37 Decorative Garden Wagons Ideas
Creating the décor of a garden is not always easy, but fortunately, there are numerous old objects you can transform into attractive and original decorative elements. Garden wagons are some of these objects. Whether we talk about red garden carts, wooden or steel wagons, these old objects can transform into beautiful decorations.
On the other hand, garden wagons can be transformed into decorative objects to place not only in the garden but also in your house.
In need of some inspiration? Take a look at these 37 decorative garden wagons ideas to beautify your garden and home!
1. Old Wooden Wagon
If you live in a countryside cottage, it would be a wonderful idea to beautify your outdoor space with the rustic remains of an old wooden wagon. Make sure to choose a wagon with intact wheels and place two large wooden beams on the length of the wagon.
Place two or three rustic barrels on top of the beams and use them as planters for colorful perennials. To complete the décor, surround the wagon by a pile of straws and place a few terracotta garden statues on and next to the wagon.
2. Distressed Red Wagon
Red garden wagons can be easily transformed into beautiful decorations. But you can use a distressed red wagon for both decorative and functional purposes.
Leave the rusted wagon as it is but make sure to put new wheels on it. Use the distressed red wagon as a container when picking your crops. To create a cozy corner during autumn, fill the wagon with apples or pumpkins and let the fruit or vegetables ripe in the sun.
3. Wagon Wheel Garden
A miniature garden is always a good idea. Whether you want to create a centerpiece in a flowerbed or a miniature garden in the center of a coffee table, you can use an old wagon wheel.
If you want to make a miniature garden for the indoors, use a suitable wooden box and fill it with potting soil. Place the wagon wheel inside the box and use the spokes of the wheel as guidelines to sow the seeds. A nice idea is to use miniature succulents and cactuses, arranging them in a fantasy composition.
This type of miniature garden can be placed anywhere, indoors or outdoors.
4. Wooden Cart
If you have an old wooden cart, don’t dispose of it. Recondition the cart, place it on a few sturdy wooden beams and use it as a planter for colorful perennials. Alternatively, you can use a wooden cart to create an original square foot garden.
Regardless of your choice, make sure to treat the inside of the cart with a waterproof coating and to make a few drainage holes. This treatment will keep your plants healthy and the cart in good conditions for a really long time.
5. Wall Mounted Shelves
Red garden carts, or any steel or plastic cart, as a matter of fact, can be transformed into original pieces of furniture to place in your patio, shed, or next to the garden table.
To make a couple of original shelves, use the trays of a few garden carts and mount them on the wall. The shelves can be mounted both indoors and outdoors and they can be used for multiple purposes. For example, you can place them on the kitchen’s wall and use them to keep your spices or other kitchen essentials.
Mounted on the outside walls of the house, these shelves can be used to display some of your most valuable flower pots.
6. Light Wooden Wagon
Who said you have to use old garden wagons to create original decorations? On the market, there are available numerous models of light wooden wagons designed specifically to decorate outdoor spaces.
You can choose a light wooden wagon with a vintage aspect or a brand new one. Regardless of the choice, you can use it to display some flower pots, to create a miniature garden, or even to use as a gardening table. The options are endless!
7. Wagon Wheel Chandelier
If all you have is an old wagon wheel, you can transform it into an original chandelier. It would be ideal to use a wooden wheel and you can fix the light bulbs in correspondence to the wheel’s spokes.
This type of chandelier can beautify your porch or the living room if you live in a countryside cottage. To enhance the beauty of the composition, fix the chandelier to the ceiling using a sturdy and slightly rusted chain. For a contemporary and modern effect, use steel wire to hang the chandelier above the dining table.
8. Miniature Wagon Planter
A miniature garden wagon is still a garden wagon you can use to decorate your garden, terrace, or porch. There are dozens of models of miniature wagons but for a traditional touch, choose a miniature wooden wagon planter.
You can use this planter to grow perennials, succulents, or dwarf vegetables. If you don’t want to fill the planter with potting soil, use it to hold some decorative gardening items, such as a ceramic sprinkler or decorative gardening tools.
