16 Ways To Add Charm To Your Yard And Garden With Rusted Metal

Outdoor spaces, like gardens, offer a wealth of design ideas and inspirations. They span everything from functional items like planters and birdbaths to purely decorative accents that help create a desired aesthetic. Rusted metal, as a material, has a lot of charm, including an antique and vintage vibe that grants a sense of age and story to décor items. This is particularly important in gardens seeking a more rustic or cottage-style feel, or for spaces with a sleeker, industrial look. Rusted metal is a great way to embrace these styles through what you put in your garden, whether it's a cute patinaed birdbath or beautiful hanging lanterns tinged with rust. 

Many metal objects, if untreated with a weatherproof glaze, will begin to rust over time. Others can be furthered by chemical means, like adding lemon juice or mixing a solution of vinegar with hydrogen peroxide. There are also rust and aged brass-colored spray paints available that help achieve an aged look immediately, as well as other paint treatments, like this rust finish kit from Home Depot ($24) – not to mention plenty of hacks for adding faux rust to objects. 

Metal furniture pieces can be some of the most beautiful and enduring ways to outfit your outdoor space. Steel, aluminum, and other metals are not only very durable, but give a fun rustic look to the yards and gardens they occupy. Whether you are working with antique pieces or buy them new with an aged patina, these pieces can be a great way to add a sense of history and charm to patios, porches, or balconies. To add a vintage look to newer metal furniture, use cinnamon and Mod Podge applied with a brush or create faux rust with paints.

Gorgeous old clawfoot tubs may not be usable for bathing once they've began to rust, but consider repurposing your old tub as a large container garden. Place it in your yard and fill it with soil and flowers or shrubs to add a rustic cottage feel to your garden — the more battered the tub the better. While you can use the original drain as a way to drain off water, you can also drill some additional holes into the bottom of the tub to help increase water and air flow in the soil. 

Steel sheeting is a perfect material for retaining walls and perimeters, which only gets more deeply rusted and patinaed with age and exposure. Create raised flower beds with rusted metal as a border or add some embedded into a hilly yard to make levels with plantings. Use a shallow strip of rusted metal around your flower beds instead of unsightly plastic border or fencing for a more a rustic vibe. Corten steel, or weathering steel, is a great choice that provides both durability and a lovely wearing over time.

Metal wall baskets and planters can be a great way to add interest along exterior walls and fences. They can accommodate anything from gardening supplies to flowers and plants, which look gorgeous pouring out of a metal hanging basket. You can purchase rustic metal baskets with a rusted look for indoor or outdoor use at many home goods retailers, or use indoor pieces that will rust over time out in the elements. These baskets are perfect for hanging and climbing plants, particularly when combined with some sort of metal trellis above. 

Old gates or portions of fence can be a pretty way to section off your garden or just add an accent. They can often be found in architectural salvage shops or secondhand through venues like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. The iron finish only gets more richly colored and antiqued over time, with many sporting beautiful scrolls and carvings that make them objects of art in their own right. Place one in your garden as a trellis for climbing flowers or vegetable vines, or hang one on a fence or exterior wall to add some interest. 

Garden décor pieces are plentiful from retail outlets, often melding together primitive rustic metal accents and other materials like tiling, stone, or colored glass. You can also find a wealth of handmade pieces made by craftsman that stick directly into the ground or hang in your garden, reflecting light or color and adding endless personality. Use them mixed among flower beds or as an accent along your front walkway. Designs vary from typical outdoor imagery like animals, celestial symbols, and florals to fun and avant-garde assemblages of upcycled objects. 

A fire pit in your yard is the perfect way to add coziness to your outdoor space. While fire pits come in many materials, including brick and stone, rusted metal containers give off a more rustic and casual look. While many home and outdoor retailers sell ready-made fire pits with a rusted and patinaed finish, you can also create a firepit from a large wok that will age lovingly over time. Place the pan on a fireproof surface, such as a steel cylinder, as a base for the wok to rest on. 

