DIY Lawn Decorations

Wooden Lawn Ornaments

• Create your own plywood cutouts for lawn decoration. Use common holiday symbols and characters such as Santa Claus, reindeer, pumpkins, and ghosts. Choose seasonal garden accents like ladybugs, sunflowers and vegetables. Once you have picked out a design, outline it on the plywood and cut it out. Sand off all of the edges for safety. Apply a primer before painting the cutout. Use permanent marker for detailing, making the lines heavier so they can be seen from far away. Cut a stake with one pointed end (cut at a 45-degree angle), which can be secured in the ground to hold up the cutout character.

Unique Planters

• Create unique planters with recycled and found objects. As long as the item can last in weather, hold dirt, and be made to drain water, it can probably be used as a planter. Hollow out a tree stump and fill it with potting soil and flowers. Plant herbs and flowers in an old watering can, wheelbarrow, boot, sink or toilet bowl.

Wind Chimes

• Fill your yard with the music of a homemade wind chime. For a more uniform-looking wind chime, use all of one material (bamboo, metal pipe) cut to various lengths. For something a little more offbeat, forks, spoons, shells, coins and other found objects can all create unique sounds. Drill holes through a length of wood and tie your objects at various heights along the wood. Alternatively, form a hoop with a length of sturdy wire and hang the objects in a circular shape. Hang your chimes from a tree branch.