12 Cool DIY Gardening Ideas for January

Are you struggling with not being able to do much gardening during the cold winter months, like this January?

Thankfully, there are a ton of cool DIY gardening ideas for January that don’t revolve around planting and growing classic spring garden plants.

Read on below and discover 12 of the coolest early spring gardening projects to take on this early in the year:

1. Trellis System for Raised Beds or Garden Entry

One of the easiest from-scratch DIY spring gardening ideas you can take on with nothing more than hand tools and a few dollars is a hand-made trellis.

Whether you have garden beds near the house, raised beds, or a garden you’d like to build an entryway for, a trellis system may be a cool project for you.

2. DIY Stone Path for Yard and Garden

A stone path is another great DIY gardening idea for January or any of the colder months when much planting and growing isn’t going on.

You can lay stone paths through your garden, around your flower beds, or from your front door to your driveway, as you please.

3. Garden Markers From Painted Stones

There are countless ways to make garden markers, including painting stones to look like the fruit or vegetable you’re growing.

Wooden crosses, stakes, and small flags attached to wire are just a few additional options if you don’t prefer stone.

4. Install a DIY Cedar Raised Bed Kit

Installing raised beds is one of the easiest, coolest, and most affordable ways to build a new garden from scratch.

A kit like the one shown above can run you a few hundred bucks, or you can buy wood and cut the pieces yourself for less than half the price.

5. DIY Raised 5-Gallon Bucket Garden

If you don’t have so much compost and dirt at your disposal, to build a classic raised bed garden, why not consider a raised bed garden from scrap wood and old buckets?

Five-gallon buckets work fine for almost any garden variety plants, but you can use larger or smaller containers in a DIY setup like the one shown above as well.

6. DIY Covered Outdoor Potting Bench

If it’s a cool space to pot plants that your after, a DIY covered potting bench could be the best cold-weather gardening idea for you this year.

The best part about it is that you can convert old benches and countertops into a potting bench with ease… all you need to do is add a cover and a bit of storage.

7. Do Some Landscaping (Make Flower Beds or Borders)

One of the most popular January gardening ideas is to make some flowerbeds or other cool landscaping with lots of pleasing aesthetics.

The easiest thing to do is throw down some border, be it stone, wood, plastic, or made of other materials, and then add a few inches of compost followed by a couple of inches of mulch.

8. DIY Barrel Pond (for the Porch, Yard, or Garden)

If you have an old barrel you can make a cool DIY pond out of it, if you are searching for a way to make a miniature one.

Granted, barrels won’t work for larger yard and garden ponds, but they work well for porch ponds and small ponds to compliment flower beds and corner landscapes.

9. DIY Potting and Tool Shed With Covered Roof

If you want more than a potting bench, why not go for an open but covered garden tool shed with room for potting and crafting?

For those who have an empty space in their yard near their garden, there are very few projects that make your gardening that much easier forever after.

10. Attach a Greenhouse to your Garden Shed (or Garage)

A greenhouse is a great way to keep your plants and potted trees and shrubs safer and happier during the coldest months of the year.

Greenhouses are also super easier to build. Often, it only takes one afternoon to set up a greenhouse kit or build one from Scratch.

11. Artsy DIY Landscape Decor (and Flowers)

One of the easiest and coolest DIY projects you can take on this January is no doubt working on artsy decor for preexisting landscaping in your yard or garden.

In the picture above, you see three old posts with homemade birdhouses on them as well as an arrangement of blooming spring flowers on the ground.

12. Plan Your Spring Garden (on Paper or an App)

When you can’t get outside because it’s super cold outside, the best idea is often simply planning your next garden/new garden on paper or an app.

Planning a new garden may be as complex or simple as you want it to be. for more advice on planning a new garden, read our short guide on the subject.

Which Cool DIY Gardening Ideas for January Do You Like?

Hopefully, with all of the diverse DIY ideas listed above you have plenty of options to choose from to get started with your January gardening projects this year.

If it’s super cold where you are, we suggest sticking to planning, making crop markers from painted stone, and other simple tasks that don’t require tromping around outside in freezing conditions.

Which cool DIY gardening ideas for January fit you the best? We’d love to hear your opinion in the comments section below!

Do you have a great gardening idea for early spring to share with our audience? Drop us a line below.

Thanks for reading!

Suggested Reading: 14 DIY Garden Tool Shed Ideas