DIY Cart Rescue/Furniture Makeover

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Roeshel

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Elmer’s ProBond Advanced for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you have old furniture just taking up space in the basement, garage or attic? Or maybe with the start of yard sale season right around the corner, you’ll spy a fun furniture piece to flip…keep your eyes open! The other day I spied an old metal cart collecting dust so I decided to give it a purpose. It once belonged to my husband’s grandfather. Time to dust the cart off, give it life and make it useful.

Materials:

Old metal cart
Pine planks (I purchased three 1x3s and one 1×4)
Wood stain and sealer
ProBond Advanced

What I did:

First I cleaned up the cart a bit. I was going to spray paint it but it really wasn’t in bad shape (finish wasn’t original – it had been spray painted in the past) and I sort of like the few scratches and scuffs, making it look old and not brand new. Sometimes imperfections are perfect, right?

before…

Then I set about measuring and cutting the wood planks to fit the top and what looks like support for a bottom shelf.

After deciding placement of the planks, I marked, sanded and cleaned each one.

I stained each wood plank a rich beautful color. I brushed the stain onto all sides with a foam brush (in the same direction as the wood grain) and wiped away with a clean rag then let them dry for an hour or two.

Last step! Just glue and clamp the wood planks into place. Elmer’s ProBond Advanced is designed for gluing mixed materials like wood planks to the metal cart (porous to non-porous materials) without expanding, creating a foamy residue and making a mess. Awesome! Let the glue dry 24 hours.

I applied a sealer to the wood to protect the finish and add a little shine.

Loved once again…

Beautiful new wood top and shelf:

Now what was once just junk now serves as a side table (or would that be center table?) in our family room.

Sharing at Inspire Me Tuesday.

Are you a DIY’er? Find any recent ‘hidden treasure’? Find more DIY inspiration on Elmer’s Mixed Materials Pinterest board.

That DIY Party Highlights – Creative Repurposing

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Roeshel

Finding a new purpose for something old is so much fun, isn’t it? I looooove being creative. And that’s one of the things I love about the weekly That DIY Party – seeing your creative ideas. Check out these awesome repurposed projects from the past five week’s of That DIY Party:

Vintage spool window treatment at Plum Doodles

Toothbrush holder at Zefi’s Blog

Repurposed baking tins at Shabby Gals

Vintage ironing board chalkboard table at Sypsie

Upcycled bait basket pendant light at Lisa’s Creative Designs

Vintage jelly mold light at Vintage Prairie Style

Funnel lights at Shabby Love

Wood scrap DIY at Painted Therapy

Blanket ladder at Day 2 Day Super Mom

See more DIY:

It’s been so hectic around here and with visiting five week’s worth of projects, I did a lot of pinning and gathered some collections of features along with been pinning your inspiring projects to the above board. It didn’t leave much time for commenting so I want to say thanks to these talented ladies for linking up their inspiring creativity and hard work!

DIY Recycled Brick Patio & Walkway Tutorial

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Roeshel

What DIY project has taken us all summer long to complete? Our DIY recycled brick patio and walkway under the grape arbor/gazebo is finally done! A true labor of DIY lovin’. ::high fives all around!::

Because of the large volume of pictures from start to finish (it took me days to organize and edit the MONTHS worth of photos), I put together a slide show of the progress from uncovering the brick on our property to putting it to good use by creating a walkway and patio under our grape arbor and gazebo. Now not only can we enjoy our backyard patio for dining al fresco, the covered barn patio for entertaining, we now this quiet beautiful private little space too. That’s where you’ll find me on pretty days. Just wait until next year when I can add some fun DIY decorative accents!

I love the herringbone pattern and that we were able to use bricks we already had on hand. It’s such a good feeling and the fact that it’s old and not new? Loooove that the most! It looks as if it’s been here at least half a century and fits with the age of our old home.

See the entire grape arbor gazebo before and after reveal here!

It may have taken all summer but Mr. DIY did an awesome job at repurposing all of that brick to create a gorgeous recycled brick patio and walkway, didn’t he? What do you think? Love it? Not your style? We’d love to know your thoughts.

How to Make a DIY Tire Planter (Budget-Friendly Garden Idea!)

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Roeshel

This is one of my favorite budget-friendly ways to add color to an outdoor space.

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!

Why Make a DIY Tire Planter?

DIY tire flower planter 2 ways: hanging/swinging and wall-mounted

📌 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?

Outdoor backyard porch decorating for summer with wall mounted DIY tire planter

There on the wall? Isn’t it happy?

wall mounted aqua DIY tire planter with flowers

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.

DIY upcycled tire project for displaying flowers

Then gave it a couple of coats of spray paint (paint + primer). Let dry.

spray painting an upcycled DIY tire for flower planter outdoor decor

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.

using a 1/2 drill bit to drill drainage holes in a DIY tire planter

Then lined the bottom with a piece of fabric weed barrier and a few styrofoam packing peanuts.

