How to Turn an Old Wheelbarrow into a Fall Planter


One of my favorite parts about DIY projects is when you take something that is heading to the garbage, and find a new life for it. That is exactly what happened with this project.

My mom has this old, rusty wheelbarrow that she uses in her yard for mulching. Well, the thing was on its last wheel legโ€ฆas the wheel was pretty deflated and useless.ย  She was just going to wheel it out to the garbage, and say her goodbyes.ย  But thatโ€™s when we thought of a new purpose for the olโ€™ guy!

Creating a Wheelbarrow Planter for Fall

Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook

With a little creativity, it went from a wheelbarrowโ€ฆ

Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook

โ€ฆto a fall planter, in no time at all!

At first, we thought we should spray paint our new โ€œplanterโ€, but ultimately we decided we liked the rustic look that this guy had going on. The worn, red color gave it an autumn feel and we knew that would fit perfectly with the plants and flowers we had in mind.

How to Make a Wheelbarrow Planter

Make Holes: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook
Drill holes in bottom: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook
Jan using drill: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook

The first thing we did was drill holes in the bottom of the wheelbarrow. This is to ensure proper drainage for the plants. With the help of a large drill bit, electric drill, and some safety goggles…we had 5 holes in no time at all.

Multiple holes: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook

Next, we found a spot in my momโ€™s front yard and wheeled this sucker into place. We decided to angle the nose of the wheelbarrow down, so onlookers would have a great view of the plants.

Digging holes: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook

To do this we simply dug the wheel into the dirt a bit and slid her into place.

Wheelbarrow wheel: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook
Wire to hold down wheelbarrow: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook

We knew the planter might be a little bottom heavy, and we didnโ€™t want the wheelbarrow to ever flip forward. So, we used wire to hammer the back into place. This sucker wasnโ€™t going anywhere.

Garden soil: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook
Planting mums: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook

Finally, it was just a matter of filling our new โ€œplanterโ€ with soil and our fall favorites.

Choosing Plants for the Wheelbarrow

Creeping Jenny plants: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook
Swiss Chard: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook
Phoenix Green Plant: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook

We included mums, kale, phoenix green, swiss chard, and creeping jenny. They’re all supposed to grow well during these crisper days. We’ll see if we can keep them all alive and healthy!

fall flowers in planter: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook

Isnโ€™t she a beaut?

pumpkins: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook
fall wheelbarrow planter in front yard: Wheelbarrow Planter | DIY Playbook

We think it shows that our house is all ready for the changing season.

Casey

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The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.