9. Versatile Red Wagon Table
As mentioned above, old red wagons are probably the most versatile garden wagons to transform into decorative objects. For example, you can transform it into a versatile table.
To decorate the indoor space, you can use a red wagon table to serve coffee, to keep your children’s toys, to display your favorite books, or to store your gardening shoes.
In the garden, you can use a red wagon table to display some flower pots or just to keep the empty pots organized.
10. Long Garden Wagon
You can transform a long garden wagon into an original piece of décor by placing it in a corner of your property and use it to create a decorative angle.
You can use the wagon to create seasonal compositions, such as autumn decors, or simply to place some flower pots during spring and summer.
If filled with potting soil, you can use the long garden wagon to start your vegetables. Without a doubt, this element will catch the attention of your family and friends.
11. Wagon Wheel Bench
If you have two steel wagon wheels and a couple of beams that once belonged to a wooden wagon, you can use them to make an original wagon wheel bench.
Fix the wooden beams between the wagon wheels, positioning the wheels at the sides of the beams. Use two large wooden stoppers to prevent the wheels from moving and position the bench on the porch or along a pathway.
Alternatively, you can cut the wheels in half and use the halves to make two similar garden benches. In this case, position the wheels with the straight side on the ground.
12. Centerpiece For A Cottage Garden
Garden wagons are also ideal to create centerpieces for cottage gardens. You can choose a large vintage wagon or a brand new one. Place it in the middle of a large flower bed or between two tall trees.
Use the wagon either as a planter or as support for terracotta flower pots and fill it with perennials or annual plants such as marigolds, sunflowers, daisies, or violets.
To make new arrangements each season, choose flowers with vibrant colors such as blue, red, and bright yellow during spring and summer. In autumn, choose flowers colored in dark yellow, orange, or burgundy.
13. Vertical Garden Shelf
You can use a plastic or metal wagon cart to make a vertical garden shelf for your pots or gardening tools. Just detach the top cart from a distressed garden wagon and mount it on a wall or fence, vertically. Fix a couple of thin metal shelves inside the cart.
Regardless of which items you choose to store on the shelves, this creative shelf will draw the attention with certainty. For a shabby chic effect, store both small garden tools such as gardening shears, and colorful flowers, such as hydrangea.
14. Miniature Steel Wagon
Create a miniature garden in your garden by using dwarf vegetable and trees and miniature gardening objects. This miniature garden will become the center of the universe for your kids and will beautify your outdoor space in an original way.
To do this, delimit an area where to build the miniature garden. In this area, create a small area for the vegetable garden and plant some dwarf tomatoes. Decorate the rest of the garden with dwarf mandarin trees and small flowers.
Place a miniature steel wagon next to the vegetable garden and a miniature bench under the trees. The effect is guaranteed.
15. Steel Wagon Wheel Fence
If you live in the countryside, you can make a unique garden fence using steel wagon wheels and wooden beams.
Use the beams to build short pillars and a few short wooden planks to start the fence. Place a wagon wheel between two pieces of fence and continue throughout the whole perimeter of your property.
Alternatively, you could use only steel wagon wheels and arrange them one next to the other around your property or around the flower beds.
16. Miniature Garden
Miniature gardens are always a good idea but if you don’t have the space to make one directly on the ground, you can use a small red wagon to make a miniature fairy garden.
Just fill the wagon with potting soil and plant some succulents, short grasses, and a few leafy plants. Decorate the perimeter with a very small garden fountain and a couple of small benches.
Choose some small garden statues such as fairies, elves, and cute wild animals. Place the animals among lush vegetation and the fairies and dwarfs next to the fountain, or use your imagination to make different arrangements.
17. Garden Shoes Storage Shelf
Finding the right place where to keep your gardening shoes is often a hassle, especially for the rainy days. This struggle could end if you decide to make a dedicate shelf where to store exclusively your muddy footwear.
