To build a freeform bird bath, gather quick-set concrete mix, a mixing spoon, a plastic tub (in which to mix concrete), latex gloves (if desired), acrylic paint, a bonding agent to strengthen the concrete, no-stick cooking spray and sealant. Use your hands to hollow out a shallow bowl-shaped mold in a patch of dirt. Pat the center of the circle flat so the finished bird bath will stand steady. Mix the concrete as directed on the package and then press handfuls of concrete about an inch think around the edges of the hollow. Smooth it out with your hands. Set colored rocks or marbles into the concrete in a pleasing pattern. Leave it for a few days to cure. After lifting the bowl from the mold, wash off the dirt with a garden hose. Mount the bird bath on a tree stump.
Create a fun, whimsical bird feeder with a teacup, saucer, teaspoon, silicon glue, a 40" length of 1-1/2" copper tube and a 1-1/2" end fitting. Glue the teacup to the saucer. Glue the closed end of the fitting to the bottom of the saucer. Let this dry overnight. The next day, glue the teaspoon to the saucer and fit the copper tube into the fitting. Stake the feeder into the ground and fill it with birdseed.
Recycle old bowling balls into charming garden ladybugs. Attach a wooden bead to a length of thick copper wire. Repeat this a second time; these will be the antennae. Paint three coats of red paint onto the bowling ball. Glue the antennae onto the "head" of ball and let the paint dry. Paint a black stripe down the center of the ball for the body. Create a stencil for the ladybug's spots by cutting circles into painter's tape. Smooth the tape over the bowling ball and then stipple black paint onto the cutouts. Let the paint dry and then remove the tape.
Extend your yard art into the winter months by making snowball lamps and punched-tin luminaries. Engage children in making snowballs. Group about 12 snowballs in a circle shape. Place a pillar candle in the center. Add a second ring of 10 snowballs on top of the 12. Add snowballs until the top ring is taller than the candle. When it grows dark, light the candle.
To create luminaries, collect several tin cans and paint them white. Fill them with water and set them outside to freeze. Once the water is ice, use a permanent marker to dot a simple pattern on the outside of the cans. Use a nail and hammer to carefully punch out the dots you drew on. Let the ice melt. Empty the cans of water and set a votive candle inside each one.