Cinder or “breeze blocks” as they are also known, don't have to be dull. If you're looking for creative cinder block ideas, know that they can form an integral part of your garden design!
With so many uses, we've sourced just a section of the many creative cinder block ideas that exist out there on the world wide web.
Quick view
1. A Fall Display
2. Functional Stairs
3. A Raised Garden Bed
4. Wood Storage
5. Succulent Display
6. A Fire Pit
7. Garden Edging
8. An Outdoor Kitchen
9. Capped Off Garden Beds
10. A Place To Lounge
11. Front Entrance Fence
12. Outdoor Bar
13. Plants and Lights
14. Potting Shelf
15. Flowers and Veggies
16. Greenhouse Foundation
17. Outdoor Fireplace
18. Painted Planters
19. More Lounging Ideas
20. A Simple Shelf
21. Garden Table
22. Colorful Concrete
23. Cinder Blocks and Crates
24. Hooped Protection
25. Keyhole Garden
26. Sleek Patio Planter
27. Abstract and Functional
28. Step Garden
29. Petunia Pyramid
30. Vertical Garden
31. Colorful Table/Bar
32. Cinderblock Bench
33. Larger Scale Projects
1. A Fall Display
A modern twist that adds bright orange pops of fall color. By alternating the drab gray brick and turning it you have the perfect space for candles. Placing pumpkins around means they're not wasted and gives a fall feel.
2. Functional Stairs
Cinder blocks are made for building and they're nice and strong. They make perfect steps and filling the holes inside will add stability and stop them from breaking loose with footfalls. Cover with any stone you like or fill with earth and plants instead.
3. A Raised Garden Bed
Cinder blocks make ideal bed edging, they can also be filled with earth and used as plant pots themselves. The center makes an easy raised bed for vegetables and plants. Separate from the earth below with cardboard or garden cloth to prevent weeds from coming through.
4. Wood Storage
A creative and quick way to store wood. Just place a couple of 2x4s in at an angle and start stacking! Quick and easy and can be moved or placed anywhere you like.
5. Succulent Display
Succulents grow well in small spaces. The cinder blocks add excellent insulation around the roots and by stacking them you can create a beautiful multi-tiered display for your prettiest plants.
6. A Fire Pit
If you've ever wanted a fire pit but didn't want to spend time and effort bricking everything up this easy to construct version just needs a large concrete base and some bricks stacked on top. The holes will allow for ventilation and water to drain if it rains.
7. Garden Edging
Another garden edging idea similar to above. This simple concept is modern and stops pests from getting into your flower beds. Separate from the grass with a few small rocks to make trimming easier and to give your plants a little space to hang over.
8. An Outdoor Kitchen
An outdoor kitchen is perfect for entertaining. Cinder blocks are ideal for building houses and outdoors so they're strong enough to support sinks, counters, and even outdoor grills. Plaster over or tile and your outdoor kitchen will look amazing.
9. Capped Off Garden Beds
Cinder blocks make ideal raised beds but if you don't like the holes or you want to create extra insulation for your plants you can cap the tops off with paving stones. This keeps the air in, the holes covered, and your garden looks neat.
10. A Place To Lounge
Just a few cinderblocks are enough to support large wooden beams. An easy building block to build an outdoor sofa or lounge bed. Plus, the neutral tone of the cinder block makes decorating a piece of cake as you can choose whatever color suits your fancy.
11. Front Entrance Fence
Now here is a clever idea! The cinder blocks are hardly recognizable all painted red and decorated with house numbers. They support the wooden beams across and create a budget-friendly DIY fence.
12. Outdoor Bar
Get your entertaining on and start serving up that lemonade! Amazing how you can turn such a simple object like a cinder block into a fully-functional entertaining bar. This design utilizes the empty holes to sprout plants and hold tea towels.
13. Plants and Lights
Cinder blocks are used to make a totally wow-worthy accent wall on this outdoor patio. The holes facing forward shine soft lights while some of the other holes act as planters for grasses and succulents. So clever!
14. Potting Shelf
Either a place to show off your newly potted friends or a flat surface to help you do the potting. Cinder blocks can be the building blocks to your garden paradise and extra help when you need just a little bit more of surface space.
