10 Fun Summer Crafts to make for Home, Garden and all around Family Fun

For DIY lovers, the gloriously long, warm days of the season mean one thing: Time to whip up summer crafts that spruce up our homes and gardens. From summer wreaths to homespun 4th of July decorations to “green” crafts that transform something old into something new, you’ll find plenty of fun ideas here. And each one is just as pretty and affordable as the next, so it’ll be hard to figure out which one to start with first.

Summer Memories Board

Magnets make it perfect for displaying those odds and ends you collect on your summer travels.

To make: Simply hang a tray on a wall using Command Strips or double-sided Velcro. Repurpose vintage bottle caps into charming magnets to hold your mementos in place. Then step back and admire your resourcefulness.

DIY Garden Caddy

Presenting the perfect perch for gardening tools and that hard-to-wrangle hose.

To make: Cut a piece of wood to fit inside your basin; screw through the bowl and into the wood to secure. Once your caddy is attached to the wall, store your hose by wrapping it around the outside. Stash gloves and small gardening tools on the shelf.

Tiered Plant Stand

Pot herbs or display garden pickings in this whimsical stand that’s crafted from vintage or new bowls.

To make: Gather three bowls in descending sizes, plus a 1-inch dowel cut in two (lengths will depend on desired height) and a round wood plaque, both painted white. Set the largest bowl on the plaque and drill upwards through the center of both and into one length of dowel; screw together. Drill holes into the dowel’s top, one end of the second dowel, and up through the center of the middle bowl; use a double-ended screw to connect. Lastly, drill a hole into that dowel’s top and through the small bowl, holding the bowl in place on the dowel with a screw.

Paper Watermelon Pinwheels

Celebrate summer’s iconic fruit by crafting these paper pinwheels with rickrack stripes. Send the kids out back to scurry around the yard with sticky watermelon fingers and toys in hand.

To make: Cut two sheets of stacked red and green paper into 8 1/2-inch squares, then cut four slits into each from corners toward center. Fold every other point in toward the center; glue in place. Attach rickrack, then secure to straws with pins.

DIY Cane Webbing Serving Tray

Ferry juice to the breakfast table or wine to the porch party on this nifty cane webbing tray that’s created using a simple picture frame and twine wrapped handles.

To make: Insert a piece of caning that is the same size as the opening of a picture frame (here, a 16-by-20-inch frame by Barnwood-USA). Hold in place with craft glue or glazing points. Attach three-inch cabinet-style handles (wrapped with twine, if desired) to the short ends of the frame. Insert a piece of glass that covers the full opening, if desired.

Cane-Covered Notebooks

While vacationing this year, use a hand-crafted cane covered notebook to jot down all your fun summer memories. Only tack down three sides of the caning to form a pocket—it’s the perfect spot for storing postcards and other memorabilia.

To make: Snip a piece of caning that is just wider or taller than the part of the notebook you wish to cover. Spread a 1/4-inch line of craft glue on the three edges of the notebook that are being covered
(not gluing the fourth side creates a pocket). Attach caning, press to adhere, and let dry.

Star Bunting

Fly the stars proudly above your summer table. Cut star shapes from new or vintage bandanas. Stiffen with Mod Podge, tack to string, and hang from branches.

Balloon ice

Keep ice cream cold in style. Fill water balloon-sized balloons with water and freeze. Place in a tray and nestle in ice cream. See more red, white, and blue crafts for a 4th July celebrations.

Watering Can Door Hanger

To add a retro touch to your front door, fill a vintage watering can with water, then add flowers. Loop wire around the handle and hang from a nail. Find more crafty ideas for summer wreaths and door hangers.

Washi Tape Pennant Lanterns

Dazzle guests on the cheap—and the quick—by transforming paper lanterns into show-stopping fixtures with washi tape, a semitransparent decorative paper tape. First, mount strips of wide tape (38mm) onto white paper, then cut out triangles that are about 1 inch at their widest point. Press the “pennants” to a thinner strip of tape (15mm) to create bunting, and then wrap it around a lantern in a casual, overlapping pattern.