Upcycle A Common Garden Tool Into Unique Front Door Decor With A DIY

For centuries, people have decorated their front doors with wreaths made of fresh greenery, a practice that has evolved to include low-maintenance artificial wreaths. Today, homeowners are expanding their options and turning to gorgeous wreath alternatives for their front doors — wicker baskets, wooden welcome plaques, even a pair of children's rain boots filled with flowers. If you're looking for a unique DIY for your front door, fill an upcycled watering can with styrofoam and artificial flowers for year-round decor.

This is a brilliant way to repurpose a watering can, but even if you don't have one on hand, they are relatively inexpensive, especially if you can thrift one. A plastic one is ideal because it's lightweight and won't scratch up your front door. Find a foam block or ball, like this Dollar Tree Floral Foam Ball, that fits into the watering can but also sits slightly above the opening to give you more space to work with. Apply hot glue where the foam meets the plastic to keep it securely in place.

Now that the foundation of the project is complete, you can get creative. Fill the foam with artificial floral stems, keeping in mind the basics of flower arranging. Decide on the shape of your display —  compact and small, dramatic and commanding, or soft and cascading. Is your color scheme monochromatic and classy or vibrant and funky? Choose large, eye-catching blooms that demand attention, then configure smaller pieces around that, mixing up texture and movement. 

For a year-round arrangement, apply hot glue to the floral stems before inserting them into the foam. To tailor the arrangement for different seasons and themes, skip the glue. Display pastel flowers and miniature birds in spring, bright-colored butterflies and bold florals in summer, warm-toned foliage and pumpkin sprays in fall, and red berries with snow-tinted greenery in winter. 

Add whimsy by adding strands of beads to resemble water spilling from the spout. Note that this step needs to be done before you glue the foam on, since you'll need access to the inside of the can. String beads onto fishing line, leaving at least 12 inches of line beyond the beads. Tie the open end of the string to a tapestry needle, and put the needle through a spout hole. Remove the needle from the fishing line and tie the line to a nail or other heavy object that will stay inside the watering can. Repeat these steps until you have several strands of glittery beads dangling from the spout, with the opposite ends attached to the nail inside the can.

To hang the can, stick with one of these fool-proof ways to hang decor without making holes in your door. Create a loop with decorative ribbon or twine at the top handle of the watering can, and then hang it from an over-the-door or suction hook. You can also position the can at a tilt and hang the side handle from a wreath hanger.