Customer Reviews

Garden Ornaments: 30 Beautiful Projects for Decorating Your Garden

1. Cool looking 2. Inexpensive 3. Comparatively easy 4. Unique 5. Creative

and because they use things like old clay pots, polystyrene fish boxes, rope, paint, orange boxes, old garden tool heads, new and old lumber, simple tools, etc. Some projects are quick and easy; some, like the mosaic table top and the garden awning, are more involved. All come with detailed instructions and photographs.

There are bird houses and feeders, fountains, planters, and boxes. I love the boxes. The trug, garden tray, farrier's or herb box, and orange box planter are elegant in a plain and primitive way. Filled with fresh produce, dried herbs and flowers, pots of seedlings or flowers, etc., etc., etc., they would make beautiful gifts. A sundial, weather vane, wind chime, wonderful garden markers, and planters . . . did you ever think of gluing rope to a clay pot? or screwing a clay pot to a clay tile to hang on a wall? These folks did, and more, and the results are beautiful.

The authors finish the book with several pages of instruction or ideas for using color, choosing and using paints and stains, creating simple finishes to protect and age wood, metal, and clay surfaces.

The 30 projects include something for every taste and skill level. Some of my favorites are a stenciled sunflower tray, mosaic table, hammock, horse weather vane, garden awing, bat box, fish box planter, bird table, shell textured pot, evergreen topiary bird, window pane clock and a slate fountain. All have excellent step-by-step instructions accompanied by demonstrating photos. A number of the projects require basic woodworking skills and tools.

Following the projects are advice sections on using color, buying paints and stains, and choosing and preserving lumber. Instructions are included for creating five different simple finishes and for aging metal and terra cotta. A nice list of suppliers is in the back.

If you're looking to create some great summer projects to spruce up your garden this is the book for you.

1. Cool looking 2. Inexpensive 3. Comparatively easy 4. Unique 5. Creative

and because they use things like old clay pots, polystyrene fish boxes, rope, paint, orange boxes, old garden tool heads, new and old lumber, simple tools, etc. Some projects are quick and easy; some, like the mosaic table top and the garden awning, are more involved. All come with detailed instructions and photographs.

There are bird houses and feeders, fountains, planters, and boxes. I love the boxes. The trug, garden tray, farrier's or herb box, and orange box planter are elegant in a plain and primitive way. Filled with fresh produce, dried herbs and flowers, pots of seedlings or flowers, etc., etc., etc., they would make beautiful gifts. A sundial, weather vane, wind chime, wonderful garden markers, and planters . . . did you ever think of gluing rope to a clay pot? or screwing a clay pot to a clay tile to hang on a wall? These folks did, and more, and the results are beautiful.

The authors finish the book with several pages of instruction or ideas for using color, choosing and using paints and stains, creating simple finishes to protect and age wood, metal, and clay surfaces.