8 Unique Ways To Reuse Old Tiles In The Garden

If you've ever tried to DIY a tile project, you're most likely familiar with the "buy more than you need" rule of thumb, as tiles inevitably end up broken. But what should you do with the leftover pieces? You could repurpose them into coasters or other home decor — but why stop there? Why not take them outdoors and use them in your garden? We scoured TikTok for clever ways to reuse tiles in the garden and found eight truly awesome projects that don't require expensive tools or extensive DIY skills. 

Whether they're old tiles that have been replaced, broken shards, or just leftover scraps, there are plenty of genius ways to give them new life in your backyard. Say goodbye to a dull garden and grab your glue gun — we're going to enhance its look to ensure your plants and flowers get the most complementary accessories and atmosphere possible. 

Want to give your garden space a little eye candy? Take a tip from this TikTok, and create flower-shaped stepping stones to complement your floralscape. For this project, you'll need octagonal tiles to make the same finished look. Plus, you can take a tip from this video and spray paint them with different colors or add glass stones. While these finished designs are most likely glued together, we wouldn't recommend using them as stepping stones unless you've coated them with a finishing spray, like Rust-Oleum AntiSlip spray.

If you've got at least five symmetrical tiles lying around, why not take a tip from this TikTok and create a plant pot from scratch? This DIY is super easy and does a great job highlighting the need for feet (made with spray-painted corks) to elevate the planter and keep it out of standing water or soil. Not doing so might inevitably break down the glue over time. Make sure to use water-resistant glue for this project; Gorilla makes a Waterproof Polyurethane glue that's fairly cheap (around $12), but some crafters prefer using aquarium sealant.

One thing this TikTok leaves out is the need for drainage holes. While some houseplants can live in containers without drainage, it's much easier to take steps that prevent the soil from getting waterlogged. You could use a drill bit designed for tile or leave sealant off of the joining corners so that there's a natural gap for water to drain. If you decide to just skip sealing the corners, don't make the gaps so big that the structural integrity of the planter gets compromised; a little gap can still make a big difference in removing excess water. Also, if you're worried about soil leaking out of gaps or drill holes, add a couple of mesh pads to cover the holes, like these LE TAUCI 2-inch Flower Pot Hole Mesh Pads.

If you've got leftover tiles that are bigger (like ones used for flooring or showers), you can go even bigger and create raised garden planters like this TikTok shows. The steps are the same as the planter in the previous DIY, but this one doesn't have a bottom, allowing easy drainage. Plus, this video shows how painter's tape can ensure your tiles stay in place while the glue dries, which is awesome since corner clamps are much more expensive than a roll of tape.

There are a few things to consider for a project like this — in particular, the amount of soil and the type of plants. Filling garden beds can take a lot of soil, making the costs add up quickly. Instead, you can add old plastic bottles to the container to act as filler, reducing the amount of soil you'll need. Also, since this planter has no bottom, you'll want to avoid planting invasive plants that spread via underground rhizomes, like mint or certain fast-spreading ground covers.

Need a little rage relief, but an axe-throwing studio or smash room is too far away? Not to worry because this TikTok shows how you can get smashy with leftover tiles and use them to turn a boring pot into a work of art. Make sure to wear eye protection and gloves before taking out your aggression, as tile shards can be extremely sharp. You may also want to lay your design out before gluing it to the pot just to make sure there's a cohesive style you like. However, there's something to be said for just winging it and seeing where your imagination and hot glue gun can take you, so have at it!

Still have large tile pieces and don't need any more planters? This simple DIY has got you covered — convert the tiles into stepping stones for a custom garden path. There's not much here in terms of specifics, so let's break down a few tips for making this successful. In the video, we see them lay tiles down and move them back and forth, which seems to set the tiles in place via friction. If you have small, loose gravel, this might work, but over time, you might experience shifting or sinking tiles, so consider gluing some garden spikes on the underside to give your steps a little staying power. Also, like the garden flower project above, spraying these with a textured finishing spray could help give them a little grip so that they're not slippery after a good rain or humid day. Finally, avoid common mistakes people make installing pavers in yards by considering the long-term maintenance strategy and how you'll keep the space around their edges neat and tidy, especially if you're putting them on grass instead of gravel.

If you've got old, mossy steps to your garden and want to give them a little sprucing up, try doing a mosaic makeover like this TikToker does. She uses grout to set the mosaic pieces into place which may help give them some texture and grip. (We get that we're mentioning slippery tiles a lot, but we want to make sure you're safe!) However, grouting these could result in uneven edges of sharp tile that grabs onto shoes or paws, so you might want to consider pouring a layer of epoxy instead or as a step after grouting, just to ensure feet of all kinds are shard-free. An epoxy coating would also protect the tiles from damage from snow shovels or soccer cleats, keeping your nice design intact. Also, we've got to say it again — adding a once-over of texturizing finishing spray wouldn't hurt and could be a small extra step that makes these beautiful and functional for years to come.

Ever have areas in your yard or garden that are permanent dead zones for plants? Us too, which is why this TikTok stood out so much. It turns that "bleh" eyesore into a beautiful oasis and is brilliant in its simplicity. Like the stepping stone idea, we might suggest gluing garden or landscape spikes to the underside just to prevent them from shifting over time. Also, you might consider setting these in epoxy first and creating one larger mat to prevent weeds from popping through — because you know once you turn a dead spot into something attractive, weeds are suddenly interested in joining the party, too. Once your tile oasis is set up and ready for use, pop a few container plants on it or even a pretty garden bench so that your new spot has just as much function as form. Plus, who doesn't love an excuse for why they need to buy more potted plants?

This TikTok is like the culmination of all the other videos because it turns broken tiles into a greenhouse floor that's perfect for keeping your feet out of mud and soil while giving a little aesthetic appeal. In the video, the gardener seems to just wiggle them a little into the ground to keep them in place, which seems easy enough. One thing you might want to do, especially for big pieces like this where epoxying a large floorspace is a little too much to ask, is sand the edges down before setting them in the dirt so sharp edges never catch the underside of your shoes. You might lose some of the organic shapes, but these pointy bits might wear off over time anyhow, so save yourself the cut rubber soles now. Also, while the TikToker used just one tile design, this would be the perfect place to mix and match different tiles to create a vibrant floor that makes your plant chores all the more enjoyable to do.