Looking for a creative and budget-friendly way to add color and charm to your outdoor space? This DIY tire planter tutorial walks you through the easy steps to transform an old recycled tire into a cheerful garden planter. It’s perfect for summer curb appeal! 🌸🌿
I recently needed new tires (don’t even look at the tread…it was bad)! This is a great idea for upcycling! The July Challenge for Lowe’s Creative Ideas is Outdoor Art so I headed to Lowe’s for some supplies.
Why Make a DIY Tire Planter?
📌 Love this project? Save it for later!
My summer home tour revealed a sneak peek of a super easy DIY outdoor decorating/planter. DIY tire planter…
See it?
There on the wall? Isn’t it happy?
What You’ll Need
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- Old tire
- 1/2 inch drill bit
- Valspar (exotic sea)
- potting soil
- flowers
- I already had some leftover fabric weed barrier from the pallet herb garden and some packing peanuts on hand.
- Optional: chain and s-hook.
Step-by-Step: How to Make a Tire Planter
I gave the tire a good scrubbing with soap and water and let it dry.
Then gave it a couple of coats of spray paint (paint + primer). Let dry.
Next we used a 1/2 inch drill bit to drill 6 holes into the ‘bottom’ of the tire for drainage. This takes a sharp bit and a lot of pressure (as in I tried but had to have my husband take over). It also produces a little smoke.
Then lined the bottom with a piece of fabric weed barrier and a few styrofoam packing peanuts.
Planting and Finishing Tips
I used this arrangement for the wall mounted tire planter…
and these for the hanging tire swing flower planter:
The drainage holes work! Specifically one of the six really works…
When we’re entertaining, I move the wall mounted tire flower planter to the interior wall of our covered patio. It’s simply hanging on a big humungous sturdy nail. When the party ends, the tire planter is moved to an exterior wall for sunshine and rain/watering. It’s awkward but not too heavy or difficult for moving around to maintain.
I loved it so much, I needed one to hang in our magnolia tree:
Doesn’t it look beautiful hanging with my DIY chandelier flower planter in the background?
To hang from a tree:
Use chain (double hanging length, add about 10″ for in the tire and more for the size of your tree limb). Wrap chain around tree branch and secure end pieces inside of the tire with an “s” hook.
Pretty!
Have you tried making your own upcycled garden planter? I’d love to see your version! Share your photos and tag @DIYShowOff for a chance to be featured.
More planter ideas:
*Disclaimer: As a member of the Lowe’s Creative Ideas Creators and Influencers network, I received a Lowe’s gift card to complete this project. The tutorial images, instructions and opinions are my own. DIY results may vary.
What’s your favorite flower planter/container garden?
Just a little question, when you put the fabric weed barrier in the tire, do you put the peanuts below or above the barrier? Thanks! JM
I lined the bottom with the fabric weed barrier then added a few styrofoam peanuts on top just to help with drainage.
This is so cute! I especially love it hanging from the tree!
Roeshel this is so awesome!! The idea, the color of the tire and the flowers you used I love it all 🙂
Oh I love them. I wish I had known about this a few years ago when a neighbor put some tires out on the curb. Love the colors too.
I love this project! I am going to try and make one or 5. So pretty!
Debbie
I love it, so bright and cheery! I actually made a couple of tire planters last year but never thought to paint them, I really think that makes it look so much better… as opposed to a white trash chick who can’t afford a real planter! LOL!
Tania
Tried your hanging project, and I think I fount an issue on your post. It says to use a 1 inch drill bit. The one you showed and the holes you showed seem to be half inch? My husband used a one inch bit, huge and exposed gobs of steel belts. He thought that maybe if he used a 1/2 inch that would have helped. So, it’s too late for us but maybe you could address that on your instructions? Or any advice about the steel for myself would be great, thanks so much! Tomasena
I apologize, Tomasena. I will edit the post right now because I just checked and you are in fact right, it’s a 1/2 inch drill bit. I’m so sorry! Are you able to use wire cutters to remove any sharp steel? and if it was me, I would probably Just spray paint over the exposed steel to blend in (the bottom of the tire doesn’t seem to be very visible). I hope that helps and I apologize for the error! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know to make a correction in the instructions.
Superbly cute – what a wonderful upcycle!
So super cute, that color is perfect! I can’t decide what way I like it best 🙂
Very clever idea! It looks GORGEOUS!
