Love my new DIY planter? I sure do! But, this fun project certainly came from humble beginnings.
For well over a year now, we have lived with a horrible eyesore in our backyard. The great BBQ grill that my inlaws bought for us was broken in a Texas windstorm and then destroyed by the elements.
Haha! Yes, I’m embarrassed to admit that this thing graced our backyard. Like the cinderblock supports to keep it from blowing over again? How about the broken lid? Every time I looked its direction, I swear it was saying, “Feed Me!” a la Audrey II. “Feed Me, Seymour!”
One sunny afternoon a few weeks ago, I started taking it apart. The trash collection was coming the next day, and I thought it was time to send it on its way. I kicked the grill a few times to make sure that nothing was living in it and then removed the top, the innards (the grates and the ceramic charcoal briquettes) and the propane tank.
That’s when it hit me. Like a ton of bricks. Or really, like a ton of charcoal briquettes. Instead of sending Audrey II to the landfill, I was going to give her a new purpose.
I washed the outside of the grill and pillar with soapy water and spray painted it flat black after it was dry. I removed the silver plate and knobs from the front, painted the plate royal blue and washed the knobs in the sink.
In the grill itself, you can see that there were already some drainage holes that make it great for a planter- if yours doesn’t have them, you need to drill a few. I didn’t worry about cleaning it out, because dirt is dirty.
I added a few bricks inside the grill to help with the water drainage for my plants and to bulk up the base a bit so you don’t have to use so much potting soil. I ended up removing all but about 1 or 2 of these bricks because it bulked up the base too much for my plants, but you get the gist.
Just as I would any other pot or planter, I added potting soil and flowers to the grill. I used a mixture of plants that do well in a lot of sun, since they won’t be under any sort of shade except in the early morning and late evening. I liked the idea of having some that were tall and some that trailed so that it would soften the edges of the grill container.
I was so happy with my DIY planter that I set up a little sitting area around it. I hung a few hanging baskets on my fence, pulled up two seldomly used patio chairs and a plant stand with a few potted pretties.
The patio chairs went from too tall to enjoy to being the perfect height, because the trays on the side of the grill are a great spot for a glass of lemonade or a good book.
I really think we’re going to enjoy this spot in the coming months. Tom and I will be able to sit and chat in the evenings after dinner while we watch the kiddos play on their playscape.
And to think – I was just going to put Audrey II out with the garbage. Shame on me!
Sharing this project at: Not JUST a Housewife, DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z
I love the fact that you didn’t spray paint it white and ‘add’ a faux French ‘graphic’ to or something…it is what it is, and the bright posies contrast so well with the original finish, think it is a great idea and a wonderful finish….
Isn’t it marvellous the way a successful creation brings out our inventiveness…your new outdoor room makes it all twice as good…thanks for sharing this♥
How awesome is that!!!! What a great way to repurpose and recycle. Thank you for sharing!
Bravo for being able to use your new flower pot as a side table for your chairs!!!
Thank you for sharing your awesome recycling project!
Now to find an old bbq on the side of the road 🙂
oh my gosh, this is gorgeous!!!
and so timely.. we are shopping for a new grill this coming week and the other one is sitting with the junk to be hauled! my hubby will think I’m crazy when I wheel that baby out of the junk pile today! lol
THANK YOU for this awesome inspiration Lindsay!!!
I have an ugly, old bar-b-q laying on its side; tomorrow I will go and buy a can of spray paint and some earth and flowers. Thanks for sharing, hope mine turns out 1/2 as nice as yours. thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Betty! I’m sure it will be gorgeous!
What an amazing transformation. I know I’ve thrown out a lot of things that could probably be repurposed. I’m just not that creative. Thanks for the inspiration.
This is awesome! I love a good repurpose project and this is so cute.
This post would be perfect for our Creative HomeAcre Blog Hop. We’d love to have you link up. We are live every Sunday!
Love this! You sealed the deal for me on upcycling our old bbq grill and smoker. You truly did a great job. What type of flowers/plants did you plant in it?
Thanks, Lauren! I just put in a mix of plants from Lowe’s that like full sun. I really know NOTHING about plants, so I can’t even tell you what kind they are! They are still doing great, though – except one of the hanging baskets for reasons I can’t figure out…
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Love this! You sealed the deal for me on upcycling our old bbq grill and smoker. You truly did a great job. What type of flowers/plants did you plant in it?
Love this! You sealed the deal for me on upcycling our old bbq grill and smoker. You truly did a great job. What type of flowers/plants did you plant in it .buy social media pva accounts for us pvainsta.com