DIY Cottage Garden Decor: Grapevine Heart Topiaries & a Textured Watering Can
If you love DIY cottage garden decor, this project is such a beautiful way to add vintage charm to your home or porch. From grapevine heart topiaries to a textured watering can finish, every layer of this project adds character and depth.
In this tutorial, I’m sharing how I used Fusion Mineral Paint, salt wash, milk paint, and IOD moulds and stamps to create pieces that feel collected and timeworn.
There is also a full step-by-step video tutorial included to walk you through each technique.
You’ll find the full supply list and video below.
The Cottage Garden Look We’re Creating
For this project, I wanted a soft European cottage feel. Think weathered finishes, subtle blue tones, raised moulded details, and natural textures.
The grapevine hearts bring in an organic shape. The watering can turns into a decorative focal point. The stamped muslin ribbon and handmade plant tags add those small details that make everything feel finished.
Layered finishes are what truly create the cottage garden look. It’s not about perfection. It’s about texture, contrast, and depth.
Creating the Textured Watering Can Finish
This thrifted watering can became the foundation of the entire project. I wanted it to feel aged and layered, as though it had been sitting in a European garden for years.
To achieve that look, I combined Fusion Mineral Paints with a salt wash mixture to build texture. The salt wash gives the surface a slightly rough, weathered feel that instantly adds character.
Next, I layered Homestead House Milk Paint in Gustavian White. In certain areas, I used a simple candle resist technique so the paint would naturally chip and reveal the darker tones underneath.
Finally, I applied clear, antiquing, and white wax to soften everything and highlight the texture. Wax really settles into the surface, bringing depth to all the layers.
You can see the entire process step by step in the video tutorial above, where I walk through each product and technique in detail.
Making the Grapevine Heart Topiaries
The grapevine hearts create height and softness in the arrangement.
I purchased the hearts from Michael’s and attached branches from our backyard as stems. Wire helps secure everything firmly in place.
Once the structure was set, I added greenery to fill out the shape. Keeping the greenery light allows the grapevine texture to remain visible.
These topiaries are simple to make but add so much charm to your DIY cottage garden decor.
Adding Detail with IOD Moulds and Stamps
The small details truly bring this project to life.
Using IOD moulds such as Olive Crest and Sparrow’s Nest, along with the Redesign Timeless Ties mould, I created decorative resin accents.
After curing, I painted them using Fusion Mineral Paint and highlighted areas with Pentart gold metal pigment mixed with pigment fix.
For the ribbon, I stamped muslin fabric using the IOD Flora & Vine stamp and China Blue ink. The soft fabric, paired with the blue detailing, gives a classic look.
The hanging plant tags were made using wood pieces, IOD Apothecary Labels stamps, and resin mould details. Small touches like this bring the project together.
Layering moulds, stamps, and paint finishes together creates a dimension that feels curated.
Styling Your Cottage Garden Decor
Once everything was finished, I styled the pieces into a cohesive vignette above my kitchen cabinets.
The watering can anchors the display. The grapevine heart topiaries add height and balance. The plant tags and ribbon finish them off.
You could style this on a covered porch, in a sunroom, or even as a spring centrepiece indoors, in different sizes.
Full Supply List
Watering Can Finish Supplies
- Thrifted watering can
- Fusion Mineral Paint – Midnight Blue
- Fusion Mineral Paint – Snowdrop
- Fusion Mineral Paint – Black
- Homestead House Milk Paint (by Fusion) – Gustavian White
- Salt Wash powder
- Old candle (for resist)
- Behr Wax – Clear
- Behr Wax – Antiquing
- Behr Wax – White
- Floral foam
- Sea Sponge
Grapevine Heart Topiaries
- Grapevine hearts (Michael’s)
- Backyard branches
- Wire
- Greenery
- Hot Glue
Ribbon, Tags & Decorative Details
- IOD Mould – Olive Crest
- IOD Mould – Sparrow’s Nest
- Redesign Mould – Timeless Ties
- IOD Stamp – Flora & Vine
- IOD Stamp – Apothecary Labels
- IOD Paint Inlay – Delft Traditions Azure
- Fusion Mineral Paint – Champness
- China Blue ink
- Muslin fabric
- Pentart Pigment Fix
- Pentart Gold Metal Pigment
- 10 Minute Alumilite Resin
- Wood Tags
- Plant tag hangers (Amazon)
- Tightbond Quick & Thick Glue
A Beautiful Way to Welcome the Season
DIY cottage garden decor brings together natural textures and layered paint finishes to create a fresh look for spring. Even better, these pieces can be styled from Valentine’s Day straight through summer with just a few small seasonal changes.
If you enjoyed this project, be sure to save it to Pinterest so you can refer back to it later. And if you’d like more DIY tutorials, seasonal decor ideas, and early access to new collections, I would love for you to join my newsletter below.
With Grace,
Kimberly
