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12 Rustic Rusted Metal Projects for Your Backyard

November 12, 2015 by Jenny 1 Comment

Last updated on June 11th, 2021 at 05:10 pm

Incorporating art into your garden is becoming all the rage and for good reason. Rusted metal fixtures look great in any backyard, giving it a rustic, antique feel. Here are 12 incredible rusted metal backyard DIY projects that you can make.

DIY yard projects, rusted metal yard projects, DIY rusted metal yard projects, popular pin, DIY backyard projects, lawn ornament ideas, garden edging.
Contents
1 Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Lawn Edging
2 Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Firepit
3 Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Flower Pots
4 Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Fountain
5 Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Art
6 Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Pergola

Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Lawn Edging

Rusted Metal Edging

Rusted metal edging is a great way to edge your garden while adding a great rustic feel. Pick up the metal needed for the project at Home Depot, and just make sure that you measure correctly before installing.

Metal Piping Edging

For another great variation on rusted metal edging, we recommend using galvanized pipe. Cut the pipe so that they are a few inches differing in height and then stick them into the ground with the holes facing up. Fill with gravel, and then plant succulents in the tops of the reclaimed industrial piping to create a gorgeous contrast.

Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Firepit

Fire Pit

A fire pit is a backyard summer staple. They are great for entertaining and look incredible when built the correct way. To create one in your own backyard, use an old metal container cut to fit around your firepit.

Fire Torches

Bring light into your backyard with an incredible rusted metal torch. Not only will this solve any lighting problems that you might be dealing with in your yard, but they look gorgeous, too. Purchase them on Houzz.

Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Flower Pots

Planters

If you are looking for smaller, more subtle rusted metal touches, turn an old metal chair into a fabulous piece of garden art. All you need to do is replace the seat with a planter and sit back and wait for Mother Nature to do what she does best!

Flower Pails

Instead of throwing out your old steel pails, hang them on your fence and plant a gorgeous array of flowers inside of each one of them. Even if the pails are not yet rusted, you just need a little rain they will be soon! Fill your pails with gorgeous, sweet-smelling flowers like Lavender, Phlox, and more.

Old Car Planter

Visit your local junkyard to find great rusted metal bumpers. The older and more rusted, the better it looks. Fill the bumpers with plants and other pieces of greenery to give your yard a rustic, but totally chic look.

Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Fountain

Rusted Metal Fountain

Use stainless steel piping (painted to look rusty) to create an overhead shower for your garden. Whether your kids use it to play, or you use it to water your plants, this is sure to be a statement-making piece.

Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Art

Old Shovel Art

This is an idea that requires a little bit more effort and artistic ability. Use the metal part of an old shovel (remove the handle) and other old pieces of metal to create pieces of art. You could even turn it into something clever like the face of an owl! Hang or display anywhere you feel needs an artistic touch.

Use Old Tools

Instead of tossing that old shovel, you left in the garden last spring, use it as decoration. Hang your rusty tools on a piece of pallet wood for a unique decoration anyone is sure to love.

Horseshoe Sculpture

Another terrific idea for the artistically inclined. Use old horseshoes to create a wonderful sculpture. Feel free to make an animal, a nature scene, and more. And you don’t even have to only use horseshoes. Feel free to use anything that you think would be amazing to pull off this DIY project.

Rusted Metal Backyard DIY: Pergola

Backyard Pergola

Looking for a bit more of a modern feel for your backyard? Creating a DIY pergola out of reclaimed metal can help you create that vibe! You’ll want to build it just like you would a wooden pergola (use our tutorial, found here), but use pieces of metal instead.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2015 and has been updated in August 2020 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Filed Under: Outdoor Living, Outdoor DIY Tagged With: DIY, backyard, projects, outdoor living

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. H Johnson says

    May 20, 2020 at 2:01 am

    I love the creativity!!!

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Jenny Wallentine, a Certified Master Gardener, and lover of all things outdoors! My mission with beesandroses.com is to help you find useful, practical solutions to all of your gardening challenges--and help you love it as much as I do. I’ve come across many helpful tips and tricks to make gardening more enjoyable and more productive. You can learn how to layout your garden for a better yield, use a variety of natural pest controls, the “ins and outs” of organic gardening, and much more.

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