Upcycled Fountain Ideas: Tips For DIY Water Features

Upcycling is all the rage for furniture and indoor accessories, but why not for outdoors? A water feature is a great way to add more interest to your garden space, as well as the delightful sound of flowing, tinkling water. Hit the local flea market or mine your own garden shed to make upcycled water features.

Ideas for a Recycled Water Feature

This is a great DIY project for anyone who likes to tinker with materials and put them together to make something new. Sure, you can buy a fountain from the nursery or garden store, but how much rewarding would it be to make your own creative version. Here are some ideas for old materials you can turn into DIY water features:

• Stack galvanized steel buckets and tubs, barrels, watering cans, or old flower pots you don’t need any more to make a cascading fountain.
• Make a similar water fountain using old kitchen implements, like antique tea kettles, tea pots, or colorful wine bottles.
• Tip an old glass patio table top on its side or use an antique French door to make a modern-looking water wall feature in the garden or on a patio.
• Create a small pond with a fountain out of an old canoe, wheelbarrows, or an antique trunk.
• Try some truly unique features made out of an old upright piano, a beat up old tuba, or an antique farmhouse sink.

What You Need for Upcycled Fountains

To make your own garden fountain or pond requires some basic tools and a little background knowledge. Most importantly you need a small water fountain pump. You can find this at a garden store, usually solar powered so that it will run without an outside power source. You will also need some tools and materials in addition to the unique item you plan to turn into the feature. Depending on how you want to build it, you may need a drill to make holes, metal rods, washers, and nuts to thread different parts together, adhesive, and waterproofing materials to line your fountain or pond. The best part about making upcycled water features is that you have the freedom to be really creative. The sky is the limit, so go to the flea market or antique mall with your imagination and a little bit of cash.