I always wanted a wisteria tree and I was lucky to get one for our 4th wedding anniversary. Absolutely admire these plants climbing beautifully at the front of houses and now it was time to plant my own! I thought the pot for my tree had to be something special to make the tree really stand out and create a nice entrance. I love working with old electric cable drums and decided to build my own cable drum planter. These drums are made from solid wood and very sturdy and look so quirky and unique. You can make so many things out of them such as beautiful tables, clocks, seats and here are easy steps of how to make a wooden drum cable planter.
Difficulty: MEDIUM
Before/ After
Before/ After
Tools required: Crowbar, Wood cutter, Cutting table, Tape measure, Stapler, Scissors, Hammer
Shopping list:
- Black protective sheet
- Painting brushes
- External wood paint
- External wood varnish
- Soil
To do list:
- Dismantle cable drum using a crowbar. Depending on a size of the drum you want to remove at least 3-4 middle planks to give you enough space for plants. Measure and make two straight cuts at the bottom of the drum to allow it to sit stable on the floor.
2. Insert black protective sheet and secure it nicely with a stapler. Cut out any excessive sheet. You want to make sure the sheet is invisible once the planter is ready. Add two planks of wood (leftovers from the middle) to each side to cover the edges and make it look pretty. I hammered it down without a use of any nails.
3. Sand using a sander (or a sand paper) to prepare for paint.
4. Paint the drum if you want to change its natural colour. I went for a natural oak colour to achieve a darker result. Do at least two coats to make the colour even without any marks.
5. Varnish will not only add a nice shine to the final project but it also protects it against the weather. I always use a yacht varnish. Retouch with a second coat and let it dry at least 24 hours.
Your planter is ready and all it needs is a good soil and plants. If you need a small drum like this visit my shop!
Here is my beautiful wisteria tree showing off in the fancy pot at the front of the house. 😉