better homes and gardens jams and jellies

10 Beautiful Ways to Use Brick in Your Home or Garden

CC0/congerdesign/Pixabay

If you've got a few (or more) old bricks lying around your place and you aren't sure what to do with them, consider creating something beautiful for your home or garden. The classic appearance of brick matches almost any style, and they're pretty easy to work with if you like DIY projects. From edging your flower beds to building your own bench or water feature, here are 10 ideas to inspire your creativity.

Create a Path

One of the easiest things you can do with brick is create a smooth, flat path through your yard or garden. It adds rustic charm to your outside area, and the best part is that you don't have to get it perfect for it to look good. Practice mixing and matching brick patterns before you make your layout permanent.

CC0/RConceptz/Pixabay

Stairway

Does your yard have a hill or incline that's hard to walk up and down? If so, you can use those bricks to create a stairway. You can also use bricks to create steps going in and out of your home, garden shed and other outbuildings.

CC0/IndigoSwan/Pixabay

Make a Bench

If you want a cozy place to sit in the garden in the mornings to read the paper and drink a cup of coffee, try making your own brick bench. If you find it's too hard, add some outdoor cushions. Alternatively, you can bring a little bit of rustic beauty inside by adding a brick bench to your home's entryway.

CC0/kasiaczernik/Pixabay

Build a Brick Wall

A simple brick wall is probably the easiest item on the list to create, and it can serve a number of purposes. Use it for privacy in your yard or to shade your favorite place to sit from the sun. You can also use it for any type of climbing plants and flowers, like ivy or wisteria, that you want to add to your yard.

CC0/broesis/Pixabay

Get Creative with a Water Feature

This one's a little more complicated, but the results can add peace and breathtaking beauty to your outdoor space. Create a fountain, pond, waterfall or other outdoor feature for your pool, yard or garden. You may even attract frogs and other fun creatures to your space.

CC0/skeeze/Pixabay

DIY Planters

Looking for something unique in which you can plant your favorite flowers? Try making a planter out of your bricks. This is a great project if you only have a few bricks on hand. If you want to plant something that runs, climbs or droops, make the planter taller so the flowers and foliage hang over the top.

CC0/KIMDAEJEUNG/Pixabay

Edge Your Garden Bed

This is another easy option that can turn a plain yard into something that looks professionally landscaped. Try adding some brick edging to your garden or flower beds. You can make it as short or as tall as you like, and, like the path, it doesn't have to be perfect to look good.

CC BY 2.0/wittco.gmbh/Flickr

Fence Yourself In

Add some style and keep destructive creatures like rabbits and deer out of your garden with a brick fence. If you have a small yard, you may even consider building the fence around the entire space. You can make it solid or practice different patterns, and you can play around with heights, too.

CC0/ArtisticOperations/Pixabay

Get Cozy with a Fire Pit

Fire pits are the perfect place to spend a cool night outdoors. You can roast marshmallows, tell ghost stories, cuddle up with a loved one or just enjoy the peace and quiet. Make those nights even more special by skipping the store-bought fire pits and making your own in your yard.

CC0/travel4foodfun/Pixabay

Go Fancy with Columns

If you only have a small number of bricks, you may consider creating some columns in various places around your yard or garden to make those areas stand out. You can do it at your gate to your fence, at the entry to your flower bed or anywhere you want to make a bold statement. They're pretty easy to build once you figure out the shape, style and height you like.

CC0/Ippicture/Pixabay