For example, you could use an old red cart. Don’t remove the rust but apply a layer of waterproof coating to give it a vintage look yet avoid getting rust on the shoes. Place the cart on the porch and use it to store your gardening boots or shoes.
18. Skeletal Garden Wagon
If you like the idea of making an immortal decoration, don’t use a full garden wagon but rather it’s skeleton. Use some thin wooden boards and fix them on the top of the wagon.
Use as many geranium pots as necessary and place them on the whole surface of the skeletal wagon. Once they start blooming, the wooden boards will be masked by the vegetation and it will seem that the geraniums are floating over the wagon.
19. Wagon Wheel Trellis
A trellis is essential in every garden. Whether you use it for climbing roses or ivy, for climbing tomatoes, or for any other type of plants, trellises can beautify any corner of your outdoor space.
There are dozens of models of garden trellises on the market, but you can make an original one by transforming a wagon wheel into a trellis.
To do this, simply mount the wagon wheel on a wall or fence and let the climbing plants use the wheel’s spokes as support. If you need a taller trellis, just mount another wheel on top of the other one.
20. Red Wagon Coffee Table
Those who love shabby chic decors and DIY crafts might love the idea of transforming a red gardening wagon into a coffee table. If you are really skilled, you can create the structure of the table by yourself and use the cart as the top board.
However, if you just like recycling but don’t have the skills of a carpenter, just find a vintage coffee table and remove the top board. Replace it with the cart and paint everything in bright red. This table will certainly become the center of your shabby chic garden or porch.
21. Wooden Garden Wagon On Railway Sleepers
Wooden garden wagons are perfect for rustic environments but you can use them to decorate a modern garden too. The secret is to choose a wagon made of sturdy and thick wooden beams. Place the wagon on top of two railway sleepers in a corner of your landscape.
Don’t use flowers to decorate the wagon but rather tall grasses. Choose minimalist pots glazed in white or black.
To complete the décor, plant some bamboo trees next to the wagon and keep all the other details of the garden to a minimum.
22. Wagon Wheel Swing
Children love swings but you can also enjoy it to remember your childhood. For an original design, use a wagon wheel instead of a truck wheel or wooden board.
Hang the wheel from a thick and sturdy branch, using sailing rope to secure it on both sides. Alternatively, in the lack of a tree, you can install the swing on the porch, using it instead of a traditional bench.
23. Wagon Rest Spot
Large garden wagons can also be transformed into cozy rest spots. Restore the aspect of the wagon and apply a layer of waterproof varnish. You can use any color you like as long as it enhances the true value of wood.
On a side of the wagon build a small ladder in the same colors. This will let you gain access to the wagon easier.
Place benches inside the wagon and decorate everything with large pillows and cushions. Don’t forget to build a small shelf or table on which to keep your favorite book and a glass of wine.
24. Red Wagon Organizer
Keeping the shed organized isn’t easy. In the same way, it is often a hassle to keep your gardening table clean and tidy. But a red wagon organizer can help.
You don’t have to do anything but restore a vintage old wagon and place it next to the potting table or in the shed. Use it to hold all your gardening essentials such as tools, pots, potting soil, or even gardening garments such as your apron. Besides functional, the red wagon organizer is also a beautiful decorative element.
25. Two-Wheeled Wagon Planter
Not all garden wagons have four wheels. If you like the aspect of the vintage two-wheeled wagons made of wood and steel, then you can transform one into an original planter.
Just place the wagon in a corner of the property and use it either as a pot or as a support for an original planter. Choose some rustic flowers, such as short carnations, as they will enhance the vintage aspect of the composition.
26. Wagon Picnic Table
Transforming an old wooden wagon into a picnic table is another example of how garden wagons can decorate a space in an infinity of ways. Keep the external walls of the wagon but remove the wheels and place the structure on railway sleepers or thick beams.
Make a picnic table and place it inside the wagon. Use the wheels to decorate the outer walls of your new picnic area or to make other decorative objects.
To give a cozier look to the whole corner, mount steel planters on the walls of the wagon and use them to display your favorite flowers.
