Easy-to-Make Garden Ornaments That Won't Cost Money

Mushroom Tables and Toadstools

• Make seats and side tables worthy of the most discriminating wood elf by toe-nailing sections of large-diameter dead-fall trees to medium-diameter logs. Toe-nailing is usually used when nailing vertical framing lumber, known as studs, to horizontal framing lumber, known as the sole plate and top plate, as seen in the cross-section of a wall frame at the Info for Building website.

  Use 4- to 6-inch-thick log cross sections with a minimum 24-inch diameter for side tables, 36 inches for pub tables and 60-inch diameters for kitchen tables. Remove loose bark and sand all flat surfaces to the desired finish. Apply food-grade oil treatments to tables that might be used to prepare foods. Seal all other tables with three to six coats of clear acrylic wood treatment.

  Select a base that is one-fourth to one-third the diameter of the tabletop for best results. Lay the table so that the top is against the ground or floor, with a firm surface beneath. Center the base as accurately as you can by "eyeballing." Because you are dealing with natural items, a slight variance from the true center is not going to throw the piece too far off-balance. Once it is centered, drive nails diagonally into the base and down through the table top.

"Quilled" Sheet-Metal Snail

• If you have ever done any paper quilling, you already understand the basic concept of rolling and pinching thin sheets of something until it looks the way you want it to look. The difference between bending aluminum flashing and quilling paper is a factor of material strength and ductility. Ductility is the ability to bend and spread without creasing, cracking or breaking and to hold the new shape once any applied force is removed, according to the Key to Metals database.

  Rolled aluminum flashing is available at most building and remodeling supply outlets. It it usually sold in 24-inch-wide, 50-feet long rolls, or you may find a roofing contractor who will sell you his leftovers at a discount.

  Snails and frogs are two shapes that can be recreated using simple coils and curves. Sketch the basic shape, including all the curves and creases you intend to use to bring your vision to life. Unroll the flashing and repeat every bend, flat run and curve you drew.

Rod-Stock Plant Supports

• If you have a propane torch, heavy leather work gloves and a large pair of vise grips you can heat 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch diameter steel rods to cherry red and twist them into plant supports. Whether you want a simple shepherd's crook or any other shape, make sure your rods are long enough to twist into all the desired curves while still being long enough to be useful. For example, if you want a 4-foot tall shepherd's crook with a 12-inch drop after a 3-inch arc, you should begin with a 63-inch length of rod stock.

  Sketch your design and practice making each curve several times, using heavy-gauge wire or metal coat hangers, before you heat your steel. Wear wraparound eye protection and keep a large, fully-charged ABC fire extinguisher within fingertip reach at all times while heating your steel.

  Place your steel rod in a bench vise. Light the torch and run the tip of the flame along one section of rod at a time, making all needed bends as you move along the rod. Allow the steel to cool back to room temperature before removing it from the vise. The steel will go from cherry to black in color as it cools. Black-hot steel is over 1000 degrees F, according to the steel-heat color chart, so do not handle it for at least 30 to 60 minutes.