So cute!!
loved your flower pot chandelier and also old tire hanging plant display
Hello Roeshel,
Your site is very nice, with lots of great ideas. If I may, I’d like to make a suggestion. The chain for hanging that beautiful tire with the flowers spilling out of it, one could slide a bit of plastic or rubber hose on the part of the chain that touches the tree, this would protect the tree from any wounds that could eventually kill your lovely tree.
really really cool on the tire with flowers, love it
How come you use the styrofoam packing peanuts? So you would put the weed barrier down first and then soil on top of the peanuts?
Just for more drainage. It’s just what I did/an optional step. 🙂
Love it!!! Making one as we speak.
Awesome, Rita! I’d love to see it when you’re done, if you wouldn’t mind sharing a picture! Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me know! Makes my day!
that tire just looks perfect and lovely. i would definitely try it.
btw, why did you use the styrofoam packing peanuts? and is it compulsory to put fabric weed barrier?
Thanks, Cku! I used the styrofoam packing peanuts for extra drainage (not necessary) and I used the fabric weed barrier so that the dirt didn’t drain out of the drainage holes. Again, both things are completely optional.
Hi,
I really love the idea of the tire hanging as such. It is so very creative and so much nicer than the ones of decades ago where they laid the tire on the ground and put flowers inside. I used an old garden hose for a wreath for my shed, it was an old hose so I could cut it to not make it too heavy to hang. Then I like it enough to buy a cheap hose at the dollar stores & I used silk flowers as it was easy to tie them to the hose with some gardening gloves & an old hand garden tool. But I did want to ask, what type of paint did you use for the tire? Thanks for sharing and congrats on winning the gift card.
Hi Elaine, your wreath sounds lovely! Perfect for outdoors/summer time. As I mentioned in the post, I used Valspar Outdoor spray paint. Hope that helps! xo
I have 3 tires – one is to make a swing and 2 for planters – I would never in a million years thought to hang it vertically – thanks so much for sharing this – it’s fabulous !
Pinning now
xxx
Love all these creative ideas
Sweet! I have a tire swing already on a tree that I could plant now the kids are grown! At first I thought this was a colourful round sprinkler head, which could also work for a tiny display…with the added benefit of being self-watering if attached to a hose tree…no drilling, easy as can be…$ store item. 🙂
Just completed this project. One addition: I used a Goodyear tire and covered the raised lettering with petroleum jelly using my fingers and a small stiff bristled paint brush prior to painting. The paint came off the lettering easily and the result looks so neat! Thanks for the tutorial!
that gnome just makes that planter.really cute.
Hi – I want to ask you if I can use the picture of this great tire flower planter in an article? I will of course link directly to your site.
I am writing for a danish website for houseowners (www.bolius.dk), and right now I am working on an article about recyceling tires – and I stumpled over your fantastic blog.
Thanx 🙂
Bedt wishes
Rikke Berg, Bolius
.
I would be honored, Rikke. Thank you!
Wow-this is so cool. I love this so much I’m gonna share it with my sister in law(she’s pretty crafty herself I must say) and I know she’ll also wanna do some ourselves. The color that u used is fantastic. Thx??????????
Thanks for sharing Roeshel, this is absolute genius! The Exotic Sea color is lovely 🙂
Hi, love this idea. Please I could use this in a roundup with link and one image?
Hi Medina, Yes, of course! I would be honored. Thank you!
the tire planter is a wonderful idea and really neat. Thanks
What kind of paint can I used? Enamel or Latex Paint
I used an outdoor spray paint.
Try putting an eye bolt in the tire. Hook the chain to the eye bolt instead of wrapping around the tire. My tire is attached to the pergola with eye bolt and hook, no chain.
Thanks for your sharing,its great.
Thank you. Just came across this article and Someone was nice enough to leave a used tire in the back yard. Mine will be a bright orange to hang out front.
Have u had issues with fading? I attempted this earlier in the year and since my tire is almost back to black. Was wondering if there is any good way to seal the tire from absorbing paint or keep from sunfading.
I’ve had it hanging for the past couple of years (through winters too) and mine has not faded yet. I used a Valspar spray paint (rated for outdoors)…did you use something along the same lines? Or perhaps tires are made differently?
Love, love, love the tire planters – both the wall hanger and the tire swing. Painting the tire such a lovely color makes it stand out and showcase the flowers even more. I want one, or two, or……………..
It’s beautiful and I will make one; could you tell me the name of the small pink flowers that are paired with the red
Thanks, Paula and I apologize! I have no idea! I think that even though they were small, my guess is that they were still a petunia variety. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Those flowers are Calibrachoa.