27. Wagon Wheel Wall Art
Talking about the wagon wheels, you can use them to make original wall art. You can arrange the wheels in any composition you like.
For example, you can use a couple of whole wheels and a couple of wheels cut in half to make an original composition in your living room or on the porch. You could even decorate the fence using wagon wheels, for example recreating a 2D image of a vintage wagon with actual wheels and paint.
28. Red Wagon Tree Stand
As a passionate gardener, you could even use a miniature wooden wagon or a distressed red wagon to make an original Christmas tree stand during the holiday period.
There is nothing fancy about it, just make the tree inside the garden wagon and voila… your original tree stand is ready to impress!
29. Distressed Red Wagon Planter
If you want an original planter, use a distressed red wagon for your succulents or cactuses. You can place the wagon anywhere in the garden or even indoors during the cold season.
Although the planter would look flawlessly holding succulents, you can use it for any flowers you like. The only thing to remember is to make a few drainage holes and coat the internal surface with a waterproof coating before filling the planter with soil.
30. Portable Gardening Container
If you don’t like the idea of a planter but still want to find a new use for a distressed red wagon, you could use it as a portable gardening container.
Harvesting will become a true pleasure with such a beautiful container. Fill it with vegetables or fruits and use it to transport the crops from the garden to the house with more ease.
31. Garden Bird Feeder
If you live in the countryside and raise birds such as hens or ducks, you can create an original feeder to place in the chicken coop.
Remove the wheels of a distressed red cart and place the cart inside the chicken coop. Fill it with fresh grass and garden clippings, mulch, and other residues left after mowing the lawn.
Hens and other domestic birds will use the cart not only as a feeder but also as a place where to lay eggs. Moreover, this original feeder will make your hen coop a true attraction.
32. Wagon And Yoke Planter
For an original decoration, use a Roman wagon that still has a yoke attached and place it either in the garden or on the porch. For a vintage effect, choose a wagon made completely of steel. If your landscape is rustic, choose a wagon made of steel and wood.
Use this element as support for flower pots or put a square wood planter on it. The difference in geometries and the recline of the wagon will make your garden look unique.
33. Wooden Wagon With Perennials
A wooden wagon with perennials is often the easiest way to decorate a garden. To stand out from the crowd, choose to make interesting geometries with the flowers.
Choose perennials with different colors and arrange them in original patterns. Make sure to replace the pots regularly so that you’ll always have a new pattern and new colors. In this way, even the most trivial décor will look original and unique.
34. Wagon Wheel Pot Holder
If you need inspiration for a future pot holder, know that you can use a wagon wheel for this purpose. The best thing it to hang the wheel from the ceiling of the porch. Mount terracotta pots in correspondence to each spoke of the wheel and use them to display your favorite flowers.
If you want to create an original décor at a lower level, cut the wheel in half and mount each half under a window, on the outside wall of the house. Simply place the pots on the wheels using them as window sills.
35. Red Wagon Garden Potting Stand
If you already have a pallet gardening table, you might also like the idea of a red wagon potting stand. Use only the cart of the wagon and place it on a structure made of either wood or metal.
Keep the potting stand in the plant nursery and use it as a tray, to avoid dirtying the floor with potting soil.
36. Rustic Wagon With Tall Plants
To create a countryside effect in your city garden both plants and decorative elements must be chosen wisely.
Regarding the plants, choose tall grasses and leafy greens, but avoid planting perennials or flowers in the flower beds. Instead, place a rustic wagon in the middle of the lush vegetation and use it as a support for your flower pots.
The best choices are carnations and geraniums, but you can also plant dwarf sunflowers or other countryside flowers.
37. Wagon Wheel Sign
A house is not a home until you put a sign on it. To maintain the rustic aspect of your property, build an original sign using an old wagon wheel and a wooden board.
If you have the skills, you could even write a welcoming sign or the name of your house on a steel plate and fix it to the wheel. Place the wheel on a stand next to the main gate to welcome your guests or let everyone know that it’s your property.
