20 Dollar Store Garden DIY Projects

Between pulling weeds, pruning trees and watering your prized blooms — there’s never a shortage of things to do to keep your garden in tip-top shape. Even so, there’s something special about breaking away from the outdoor chores and pouring your energy into creative garden projects for a change. Feed your creative spirit and infuse your garden with personality with the help of our favorite dollar store DIY projects. We’re sharing 20+ inspiring projects you can recreate at home using inexpensive and upcycled materials, including cinderblocks, a plastic trash can, laundry baskets, your kid’s forgotten sandbox and more. Read on to find the best DIY garden project for you to tackle this weekend.

Transform the long-neglected dresser and mirror in your attic into the potting bench of your dreams with the help of fresh paint, pegboard and elbow grease. Follow our lead and coat your dresser in a jaunty blue hue, or cut costs by using leftover paint currently collecting dust in your garage. Find the in-depth instructions on refinishing the dresser and replacing the mirror with an inexpensive pegboard to create a custom organizer for your gardening supplies in the link below.

Display your prized potted posies on your porch on our simple but stylish cinder block plant stand. All you need to recreate this budget-friendly design is six cinderblocks, outdoor spray paint and wood board. Build yours this weekend using our step-by-step construction guide in the link below.

Don't let your fire pit burn out this summer! Keep logs on hand with our contemporary cinderblock firewood stack. All you need to recreate it at home is two cinderblocks, four 1x4 boards and five minutes to spare. Find the steps to construct your stack in the link below.

Bring farmhouse flair to your front porch with shiplap-inspired planters forged from inexpensive plastic trash cans. Recreate the rustic design with a dollar store square or rectangle trash can, brown spray paint, construction adhesive, salvaged lath boards and a high-temperature hot glue gun. Click the link below for our in-depth instructions and step-by-step photos to help you along the way.

Swap your standard downspout for our glamorous (and surprisingly inexpensive) terra-cotta rain chain. The eye-catching gutter alternative works overtime, serving as a chic outdoor accessory and delivering much-needed water to flower beds below. All you need to get started are nine mini terra-cotta pots, a 12’ gold chain, mini s-hooks, a terra-cotta saucer and outdoor paint in the color of your choice. Find our easy-to-follow instructions for how to string your rain chain together, including photos to guide you every step of the way, in the link below.

Treat your feathered friends to new stylish digs with color-blocked wooden bird houses. You can build your aviary abodes following our step-by-step guide below or scoop up inexpensive wood houses online. From there, choose up to four paint colors in punchy or pastel hues and saturate the birdhouses in a color blocked fashion. Pro tip: Nab the same cohesive look of our vibrant village by assigning each paint color to alternate between roofs and walls. Here, we applied turquoise to one birdhouse roof and two walls and marigold to two birdhouse walls and one roof. Use the same formula to disperse your colors for a harmonious look.

Transform two metal hanging planters into a cottage-style topiary base for climbing vines or blooms. You can use an urn-style planter you already own as your base to cut costs or thrift one off your go-to online marketplace. Use two metal hanging baskets, flexible wire and black electrical tape to create the charming topiary topper. Learn how to fasten the pieces and recreate a lush, overgrown look for your porch in our easy step-by-step guide in the link below.

If you’re looking for a reason (excuse) to buy more plants, there’s no better one than spending an afternoon crafting concrete planters that require filling. These contemporary planters add style to your garden and are easy to make with silicone planter molds or plastic containers recycled from your kitchen. Grab the materials list for shopping and follow our step-by-step instructions in the link below.

Transform your kitchen scraps into rich, nutrient-dense compost to fuel your garden year-round with our DIY Worm Compost Bin. This budget- and environmentally-friendly project leads to a happy harvest and is a surefire way to get your nature-loving little one involved in the garden. All you need to start your family’s foray into vermicomposting is a durable UV-resistant plastic container with a lid, a drill with a ¼-inch drill bit, a piece of scrap wood, moistened bedding mixture (dried leaves or shredded newspaper will do), soil and — you guessed it — worms. Red-wiggler worms, to be exact. Not all worms are up for the job, but red-wigglers are happy to live in confinement and munch on decaying goodies.

Give your old garden hose a new lease on life with the help of this crafty DIY harvest basket project. All you need to make your own is a used or new 50-foot garden hose, 100 8-inch zip ties and your trustiest pair of scissors. From there, follow our step-by-step instruction guide below to weave your hose into a sturdy, weather-proof basket for gathering garden veggies and blooms throughout the year.

Turn your surplus bamboo into something beautiful with this bohemian wind chime project. To make it, all you need is around 10 feet of dried bamboo, twine, a fine toothed saw and a drill. Get step-by-step instructions on how to cut your bamboo to size and string the pieces to recreate this tranquil design for your garden in the link below.

Large planters often come with a price tag to match their heft. Make a statement on your porch with an oversized planter brimming with blooms — without breaking the bank — with this clever hack. Upcycle an old plastic laundry basket into a rope-lined planter using jute rope, a high-temperature hot glue gun, a plastic drop cloth and a drill and bit. Find our step-by-step guide to recreate this summery stunner in the link below.

Turn a galvanized bucket into a streamlined garden hose organizer in your shed or garage. Recreate this sleek setup by drilling a hole in the bottom of your bucket and securing the base flush against your wall. Wind your hose around the bucket exterior to keep it within reach between watering sessions.

Keep your hose within reach where you need it the most — in the garden! Our DIY Garden Hose Storage Stand project is easy to complete with a weather-treated pine post, garden hooks and hanging planters. Gather supplies and follow our guide below to install your hose stand this weekend.

Path lights can be pricey, but these luminaries prove you don’t need to splurge to bring ambiance to your outdoor space. Get your glow on and bring coastal style to your yard with our summer-ready glass jar lanterns. The easy-to-make lanterns come together in an afternoon using 18-gauge wire, glass mason jars, frosted sea glass, LED flickering tea lights and small glass votive holders. Find our in-depth materials list and instructions to make your sea glass lanterns in the link below.

Mark your garden goodies with hand-painted labels. Start with large, smooth river rocks as your canvas. Use acrylic paint pens and detail brushes to illustrate and label each stone to reflect the plants in your bed. Not an artist? Fret not, friend. Your illustration doesn’t need to be perfect to bring charm to your garden.

Transform thrifted teacups into an elevated eatery for your feathered friends. This elegant bird feeder project brings a touch of storybook charm to your outdoor space, and it's easier to make than you think. Use permanent glue to attach a china teacup on its side to a matching saucer. When the glue is well set, fill the cup with feed and secure the feeder to a branch with a ribbon or metal chain threaded through the teacup handle. Pro tip: Choose a ribbon color that coordinates with the teacup pattern or a gold chain to match gilt accents for a cohesive look.

Usher Old European style to your garden patio with whitewashed terra cotta pots. Terracotta pots sporting this sought-after, sun-bleached finish go for big bucks in stores but you can achieve the same airy look and storied charm on the cheap with just three things: white acrylic paint, a paint brush and paper towels. Follow our tutorial below to speed up the aging process on your existing terra cotta planters or snag a few stoneware pots at the dollar store to start from scratch.

Turn dollar store baskets into a cascading container garden that brings lush color and vibrancy to your garden patio. Start with five inexpensive metal baskets and give them a polished finish with a quick coat of spray paint in your favorite color. Then, follow our tutorial below to connect the baskets with chains, s-hooks and a carabiner before filling them with dry moss and trailing plants.