15. Flowers and Veggies
You can't have delicious vegetables without pollinators, and what do pollinators love most? Flowers! It's the perfect combination. An edging of flowers planted in the holes of the cinder blocks, and in the middle, rows of broccoli and spicy radishes.
16. Greenhouse Foundation
Due to the natural thermal mass properties of the concrete, cinder blocks can make a great foundation for a greenhouse. Add a wood frame, some glass windows, and voila! The perfect place to start your seedlings this year.
17. Outdoor Fireplace
A project like this takes a lot of cinder blocks but it is definitely worth the effort! Protect your fireplace with the proper fire brick on the inside and then add a veneer on the surface for a finished look. Soon enough you will be cozied up next to the fire with a glass of Chardonnay and a good book.
18. Painted Planters
Have fun painting your cinder blocks with bold patterns and bright colors. It's easy to make an exciting statement in your garden and around the house with the endless possibilities provided by cinder blocks.
19. More Lounging Ideas
There is nothing quite like sitting outside on a sunny spring day, enjoying the blooms of your perennial pals. Throw a few comfy cushions on a bed of cinder blocks and get in some much-needed relaxing beneath the sun or stars.
20. A Simple Shelf
Run out of room for your succulent obsession? I know the feeling. You may need to build some extra shelving and fast. A couple of wooden boards and some cinder blocks will do just the trick without breaking the bank.
21. Garden Table
Sometimes you just need a place to put down your gardening gloves, your cup of coffee, or your lantern while you are out in the garden. Don't worry about spending loads on a fancy table when it may get wrecked outdoors. Cinder blocks are hardy and will last a lifetime.
22. Colorful Concrete
Cinder blocks can be spray painted your favorite colors to create a bold and unique look. A fun project that you can get the kids involved with, just make sure when using spray paints that everyone has the right mask on.
23. Cinder Blocks and Crates
A clever mix of cinder blocks and crates makes a very cool shelf for spikey cacti and terracotta pots. Such basic materials can create such a productive and pretty structure. You will be thankful for the extra surface space when repotting your growing greens.
24. Hooped Protection
When building a raised garden bed out of cinder blocks, consider the size first. You can build a custom moveable hooped netting that fits perfectly over your raised bed. Great for protecting against birds and other wildlife.
25. Keyhole Garden
A keyhole garden is one that has a small pathway into the center. From that center point, you should be able to reach into either the middle of the bed or all the way across. This is the best way to have easy access to all of your plants and the pesky weeds.
26. Sleek Patio Planter
You can create something that is very sleek and cool out of an item as simple as concrete blocks. The caps give it a finished look and the color of the concrete contrasts charmingly with the dark tones of the soil and the soft wooden fence behind.
27. Abstract and Functional
This planter is a cool combo of both abstract art and functional space for plants. It's a clever balancing game but when it works it works! Careful when experimenting with this at home, a cinder block on the toe is not a fun way to spend the weekend afternoon.
28. Step Garden
One of the best cinder block ideas I've come across is stacking cinder blocks atop one another to create height and dimension. You can design a cascading effect of plants from high to low. This is a great space-saving technique if you don't have a lot of room, but you do have a lot of plants.
29. Petunia Pyramid
Similar to the stacking technique we saw in the last image, this one builds up cinder blocks to get this pyramid look. They planted pretty petunias in the holes for a lovely flower garden. Of course, you could take advantage of the planting space for your favorite grasses, flowers, or succulents!
30. Vertical Garden
Wow, imagine having a wall of pretty plants beside your outdoor patio space. You could enjoy the privacy and the greens at the same time, all for an affordable price. Careful when building a project like this as cinder blocks are very heavy.
31. Colorful Table/Bar
I absolutely adore the idea of painting each of the cinder blocks a different color for a happy springtime vibe. Instead of splurging on an expensive outdoor bar, save your money for the mimosa ingredients!
32. Cinderblock Bench
A place to sit down and tie your shoe, to finish off the last sips of your morning coffee (before going for seconds of course), or just a place to rest and listen to the birds. A simple bench is always useful in the backyard or amongst the foliage of your garden.
33. Larger Scale Projects
Looking for more cinder block ideas? How about using them to prevent soil erosion? Use cinder blocks to tackle larger-scale projects in the garden. A great way to build a sustainable terrace without the worry of soil erosion. Cinder blocks here to save the day!
