DIY Lawn Ornaments

Turn old junk into new planters. Place flowers, succulents or other small plants in ratty old sneakers. Drill small holes for drainage in an antique clawfoot tub and grow a hedge out of it. Stack old pots in a pyramid to grow a cascade of flowers in your yard. Anything that can hold dirt and has holes for drainage can function as a planter.

Hang colored pieces of cloth for decoration. Tie several colored ribbons to a long piece of twine and tie the twine between two trees. Alternately, hang a string of maritime signal flags, flags of the world or other unusual banners. If you have kids, cut up an old white sheet and paint your own flags as a family activity.

Make your own rustic decorative lawn signs. Draw a design or a phrase such as "gone fishin'" on a board with a pen and burn it in using a wood burning tool. Nail it to a wooden pole about 4 feet high and push the pole into the lawn.

Bend thick wire into a basic animal shape such as a butterfly or rabbit and twist the ends together where they meet using long-nosed pliers. Twist thinner pieces of wire around the frame and bend them to make eyes, antennae and other shapes. Glue your animal to a stick or wrap wires around the animal and the stick to attach it. Place the stick into the ground.