DIY Recycled Tire Planter

How to create a fun and colourful planter for your garden with a recycled tire.

Hey everyone! With summer in full swing, I thought I’d share a project that I actually created last summer, and still looks great this year. And with Canada’s big 150th birthday coming up this weekend, it’s also a great way to add some red and white patriotism to your yard!

In my usual habit of rescuing things from the side of the road… (read about my trash-to-treasure desk and tiered wood slice stand) ... there was a stack of used tires sitting on the curb in my neighbourhood for several days, and I finally had to go and grab one of them. I was looking for a way to add some temporary, low maintenance colour and life to a plain corner of our yard, and recycling the tire was going to be the way to do it.

Here it is dressed up for Canada Day this year. Read on to find out how you can make your own.

Materials:

used tire

drill
spray paint
landscape fabric
container soil

plant material
sturdy hook

Instructions:

1. A few holes need to be drilled into the bottom of the tire for drainage. We used a 3/8 inch drill bit, and be sure to wear your safety goggles.

2. Spray the outside of the tire with an exterior quality spray paint.

3. Cut a piece of landscape fabric and lay it across the inside of the tire to cover the holes. This keeps the soil inside the tire.

4. Fill the bottom of the tire with soil.

5. Add your plants and more soil as needed to secure them.

6. Hang the tire from a sturdy hook.

7. Water the plants thoroughly, and enjoy the new addition to your garden!

I love how it adds some interest and a splash of colour to this otherwise plain side of our yard. It’s super sunny here now that we’ve lost a few of our shade trees (read more about that here) so it’s perfect for some pretty annuals. But since this side of the yard also gets made into a skating rink in the winter, there isn’t much opportunity for gardening along the fence. This was a perfect and very budget-friendly solution. Gotta love a good recycling/up-cycling project.