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    Home » Yard Art And Upcycled Garden Decor

    Keep On Trucking: Fun Upcycled Planter Idea

    Published by Pam Kessler | 227 words. · About 2 minutes to read this article. - 31 Comments

    I tend to get a little tired of using the same old pots and containers for my flower gardening year after year. And let's face it, most flower pots are a little boring and mundane, so when I found this toy truck at a yard sale I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.

    Nothing is safe from potting soil around here!

    What a fun gardening DIY project! Upcycle a toy truck into a planter (this rusty one was found at a yard sale). Too cute!

    After I de-girlified it by removing the unicorns and rainbows (thank you, Goo Gone),

    What a fun gardening DIY project! Upcycle a toy truck into a planter (this rusty one was found at a yard sale). Too cute!

    I taped the tailgate door down to keep the dirt from dumping out the back. Dump trucks tend to do that.

    What a fun gardening DIY project! Upcycle a toy truck into a planter (this rusty one was found at a yard sale). Too cute!

    Then I added a small layer of stones for drainage,

    What a fun gardening DIY project! Upcycle a toy truck into a planter (this rusty one was found at a yard sale). Too cute!

    an even smaller layer of charcoal just because I had it left over from my terrarium project

    What a fun gardening DIY project! Upcycle a toy truck into a planter (this rusty one was found at a yard sale). Too cute!

    and a really thick layer of potting soil.

    What a fun gardening DIY project! Upcycle a toy truck into a planter (this rusty one was found at a yard sale). Too cute!

    Then planted some Limelight Japanese Stonecrop in it

    What a fun gardening DIY project! Upcycle a toy truck into a planter (this rusty one was found at a yard sale). Too cute!

    and I was ready to haul my load.

    What a fun gardening DIY project! Upcycle a toy truck into a planter (this rusty one was found at a yard sale). Too cute!
    Now, you don't have to give up your typical flower pots altogether, but it's nice to plant in something unexpected and different every once in a while. It gives your garden a little touch of whimsy!

    How is your planting going this year?

     

    What a fun gardening DIY project! Upcycle a toy truck into a planter (this rusty one was found at a yard sale). Too cute!

    If you like a truck made into a planter, you may also like these projects:

    Penny Bowling Ball Yard Art

    Wooden Garden Ladders In The Garden

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    Comments

    1. susie @ persimmon moon cottage

      May 11, 2013 at 11:05 pm

      The truck looks so cute fixed up as a planter. I am going to be looking for some of the Japanese Stonecrop. It is pretty.

      Finally the weather is gardening worthy, and I'm sickish with a cold. Hopefully the cold will be gone within a few days and the weather will continue to be good.

      Reply
    2. Astrid

      May 11, 2013 at 9:35 pm

      Such a cute idea! You have just inspired me to use some of my son's old Tonka metal trucks he has recently grown out of. Not much planting going on here hopefully in the next week or so.

      Reply
    3. Heather

      May 11, 2013 at 5:26 pm

      That's very cute. I'm suddenly dying to get myself some unique planters. Never paid much attention to these outdoor details before, but oh how the green is growing on me! You have a lovely blog 🙂

      Cheers,
      Heather@ Lark & Lola

      Reply
    4. Shabby chic Sandy

      May 11, 2013 at 2:03 am

      That truck looks so adorable--really like this one! Now I need to find an old truck :)I hope you have a wonderful Mother's day!

      Reply
    5. All That Glitters

      May 10, 2013 at 9:04 pm

      Love it!!

      Reply
    6. Nook and Cranny

      May 10, 2013 at 7:20 am

      Love it!!

      Reply
    7. Jill

      May 10, 2013 at 5:49 am

      I like it!! So cute!! We have had a week of wonderful temps, just like the middle of summer now today it is a freezing rain warning! Glad I didn't plant!! What is going on??

      Reply
    8. Debra Oliver

      May 09, 2013 at 10:45 pm

      OK, I would never have thought of that. super cute!!

      Reply
    9. 20 North Ora

      May 09, 2013 at 8:25 pm

      How cute. Love that plant in the little yellow truck. Must try to find some of that.

      Judy

      Reply
    10. Tete

      May 09, 2013 at 3:11 pm

      Super cute, but that truck might be worth some bucks, so research it. LOL We had a dealer who sold trucks like that for $35 and up. Hope you don't end up with all this rain we have here today, but its moving your way.

      Reply
    11. Tina Wright

      May 09, 2013 at 9:32 am

      This is so adorable! I'll have to hunt for vintage toys the next time I am at a yard sale or flea market.

      Reply
    12. Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces

      May 09, 2013 at 9:15 am

      This looks SO great! I'm inspired again, Pam...you're going to help me get my garden going with all these great ideas! I've got to get my mind into planting mode!

      Reply
    13. Betsy@My Salvaged Treasures

      May 09, 2013 at 8:45 am

      So darn cute Pam! I sure wish I had saved all the trucks from when my boys were young. They'd be mighty rusty by now.

      Reply
    14. Pam

      May 09, 2013 at 8:40 am

      Ellie - the tag says it grows 2-4 inches tall (which it is right now) and spreads out to 12-24 inches. At the end of summer I'll plant it in the ground around some rocks, so it'll have more room to expand.

      Reply
    15. Ellie VanCaster

      May 09, 2013 at 7:53 am

      That turned out so cute and I've never heard of a Japanese Limelight Stonecrop-really interesting plant that I assume doesn't get very large?

      Reply
    16. Musings from Kim K.

      May 09, 2013 at 7:00 am

      I'm still on the look out for a metal pick up truck to fill with bottle brush trees at Christmas. Love your dump truck planter. We haven't even started planting yet. Falling behind again.

      Reply
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