How to Make Yard Art Out of Corrugated Tin

Old corrugated tin can be recycled to make whimsical yard art for your home landscape.

Using recycled materials to make yard art exhibits resourcefulness and can add a touch of whimsy to any landscape. Projects such as these help to cut down on waste in landfills. Corrugated tin can be salvaged and reused to make a wide variety of yard art decorations, limited only by the artist's imagination. Look for sheets of corrugated tin from scrap metal dealers, old barns, roofing companies or a neighbor who might have a supply. Corrugated tin can be cut with tin snips to create various shapes and sizes from a single large sheet.

Instructions

1. Paint a mural on a piece of corrugated tin and display it on a wall around your patio.

2. Frame squares of corrugated tin with wood to create large panels that can be used to make a privacy fence. Frame the tin to face different directions, use rusted and shiny pieces, and paint some of them to add variety to the fence.

3. Mount a piece of corrugated tin to a rock wall or fence, install a piece of tubing with holes to the top and place a small tub or pool at the base of the tin. Hook the structure up to a water pump to create a unique water feature; use galvanized metal to prevent rust, or let the tin rust over time so the brown, orange and red colors can be seen through the water.

4. Cut the tin into a flower, watering can or other garden-themed shape and then paint the design. This art is ideal for display on fences or the side of sheds and houses.

5. Bend the tin into a cylinder shape to use as the body for a Tin Man garden sculpture. Use a metal watering can or teapot for the head, rusted pipes for arms and legs and coiled wire to make hair.

6. Paint corrugated tin squares with pictures or plant names to use as garden markers. Hang the signs on wooden or metal fence posts.

7. Draw a simple design, such as a flower or leaf, on a large corrugated tin panel, then punch out an outline with a hammer and nails, leaving small holes to form the picture. Hang the panel to create a privacy screen for a patio; the design can be viewed when sunlight filters through or a spotlight is shined on it at night. Make garden lanterns in the same way, with smaller sheets of tin rolled into a cylinder.

8. Roll sheets of corrugated tin into cylinders and bolt them together to hold the shape. Place potted plants on the top of the cylinder for an easy plant pedestal with an industrial look.

Tips & Warnings

• Use an exterior paint designed for painting on metal.

• Always wear gloves when working with corrugated tins so you don't get cut by the sharp edges.

References

• Landscaping Network: 10 Tips for Using Recycled Materials in Your Landscaping; Sarah Tate
• "Fine Gardening"; Make Your Own Easy Garden Lanterns; Michelle Gervais
• Phil the Gardener: Garden Art: Tips to Recycle Old Junk