Crafty Gadgets & Gear For The Garden

DIY Seed Tape: Makes planting easier when you have teeny tiny seeds that need to be planted just inches apart or present as a nice gift to gardeners.

Planter’s Yardstick: Simply cut notches every 6 inches (deeper cuts at each foot) and then use the board to space seeds and bedding plants at appropriate distances.

Magnetic Organizer: Great idea! Once the magnets are sewn into the gloves, attach them to a metal work-pail (to tote around hand tools/supplies) or attach them to each other through a belt loop or apron tie.

Pretty Gloves: Is it hard to find garden gloves that fit just-right? Try sewing your own with this pattern, free pdf download.

Laundry Table With Glow Light: If you have trouble finding space to grow seedlings (with the necessary light), this might just be the answer for you.

Mosaic Art: There is a picture gallery featuring six different garden art pieces to inspire you and some of the items they’ve used are pretty creative: garden shovel blades, hand trowels, watering cans and more.

Tool Caddy: With less than a yard of oilcloth and some simple sewing, you can have a pretty way to carry your trowel, cultivator, pruners, and gloves.

Toolbelt Roll-Up: Sewing tutorial. Easy project to keep your gardening tools handy.

Homemade Seed Planter: Made with PVC pipe and bits of hardware, use with medium to large-sized seeds (like beans, peas, etc.).

Glowing Orbs: Made with opaque glass shades (you can find these easily at thrift shops and garage sales) and stuffed with mini Christmas lights.

DIY Seed Mats: Similar idea to the seed tape project above except these are larger mats made with paper napkins and a bit of water soluble glue. Clever!

Bowling Ball Bugs: So cute! Paint old bowling balls in a cute ladybug design (or anything else you like).

Firewood Sling Tutorial: Clever project transforming a large canvas tote that makes it easy to haul firewood and other yard bits.

Tools Hideaway: Neat idea for keeping hand tools at your fingertips, store them in a converted wooden mailbox tucked in a flower bed (sits atop a wooden post).

Garden Journal How-To: Keep track of labels, clippings, seed packets, garden plans and more using basic office supplies (3-ring binder, vinyl pouches and tabbed dividers).

20 Summer Garden Crafts: Some really lovely projects, most are very simple to make and can easily be done on a weekend afternoon.

Bucket Apron: Designed to fit around a 5-gallon pail and allows you to carry tools, seeds, and marking pens through the garden, filling the bucket with weeds or harvested herbs or carrying fertilizers to spread in the soil.

Veggie Hod: Use this basket to gather veggies from the garden then turn the hose on to rinse them off.

DIY Thumb-Controlled Watering Pot: Here’s a nifty project using that upcycles plastic jugs into a handy tool for the garden.

DIY Compost Screener: Designed to sit on top of a wheelbarrow, made with framing lumber, galvanized hardware cloth, 1/2″ square mesh, deck screws and staples.

DIY Sprinkler: Made with 1/2″ PVC pipe, t-joint, connector, elbow joints and PVC cement. You’ll also need a good cutting tool and a drill.

DIY Cement Mushrooms: Cute little guys that you can make in a rainbow of colors, simple supplies needed.

DIY Fruit Crates: Repurposed from wooden pallets, these are nice for gathering and storing freshly picked produce.

DIY Blinged Hose Guides: A handy gadget to project plants while you drag the hose around, made with a vintage glass door knob and $2 metal poles.

Plant Cage: Have trouble with deer, rabbits, rodents, etc.? Here’s a way you can protect plants while still allowing them to grow in full sun.

DIY Berry Picker: Made out of PVC pipe and heat is used to shape the plastic (two fingers at the end do the picking).

DIY Solar Dehydrator: A simple design made with a wood box, black paint and a sheet of perspex (glass or thin plastic can be substituted). Here’s another version to check out.

Worm Tubes: The idea is to stick these in the ground and stuff with kitchen scraps to attract worms. Holes are drilled into PVC drain pipes.

Tools Rack Plans: This will hold 30 garden tools in about four square feet.

Planting Grids Guide: Attach plastic tubes to rake tines (evenly spaced).