Outdoor hanging racks can be one of the best ways to offer storage for items like grilling tools and garden supplies. Rustic garden hooks are also great for stowing cords and hoses so they up off the ground and don't get tangled. Any metal hook rack can be used outside, where its finish will rust over time. Or, create a hook rack with old wrenches and scrap wood for hanging items. Use full and partial horseshoes for a lucky hanging rack perfect for holding lanterns or hanging baskets outside.

Old iron windows also make great cottage-style trellises for climbing or draping plants. Use them standing in the garden, or hung or placed against a wall or fence. They are a great accent idea if you have a large blank wall and want to visually break up the expanse or create a focal point. These windows can often be found via architectural salvage shops from older buildings where original windows have been replaced or torn out. You can also opt to have a mirror or colored glass cut as a backing for a distinctive piece of garden décor . 

Any metal container can easily be used to hold plants or flowers. Turn an old antique metal basin into a large planter or repurpose old pots and pans to use in your garden. Not only is this an eco-friendly way to keep old cookware out of landfills, but the pieces will usually grow to look more distressed over time, particularly if they have an enamel finish already rusting slightly at the edges. Drill some extra holes in the bottom for drainage before filling with soil and plants or use an old colander as a container. 

You can purchase rusted metal windchimes from home retailers and handmade markets aplenty, or create your own DIY style using everyday objects like old silverware and utensils, metal piping, or other bits of assembled junk. The metal will create a soothing and relaxing sound when moving, but is heavy enough to not blow away or get tangled in high winds. Hang wind chimes off the corner of a porch, or place one hanging on a stick or rail in the garden. For newer metal wind chimes, oxidize them in minutes using a mix of hydrogen peroxide and distilled vinegar. 

The patina of old iron birdbaths can be quite beautiful, giving off flecks of cold, brown, and copper that can look equal parts rustic and luxurious. You can buy a weathered or distressed bird bath from many home retailers and lawn stores or create your own using a metal plate or tray (like a large pie plate) placed atop another object that serves as a base. Great options for bases include metal canisters, barrels, and galvanized buckets, which keep with the rustic look of the bath. 

An old metal bed frame can repurposed into a rustic trellis in your garden perfect for climbing vines and other plants. Many have an abundance of coils and springs that will begin to rust when left in the elements. You can also use an old iron headboard as a trellis or garden accent. Hang the bed springs between two wooden fence posts, or lean them against a wall or fence. Or, create a raised flower bed flanked by a rusted metal head and footboard for a dreamy garden planter box. 

Metal is a great durable material for creating overhead canopies and pergolas that will develop a rich rusted patina over time due to moisture. They will also last much longer than wooden structures with a similar design since they do not swell or deteriorate with age. You can buy a metal pergola from home and garden stores or build one DIY-style from steel beams. You can also create a beautiful garden arbor by cutting and bending pieces of inexpensive rebar into an arched shape and secure the overlaps with wire. 

Galvanized buckets come in a variety of cool shapes and sizes, including sizeable troughs, bins, tubs, and wash basins. When left to moisture, the finish will eventually rust, which provides a beautiful texture and contrast with the original metal. Use them as planters in your garden or makeshift birdbaths. Use long rectangular containers as rustic window boxes or round ones to hold other things like firewood. Place several together in a grouping on a porch or balcony to create a quant container garden that looks both eclectic and put-together. 

Outdoor lighting options are a great way to bring in a touch of rusted metal for a rustic or industrial look. Metal lanterns can be placed on surfaces or hung from garden stakes or wooden poles. Outfit them with real candles, solar, or LED lights. You can also group a bundle of battery-operated fairy lights inside for a soft glow. Look for lanterns that already have a distressed or antiqued finish, or age them yourself using a paint treatment on new lanterns. Place them along walkways, entry points, and to highlight certain garden features.