for faux water

Using the crystal idea, just one large faux crystal makes a beautiful water drop.

Lobelia planted into small galvanized watering can — Small galvanized watering can planted with lobelia

Old copper kettle art with faux water — Old kettle with lamp crystals

Miniature watering can with spilling beads — Beads on wire spilling out of mini watering can

If you vary the length of the wires, it gives a good spilling effect.

Mosaic Art

This mosaic watering can is so beautifully done.

Homemade garden art balls with glass gems.

Watering Can Planters

Flowering annuals planted in watering can — White watering can planted with flowering annuals

Add a pot of flowers to a watering can and add it to the garden. Easy!

White watering can planted with flowering annuals. — White watering can with flowering annuals

This white watering can could be painted, mosaic-ed, decoupaged, or simply used as a planter like you see here.

Small green polka dotted watering can planted with succulents

Succulents! Again, no need to put potting mix directly in a watering can. Instead, insert a same-size flowerpot with drainage holes.

Potted plant arrangement with an assortment of succulents.

Old watering can and vintage lunch box — Old metal funnel planted with pansies in vintage watering can

This is a vintage oil pouring can. I also found this old Amish lunch box and planted it with pansies.

Cobalt blue watering can — This cobalt blue color turns a watering can into art

I love this blue color. Look how it makes the heuchera foliage stand out. If you love color, have a look at these gardens using blue as a theme color.