Magazine Rack Repurposed to Trellised Planter

Today’s DIY post does involve plants, but it’s still a DIY project!  I’ve got gardening on the brain right now y’all!  This was a quick little project that only takes a day at most.  That’s really only because of waiting for paint to dry.  A magazine rack repurposed also means one less thing in my trunk!  More about that below. 😉

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The Magazine Rack

I bought this magazine rack for $5 at a thrift store many years ago for, well, magazines!  It’s kinda heavy already & it’s super heavy when loaded with magazines.  It turned out to be not so practical & my dog used it as a chew toy when she was a puppy.

Eventually it landed in my craft room & became something to stub my toe on!  Finally I decided to get rid of it during my last craft room clean out.  Then it rode around in my trunk for months, along with other “to donate” stuff.  Anyone else do things like that?

Anyway, it occurred to me one day that it would make a great planter!  So, I took it out of the trunk & decided to pair it with an old tomato cage for a trellis.

First thing I did was paint it.  I chose Americana Chalky Finish paint in Rouge for a good pop of color.  After the first coat, it was apparent I would need another & it was looking a little pinkish.  Hmmm…..

I gave it a second coat & roughed up the edges a bit.  Then I sprayed it with a clear MinWax coat.  That looks much better & will give it a little protection.  It’s wood & it’s old y’all, eventually it will rot, but today it’s pretty! : )

Next I added a little liner to help hold the soil in since it has open slats.  This a biodegradable weed barrier I had on hand.

Now it’s ready to hold plants, but I want to plant cucumbers.  Why?  Because we are a pickle making family!

Adding the Trellis

I sprayed the old tomato cage with some paint leftover from my other outdoor projects.  The “tomato cage green” just wasn’t doing it for me!  Using pliers, I took apart the three panels because I only needed two of them.

Then I stuck one on each side of the center panel of the magazine rack.  I used the hooks to help hold them together above the panel.

I also added a couple of staples with my staple gun over the cage to help hold it in place.

Once everything was secure, it was ready for plants!

I added some lower plants to help fill in around the cucumbers.  I also made sure to put this on the porch before added the dirt & plants!  Remember, it’s heavy!

There’s curled parsley & carnival huechera (coral bells) on one side with the cucumbers (Boston pickling)…..

And sweet basil & fernleaf lavender on the other side, with more cucumbers!

I’ve still got to sweep up the potting mess & that other chair really needs a pillow.  My front porch still looks better than it did!  The cucumbers should grow up the vine & be easy to pick.

See y’all Friday!