Ah, summer – a chance to break out the lawn chairs and enjoy nature. Time to make lemonade and iced tea. The season to enjoy sun, family, relaxation. If that’s just what you have in mind this year you’re like many of the rest of us. It won’t take a lot of preparation to get ready. Pick your spot in the yard and set up a chair and a small table for holding your cold drink and magazine. You’re all set! You say you bought new lawn chairs to use this summer? What to do with those old chairs? To the landfill with them? No way! Break out all those chairs you won’t be using this year and make unique planters that can adorn the deck or just sit out back with you and the family.
Fold-out lawn chairs, with the woven plastic seats, are perfect for creating fun planters that can hold fake or real plants, fake or real flowers. The chairs are the type which have wide strips of plastic which are interwoven to form the seat and the back. The chairs have metal frames. If yours are the type which are aluminum, they won’t rust, but if they’re they old metal type you may notice that your chairs have some surface rust. To make the planter you want choose if you want to use a rusted chair, for a rustic-look planter, or if you want to paint the chair to present a different appearance. Aluminum chairs can be used as-is.
If you’re using a full size lawn chair you’ll make a rather large planter, but if you’re using a child’s lawn chair, of course, you’ll make a much smaller version of the planter. Since each chair holds only one large plant you might want to consider the size of the chair before starting. This project creates a place for the planter in the seat of the chair but additional small potted plants can be displayed on the arms of the chair. Plants that look best are ones that bloom full of color, vine plants, or wide-spread plants like ferns. However, you can use the old lawn chair to make a planter for most any flower or plant.
To begin the easy process of transforming the lawn chair into a planter you’ll need to purchase a couple of metal rings. You’ll find the rings at most any craft store and they’re available in a variety of sizes. Choose the ring that best suits the size of chair you are using. You’ll need two same-size rings in the metallic color of your choice. The rings are generally available in silver-tone or gold-tone and are not expensive. Make sure you know the size of the chair you’re using before purchasing the rings. You don’t want to complete the project only to find that your potted plant falls right through the chair nor do you want to discover that the finished project isn’t large enough to hold the chosen plant.
In addition to the rings you’ll also need good adhesive. The glue you choose must be waterproof and appropriate for use with metal as well as plastic. Some adhesives work for metal but will melt or distort plastic. Check the label or check with one of the store’s representatives to find the perfect adhesive for the project. You won’t need much glue so purchase the smallest available container of the chosen adhesive.
Start by spreading glue onto one side of one of the metal rings. Position it so that it is in the center of the lawn chair seat. It’s important that you use enough adhesive so that the ring makes contact all the way around. When it’s in place, and the glue has dried, turn the chair over to do the same thing to the other side. Place the glue on the second ring, position it on the bottom of the chair, then glue it in place. The bottom ring should be perfectly aligned with the ring on the top side of the chair’s seat. Wait the amount of time indicated on the label to make sure the glue is completely dry and set.
After the glue is ready all you have to do is cut out the plastic weave inside the rings. Just use a pair of scissors to cut closely to the rings, removing the inner circle of the plastic weave. After you’ve done this your planter is complete! Simply set the chosen plant inside the opening of the chair. The rings will prevent it from falling all the way through. As mentioned before you can set additional, smaller plants on the arms of the chair. Vine plants can be woven in and out of the weave on the chair’s back or around the arms and legs of the chair.
The lawn chair planter is unique and fun to make. Set it on the deck or on a front porch. Set it out in the backyard, by the garden, or choose another location. It’s a cool project that lets you recycle that old lawn chair instead of throwing it away!
Reference:
- Purchase used lawn chairs here: www.ebay.com
