Build your own water feature – great ideas for inspiration and simple instructions

Water features, fountains and water ponds have it all. The fascination they arouse in us is so intuitive that it is difficult to explain. Maybe it’s the vital element of water, or maybe it’s the beguiling noise these little water features make? Either way, they are an undisputed addition to our outdoor space and are preferred by many garden, patio and even balcony owners. In specialist shops you will of course find a huge selection of water features in a wide variety of designs and sizes. But today we will also show you how you can build a creative water feature yourself from a ceramic vessel. You will also find many original DIY ideas below that you could implement depending on your mood and time.

Building a water feature yourself is not rocket science!

The main benefits of an outdoor water feature

Soothing sound and relaxing ambiance

You can use a variety of plants and a fish pond or two to create your calm, peaceful, meditative oasis in the garden. While the look and smell of flowers and other plants use your senses to get your brain wandering and escaping, adding relaxing ambient sounds can enhance the ambiance of your garden, yard, or meditation space even more. One of the most popular sounds here is clearly the soothing murmur of falling or bouncing water from a water feature or fountain.

Create your own individual garden oasis according to your personal preferences!

Drown out unpleasant, unwanted sounds

Street noise can be distracting and loud gatherings of neighbors can be just as stressful for you. Outdoor fountains and water features can be of great use in this. In addition to the soothing sounds they produce, outdoor fountains can also mask and reduce the intensity of loud, uncomfortable sounds like traffic noise or loud music from the neighbor. With this benefit, you can still escape to the tranquility of your yard or garden even if you live in a busy area of ​​the city.

Beautiful exterior decoration

It takes a lot of work and effort to keep up with the landscaping around one’s home. It often takes more time and money to create that perfect, peaceful and relaxing place to retreat to and feel like you are temporarily removed from the stresses of real life. Water features are easy ways to add instant beauty to any outdoor space, whether it’s a meditation garden, front yard, or backyard. With the variety of materials used, sizes, shapes, styles and colors of water features, you can quickly and easily achieve a certain ambience and feeling.

Mini water features made of bamboo are particularly popular for a small Feng Shui garden

attract wildlife

Even if you are not an avid bird watcher, it can be peaceful and relaxing to watch beautiful birds chirping happily while drinking and bathing in a water feature or fountain. Butterflies, bees and thirsty hedgehogs can also benefit from the precious water in summer.

General tips for a well-kept water feature

Unlike indoor fountains, outdoor fountains, in this case water features, require more frequent maintenance and cleaning. This is because they are exposed to the elements such as sun, dirt and debris from plants and animals. Here are three easy ways to keep your outdoor fountain or water feature looking and performing its best:

• Choose the right location

Fountains placed near a house or wall and outdoors away from trees and bushes are less likely to catch dirt, leaves, twigs and branches. This logically leads to less frequent cleaning. If plant debris is not removed from the water immediately, it can rot, turning the water brown and possibly clogging the well’s pipes.

Bamboo canes can be perfectly attached with jute cords

• Add vinegar

Vinegar may not smell nice, but it is a safe and environmentally friendly antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic. Not only does it keep the well water clean, but it also prevents the growth of algae and bacteria. Also, the vinegar only smells a minute or two after it’s added to the well water.

• Avoid direct sunlight and algae

The heat and sunlight encourage algae growth. Placing an outdoor fountain or water feature in a sunny location will require more frequent cleaning to keep algae growth at bay.

Build a water feature yourself: A step-by-step guide

You need:

• a ceramic pot
• a 20 liter bucket
• Aluminum L brackets
• metal wire mesh
• Wire cutter
• Submersible pump, hose and if you like a fountain attachment
• waterproof silicone sealant
• outer plug

And this is how it’s done:

• Dig a hole to bury the bucket in the garden.
• Cut aluminum L brackets to fit over the bucket. These support the weight of your pot and the water for the fountain.
• Use wire cutters to make a square of chicken wire that will fit over the pot, with a hole in the center for the pump hose to pass through. You can also cover the mesh with slightly smaller window screen material to prevent debris from falling into the bucket.
• Place the pump on the bottom of the bucket. Better yet, place a plastic Tupperware container filled with rocks under the pump. This will prevent debris that collects at the bottom of the pot from entering the pump.
• Feed the hose up through the mesh and through the ceramic pot over it and attach it to the top of the nozzle set. Use stones to fix the hose to the bottom of the pot.
• You need silicone sealant that is waterproof. Apply this and let it dry according to the instructions before getting it wet.
• Then add water, plug the outside into the appropriate outlet and you’re good to go!

Ceramic pot DIY water features look stylish and understated in the garden

Enrich your garden with a pretty water feature. You already know what numerous advantages it has and you can let your creativity and desire to create run free and build a waterfall yourself. Use our easy step-by-step instructions for this or look for more inspirational ideas both in our image gallery and on other DIY blogs. Have fun and good luck!

Design a water feature out of plaster

Sustainable ideas like these are also particularly welcome

Combine the water feature with a raised bed

And how about a mini water feature made of shells?

Or do you prefer something even more unusual?