How to make a tire flower planter @DIYShowOff

Planting and Finishing Tips

I used this arrangement for the wall mounted tire planter…

and these for the hanging tire swing flower planter:

watering can, flowers and soil for DIY tire planter

The drainage holes work! Specifically one of the six really works…

water draining from DIY tire flower planter

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.

wall mounted DIY tire planter with flowers on summer barn porch

I loved it so much, I needed one to hang in our magnolia tree:

hanging DIY tire swing flower planter with pink flowers and a garden gnome

Doesn’t it look beautiful hanging with my DIY chandelier flower planter in the background?

garden gnome and pink flowers in an upcycled hanging tire planter

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.

chain and s-hooks for hanging a DIY tire flower planter

Pretty!

DIY tire swing flower planter hanging from a tree with cascading pink flowers

Have you tried making your own upcycled garden planter? I’d love to see your version! Share your photos and project by submitting the DIYShowOff Feature Form or tag @DIYShowOff for a chance to be featured.

More planter ideas:

Chandelier Planter

House Number Flower Pots

DIY Pallet Flower Planter

*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?

How to Turn a Thrifted Chandelier into a Gorgeous Hanging Planter

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Roeshel

Looking for a unique garden project? This DIY outdoor chandelier planter is one of my favorite upcycled creations. It’s the perfect way to repurpose a vintage light fixture into a stunning hanging garden display. We hosted a family gathering – filled with good food, a fun DIY gardening project and great times…stuff special family memories are made of.

I started the prep work in advance, so that the fun part of planting flowers was the only concern on the part of my guests.

How to Make a Chandelier Planter

Repurposing a chandelier into a planter is a budget-friendly way to add charm to your outdoor space.

Materials:

Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Chandelier (try Craigs List, Ebay, thrift stores, yard sales)
Terra cotta pots and saucers (The same number as the “arms” of your chandelier. Ours all had 5.) Plastic pots would also work. Get creative! Try your own spin!
Outdoor-rated spray paint
Waterproof glue
Plumber’s epoxy putty – I used this to help create an elevation for draining (optional)
Flowers, plants
Moisture Control Potting Mix
“S” hook for hanging (and the chain that comes with the chandelier if needed)

Tools:

Wire cutters
Garden trowel

1. Slide off the plastic ‘candle’ holders and remove all electrical/wiring from the chandelier using the wire cutters.

2. Attach terra cotta saucers using epoxy putty and glue. The epoxy putty helped to keep the things in place since clamping isn’t possible as well as raise the pot a bit for draining.

Repeat for attaching the pots. I let the glue dry 1-2 hours before spray painting and allowed it to cure several days before planting.

3. Spray paint the entire thing (even your chain if you’ll be using it). I found that hanging the chandelier from a low tree branch to be the easiest spray painting process (especially if the chandelier’s shape doesn’t sit level) but you could also do a 2-step process (position upside down on drop cloth/cardboard, spray paint, dry, flip and the spray from top and let dry). Some parts of the chandelier’s design may also be removable (simply unscrew) and can be taken apart for spray painting if needed. Wear a mask if you’re working under poorly ventilated conditions or breezy weather and eye protection.

4. Dry. Since I worked in advance, the chandeliers had several days to dry/cure. The glue did expand and become visible. And a little scratching of the paint happened in places as well. But as we say around here, “imperfection adds character” and those things are not something you pick out and focus on when the project is complete (any imperfections stand out in the completed project below?… nope!) You could lightly sand and spray a base primer on your chandelier as well.

5. Plant! We had several color coordinated flower options on hand as well as some ivy and used Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Soil – perfect for container gardens. I set up the ‘planting station’ on our barn patio to escape the windy conditions.

Even the little ones had fun planting flowers for mom in little watering cans from the dollar store.

6. Water according to plant instructions. NOTE: The Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix protects against over & under watering. Virtually fool-proof if you do not possess a green thumb. Be sure to water your plants daily!

7. Hang!

DIY Hanging Chandelier Flower Planters Complete

A hanging chandelier makes a beautiful patio focal point or porch feature and is ideal for succulent or trailing flowers. Do you love thrifted garden DIY decor?

FAQ

Q: What kind of chandelier is best for a DIY planter?

A: Metal chandeliers with open arms or cup holders are ideal. They’re sturdy and easy to paint.

Q: Can I hang my chandelier planter indoors?

A: Absolutely! It makes a unique indoor hanging herb garden or boho planter too!

💡 Love this idea? Pin it for later!
Whether you’re upcycling a thrift store find or adding charm to your garden, repurposed garden decor like this DIY chandelier planter is worth saving.

👉 Don’t forget to share it with a fellow DIY-lover or tag @DIYShowOff if you make one!

Note: My upcycled chandelier planter is hanging from a plant hook on our patio. Sunlight and watering are not an issue. The design of some of the chandeliers posted above also allow for table top display. I only ‘display’ my chandelier planter like a ‘chandelier’ on our covered patio as party decorating (a few hours then back to the hook). Also, drainage is limited due to the glue however, I water daily and the Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Soil contributes to a healthy balance.

DIY Tire Planter