I love spring projects! My wallet, on the other hand, is not always a big fan of my projects. This spring, I have become obsessed with repurposing items, and have found a great and inexpensive yard project! This over-the-door shoe organizer planter is inexpensive to make, quick to put together, and repurposes something that may not be up to the original job.
Get It Together
This project is simple, inexpensive (especially if you already have an organizer), and easy. You can purchase a clear over-the-door shoe organizer for around $10 or less, but check out yard sales for one and make your project even cheaper.
Sure, sunflowers have a place in every yard, but they’re…big! With this planter, you can use inexpensive annuals. Most annual flowers are in packs of four or six, and are $2 or less. Hit your local nursery, farmer’s market, or garden department when you’re doing your regular errands. I always check out the clearance stands at my garden department. Some the plants aren’t as half-dead as they look and you can get them for cheap. Check with friends too–see if anyone has plants to swap or share. Throw in a few bags of potting soil, a couple hours and you’ll have a display that you’ll be proud of. (Look online for coupons for potting soil!)
In The Yard
Decide where you want your planter to go. These work wonderfully hung on a fence, your porch, or anywhere you want a blast of color or a unique look.
If you have specific flowers that you want planted, choose an area that coordinates with their sunlight needs. Otherwise, pick flowers that will work with the amount of sunlight in the location you want to jazz up. Secure your organizer in place with nails or screws across the top. Remember, once you add the potting soil, plants, and water the plants, it will be much heavier.
Using a small trowel, fill each compartment with enough potting soil to be about 2/3 full. Remember to leave enough room for your plants to be inserted. Place one plant or flower into each compartment. Add enough soil to cover the roots but don’t fill it up completely. You will need room for watering. Your new creation needs a drink, so water each plant with a watering can until the soil is moist. Continue to water as needed but be careful: do not over-water. If the soil feels damp, the flowers are good.
Use any annuals you want for this project–just be sure they can tolerate the heat and sun conditions where the organizer is placed. Flowers that creep and spread create a beautiful full look, often completely obscuring the shoe organizer!
Alternate flowers that grow upwards and cascade down. Your imagination is your only limit. Create a tribute to your favorite team, display your wedding colors, or make a riotous rainbow of your favorite flowers. Look at Lehman’s Pinterest page for some ideas too.
The main thing to remember is to have fun. Flowers weren’t made to be stuffy. Let your personality shine in the flowers and colors that you choose.
