Eightymillion

A DIY craft and photography blog. Dogs included.

Recycling a pair of Crocs (Clogs) into flower pots

Pull out that old pair of Crocs, from the closet, that you don’t wear anymore because I’m going to show you how to recycle them into flower pots.  An easy DIY that takes less than ten minutes from start to finish.
I scored this pair at a second hand store for $1.  Last week I planted some annuals into cement bricks and had four leftover plants.  This project will use up those four so that there’s no waste.
Supplies needed:
*tarp (easy clean-up)
*annuals
*pair of Crocs
*top soil
*twine or fishing line
Pack a nice amount of top soil in the toe portion of the shoe.  Place the annual inside the shoe and add some additional top soil around the top and sides to hold them in place.  Attach a piece of twine to the strap and tie it into a knot at the end.  Once you hang it up give the plants a good drink of water. Some dirt will seep through the holes of the shoes, but don’t worry about it.
Use the fishing line, in place of the twine, to create a floating effect.
Find a location in your flower garden to hang the new planters.  That’s it!
Mine have had a nice little home on these doors.  I adopted this vintage door display from my Mom and they already had the hooks, so I just needed something unique to hang there.
As you can see from the photo below the doors are definitely due for a fresh coat of paint.  Next year is what I tell myself.  It’s been five years and I keep saying that.  Although I kinda like the distressed look.

DIY Fall Inspiration: Recycling Cement Bricks Into Flower Pots

Are you looking for an easy DIY project to celebrate Fall? Do you enjoy gardening? Then keep reading.
The weather here in the Midwest has been absolutely gorgeous! So, I’ve been using my time wisely outdoors splitting and transplanting plants around my yard.
I have these cement bricks lined up along the edge of the sidewalk in an effort to prevent my dogs from jumping off the ledge. I usually plant a spring flower in them, but this year I didn’t. Truthfully, they’ve sat empty for a couple of years. The last time I used them was here.
This week I decided to plant some mums in them. Perfect for Fall and you can’t go wrong with mums. Instead of buying additional dirt, I recycled some from a planter that was no longer in use.
I lined up where I wanted each plant to go.
Using a garden trowel, I loosened the dirt that was left in the bricks. After placing the mum in each spot I added some additional dirt as needed. Tip: Give them a good drink of water when your done.
I LOVE HOW THEY TURNED OUT!
The boys watched from start to finish. I guess you could say this is there smile of approval.
Until the next project…

DIY Recycling Inspiration: Galvanized Vintage Basin Into a Flower Pot

This basin was given to me from my mom (last summer).  My dad was going to throw it out because it was just taking up space in their garage.  I immediately said “YES” and knew right away what I wanted to do with it.  
I wanted it to take up space in my garage!  Truth be told it did get lost (buried) among everything else .  It wasn’t until this past April that I was able to pull it out and put it to use.  I had the idea of placing a plant inside of it, but wasn’t sure if I should replant one in the bottom?  Or just place the pot inside?  I chose the second option.  Less dirt and much easier. Keep things simple, right?
I cut the hose that was attached to the bottom.  It was long, unattractive, and the dogs kept pulling at it.  The basin rests in the corner of the deck where it can still drain down in between the wood panels.
To give the plant some height, I placed the top of a plant stand in the bottom.  One leg was already missing and it was headed for the garbage so I pulled the remaining ones off.  I hate to throw something away if I can find a use for it elsewhere.  It worked perfect!  You can pick up these plant stands at your local dollar stores.
I never realized the rust until I edited the photos for this post.  It may of come from what was in it while in the garage, but I’ll definitely bring it back in for the winter.  I have no experience when using metal items outdoors, so if there is something I should treat it with please share in the comment section below.  Thanks.
This was the other project I was using the double impatiens for.  Remember the post where I transformed the vintage beverage crate into a flower pot?  I used the same plant there as well.  If you missed that post, click here.
As I water the plant everyday I check the drain so that water doesn’t sit in the bottom of the basin.  So far so good. As the plant blooms it expands over the sides.  Exactly what I hoped it would do.
P.S.  This basin would also make a great place to grow an herb or salsa garden.  I’m considering that for next year.  I found a helpful resource in regards to planting food in them.  Completely unaware that you should paint the inside to protect the plants from any possible metal reaction.  Learn something new everyday.  Here’s the link from eHow Home:
 http://www.ehow.com/how_5730657_garden-galvanized-tubs.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask