A water feature can be an incredibly delightful, beautiful touch for any yard, and they can be added on almost any budget if you’re willing and able to do some DIY magic and recycle some goods.
The following ideas can help you find the perfect water feature for your space, budget, and skill level if you just look through them. You’ll find fountains, waterfalls, ponds, and so much more made from some of the most unexpected recycled materials.
Hopefully, one of them will do the trick for you.
Table of Contents
Rock Cairn Fountain
Whether you’re into Asian culture or not, you might find this rock cairn water fountain DIY a delightful option for an affordable, doable DIY project. Just follow the instructions for a moderately easy project you can whip up on a weekend.
Koi Pond
If you’ve got a little space and a penchant for caring for critters, you might want to add a relaxing koi pond to your outdoor space. If done right, you don’t even need that much space and won’t have to spend much cash to make one.
Urn Fountain
An extremely popular water feature is the simple urn fountain. These can be made using recycled materials and not a lot of energy. Follow this tutorial for the simple weekend project.
Waterwall
A waterfall made from simple materials can be whipped up on a weekend and enjoyed as a relaxing backdrop for your meditation space or the back patio.
Stone-Imitating Concrete Pond and Fountain
For a beautiful faux stone fountain and pond, it won’t require that much energy, space, or money to build. Follow the Family Handyman tutorial for a project that should run you under $200 but look like it costs four times that to have installed.
Wine Bottle Fountain
If you’re a fan of wine and would love to share that hobby with the world, consider making a wine bottle fountain from that collection of empties you’ve been collecting. Follow the simple tutorial for the weekend project.
Colorful Slate Stone Waterwall
If you love the waterfall idea but want something other than plywood, you could craft this gorgeous slate stone waterfall from this tutorial for HGTV. It’s gorgeous and, if done right, will look super expensive, though it won’t cost nearly what you’d think.
One-Day Rocky Water Feature
For a super easy, single-day project, consider crafting this beautiful, simple rocky water fountain feature. It’s small and works great in almost any kind of outdoor space, plus it’s safe for families with young kids since the water doesn’t collect into a standard pool.
Flowerpot Fountain
If you love the elegance of a raised, multi-tiered water fountain, you can use this flowerpot fountain tutorial to build your own. If you’re crafty enough, you can tweak the DIY to accommodate more tiers than the tutorial suggests as well, allowing you to make the fountain as big or as small as you want.
Recycled Tire Pond
This unique DIY uses old tires – from tractor tires to cars – to create a pond for almost any size of space. Use the basic concepts to create your perfect water feature, but tweak the details to fit your style.
Galvanized Pot Fountain
For this one, you’ll need to scroll down just a hint. The second idea on the page is for using an old galvanized tub, watering can, and other galvanized materials to craft a wall-mountain fountain. Use the concepts for a similar fountain or tweak with your ideas, like a teapot instead of a watering can or something else.
Recycled Glass Tabletop Waterwall
This one, I absolutely love! You’ll use an old glass tabletop from a coffee table or patio table to craft a beautiful waterfall! Follow the tutorial for a moderately easy weekend project for your new water feature.
Inexpensive Flowerpot Fountain
Another project using flowerpots to craft a fountain is this one from HGTV. The tutorial is a great reference point for many DIY projects, so even if you decide to do something else, I’d still recommend reading it. You will have a more solid idea of the tools you’ll need for making a flower pot fountain.
Wheelbarrow Waterfall
Here’s a moderate skill-level project that is just so much fun. It’s the perfect way to repurpose an old wheelbarrow, too, for a gorgeous, fun, and unique waterfall. Follow along with the tutorial for a weekend project.
Three-Tier Pot Fountain
This one’s a truly stunning flowerpot fountain I’d highly recommend. Be sure to find some beautiful pots you’ll love looking at for a long time because this thing is built to last. Bonus: it’s quick and easy, and almost anyone with a few handy skills can make it.
Easy Fountain Pot
For those a little less DIY savvy, this easy fountain pot is a great project to make for your new backyard water feature. Follow the simple instructions for a super-fast, super easy fountain for almost any outdoor space.
7-Step Backyard Stream
For those looking for a more elaborate project, this beautiful backyard stream is perhaps the way to go. If I had the space, it would certainly be my go-to! You’ll just need to follow seven steps to craft it.
Concrete Bubbler
If you can get your hands on an old globe, you can create yourself this beautiful, simple concrete bubbler fountain for your backyard or front lawn. Read the tutorial and see if this reasonably simple water feature might be the right choice for you.
Three-Tiered Thrift Store Fountain
All right, so I absolutely love this one! This unique fountain tutorial shows you how to take random stuff from thrift stores and Freecycle and turn it into a real, beautiful, unique working fountain. DIYing, recycling, and thrifting in one? You have my attention.
Low Maintenance Rock Pond and Waterfall
If you’re interested in a beautiful water feature but don’t want a lot of maintenance, consider this option from Family Handyman. This gorgeous, moderately easy rocky waterfall/miniature pond is an eye-catcher!
Bubbler Pot Fountain
For a simple, beautiful water feature you can easily place anywhere, consider this two-pot bubbler fountain. It won’t take long to make and only needs two pots, some tubing, gravel, and a pump.
Copper Chain Waterfall
If you’re into Zen gardens and soothing spaces for meditation and reflection, this DIY copper chain “waterfall” might be a great choice for you. This beautiful project won’t take long to make and adds a lot of atmosphere in a small package.
Wine Barrel Fountain
If you can get your hands on a wine barrel, this might be a great project for your backyard space. The rustic but elegant, chic project won’t require that much work but will surely add a lot of ambiances!
Small Stone Pond and Fountain
Here’s a step-by-step fountain and pond DIY tutorial using slate rocks and simple designs. It’s an absolutely gorgeous result that will fit in most yards and looks like it cost loads of cash to have installed.
Overflow Pot Garden Fountain
Another simple flowerpot garden fountain is this overflowing fountain that uses a few simple supplies and won’t take more than an hour or two to make.
