12 Creative & Rustic Garden Art Ladder Ideas
Add character to your garden with a repurposed wooden ladder. Creative ideas include using a vintage ladder to display planters, birdhouses, and garden art.
If you want to make your own, this tutorial shows how to make your own garden ladder.
![Garden art ladders in the garden.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/f12-garden-ladder-ideas-v1.jpg)
Use Old Wood Ladders as Garden Art
![Painted ladder in the garden.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/C7-garden-ladder-ideas-v1-728x1092.jpg)
Wobbly, old wooden painter’s ladders have lots of reuses both in the home and the garden.
I took these photos at home gardens where ladders are repurposed as plant stands, to display décor, and to support climbing vines.
Ideas
Paint the ladder in bold color(s) and use it to display:
- Birdhouses & bird feeders
- Garden art collections
- Flower planters with trailing vines
- Watering cans
- Garden signs
If you ever see a wooden ladder in the garbage, snap it up! They have become popular in recent years, both in the home and garden, so prices can be too high for those of us who are frugal.
Whether you paint them or leave them plain, wooden ladders make a quirky, fun garden art accent.
This one is in my garden:
![Old blue ladder in flower garden.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Blue-ladder-with-flowers-c9.jpg)
![Old blue ladder in flower garden.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Blue-ladder-with-flowers-c9.jpg)
Tips for Long-Lasting Wood Ladders
Old-fashioned household ladders made from wood are not durable in outdoor conditions.
To make a ladder last for years outdoors all year-round, consider painting it with exterior latex paint and adding rain boots!
This will prevent rotting due to exposure to the damp soil, rain, and snow.
![Blue garden art ladder with yellow boots used to protect the lower legs.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/SQ7-GARDEN-LADDER-BOOTS-V2-.jpg)
![Blue garden art ladder with yellow boots used to protect the lower legs.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/SQ7-GARDEN-LADDER-BOOTS-V2-.jpg)
Want your ladder to last longer?
Ladder Boot Instructions
Garden Ladder Ideas
1Turquoise Blue
Eye-popping color is always good!
This ladder has various potted plants and a quirky birdhouse up top.
![Turquoise painted garden art ladder with red birdhouse on top.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Blue-Garden-Art-Ladder-Birdhouse-C1-1.jpg)
![Turquoise painted garden art ladder with red birdhouse on top.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Blue-Garden-Art-Ladder-Birdhouse-C1-1.jpg)
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2Display a Collection
Ladders are a great way to show off collections like these blue bottles:
![Garden art ladder with blue wine bottles.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Blue-bottles-wood-ladder-garden-v1.jpg)
![Garden art ladder with blue wine bottles.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Blue-bottles-wood-ladder-garden-v1.jpg)
Improve Your Garden Instantly Without Spending a Dime
3Unfinished Painter’s Ladder
This one is in my garden:
![Old wood painter's ladder with kettles and watering cans.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Wood-ladder-garden-art-v1.jpg)
![Old wood painter's ladder with kettles and watering cans.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Wood-ladder-garden-art-v1.jpg)
4Colorful Containers
This next one has an orange and yellow theme:
![Garden art ladder with yellow planter boxes.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/C9-GARDEN-LADDER-ORANGE-v1.jpg)
![Garden art ladder with yellow planter boxes.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/C9-GARDEN-LADDER-ORANGE-v1.jpg)
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5Ladder With Shelves
Ladders are excellent for showing off collections:
![Vintage ladder with garden art on a front porch.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/C9-Porch-Garden-Ladder-v1.jpg)
![Vintage ladder with garden art on a front porch.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/C9-Porch-Garden-Ladder-v1.jpg)
6Flowerful Ladder
See how they placed the flowering annuals along the ladder? Very pretty!
![Garden art ladder with lots of flowers.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Wood-ladder-red-roses-1.jpg)
![Garden art ladder with lots of flowers.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Wood-ladder-red-roses-1.jpg)
22 Creative Wagon Planter Ideas + Whiskey Barrels and Wheels
7Repeated Pots
I took this photo many years ago in the blazing hot sun:
![Garden art ladder with flower containers.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Plain-wood-ladder-garden-art-1.jpg)
![Garden art ladder with flower containers.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Plain-wood-ladder-garden-art-1.jpg)
8Empress of Dirt Blue Ladder
Here’s another look at my blue ladder:
![Blue garden art ladder with watering can.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Blue-Garden-Ladder-Watering-Can-v1.jpg)
![Blue garden art ladder with watering can.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Blue-Garden-Ladder-Watering-Can-v1.jpg)
9Step Ladder
This little step ladder looks sweet:
![Step ladder with window box planters.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Wood-Ladder-Black-Window-Boxes-v1.jpg)
![Step ladder with window box planters.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Wood-Ladder-Black-Window-Boxes-v1.jpg)
10Garden Sign Ladder
Clever idea: use each step for a letter to form a word:
![Garden art ladder with the word bloom on it.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Bloom-Garden-Art-Ladder-Birdhouse-C1-1.jpg)
![Garden art ladder with the word bloom on it.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/Bloom-Garden-Art-Ladder-Birdhouse-C1-1.jpg)
60 Garden Sign Ideas—Funny, Sweet, & Practical
11Black Ladder
The pink flowers really stand out with the black garden ladder in this next garden.
![Black step ladder with dahlia in flowerpot.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/01-black-garden-ladder-v1.jpg)
![Black step ladder with dahlia in flowerpot.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/01-black-garden-ladder-v1.jpg)
12Angel Ladder
This backyard was filled with quirky and rustic garden art. I love the rusty angel with the aged patina of the wood.
![Garden art ladder with angel decor.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/02-rustic-garden-ladder-v1.jpg)
![Garden art ladder with angel decor.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/02-rustic-garden-ladder-v1.jpg)
13Clematis Ladder
This ladder was in my old garden next to the first clematis vine I ever planted. I didn’t intend to keep it there but came to love how the two looked together.
![Wood garden ladder with clematis flowers.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/06-red-garden-ladder-v1.jpg)
![Wood garden ladder with clematis flowers.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/06-red-garden-ladder-v1.jpg)
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14Classic Red Painted Ladder
You can’t go wrong by picking a color to use throughout the garden. Here a heritage red looks just right.
![Red garden art ladder, chair, and angel in garden.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/07-red-rustic-ladder-v1.jpg)
![Red garden art ladder, chair, and angel in garden.](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/07-red-rustic-ladder-v1.jpg)
Resources
More Ideas
Ebook
![Garden Art Projects & Ideas book cover](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/EBC-Garden-Art-Projects-v4a-3x.jpg)
![Garden Art Projects & Ideas book cover](https://empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/EBC-Garden-Art-Projects-v4a-3x.jpg)
25 Garden Art Projects & Ideas
by Melissa J. Will
Grab the top garden art DIY projects and tips from Empress of Dirt
About This Ebook | Visit Ebook Shop
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~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