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DIY Rain Boot Planter

I’d like to share a summery upcycled garden project for a Rain Boot Planter. It’s so simple! You can probably do it with stuff you already have, if not you can get every thing you need for pretty cheap.

Garage sales and thrift stores are great places to pick up cheap foot wear. Especially since you won’t be wearing the boot 😉

DIY Rain Boot Planter Supplies:

Instructions:

I started out with a ‘retired’ pair of muck boots (they get retired when you step on a screw and need a tetanus shot and antibiotics). I also used a drill, gravel, potting soil and a dwarf coreopsis.

I loved these boots, and they weren’t cheap. I’ve given up on fancy boots and I wear my Muck boots in the barn, my current pair is sporting some alpaca inflicted damage from George and the meningeal worm incident. Muck boots aren’t cheap either but they are survivors. 

Start by drilling a few (more) holes in the bottom of the boots. You need to use a large bit to get drainage holes, the soft rubber closed up over small holes. Also watch out for any metal bars running along the bottoms.

Fill the bottom of the boots with gravel, the plants make the boots top heavy and the wind can easily catch the plant and knock them over. This is especially true if you use high boots.

Fill the entire ‘foot’ part of the boot. Make sure to shake the gravel into the toes.

I received this plant as a gift for my birthday. I think the bright yellow flowers will look really cheery with the blue boots. Before you buy a single plant like this to divide make sure it has multiple stems.

You might even have something in your flower bed that needs to be divided.

This was large clump and I just pulled it apart with my fingers. Take care to separate the leaves, they might be tangled together.

Dwarf plants work really well for containers, they don’t need as much room for roots. The shorter height also helps keep them from tipping over.

Gently stuff the plant in, you might need to add potting soil to the bottom of the boots to lift the roots. If you have extra room around the plant fill in with more soil.

Shake and stomp the boot on the ground to get the dirt settled in. Finish the other boot.

I tied a scrap of white fabric around each boot to brighten it up.

The Coreopsis  is a perennial so when the seasons over I’ll cut them back and plant them in a flower bed, saving the boots for more flowers next year.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking the rain will keep these watered! I did and ended up with some pretty droopy plants even after near-constant thunderstorms.
 
All the above pictures are from early May, this is what they look like now:
 
 
Check out my Garden Page for more ideas or start with these:
half whiskey barrel planted filled with a variety of mints and a DIY fairy house
 little girl sitting infront of homemade trellis made with branches, zip ties and t-posts
 
 

Christina at I Gotta Create!

Tuesday 12th of June 2012

I couldn't resist featuring you on Facebook tonight! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Igottacreate/100573240032625?sk=wallThanks so much for linking up at I Gotta Create!<3 Christina

Maggie

Sunday 10th of June 2012

I was wondering what to do with my son's old frog boots and other collection of rain boots

Maggie

Sunday 10th of June 2012

I am trying to figure out where to put them so it doesn't look cheesey...my son wears the boots so much he cracks them...we have 3 pairs of frog boots, and then the ones he got from his older brother, one red and one yellow...what color flowers would you put in them? we actually have 3 more pairs, they just aren't messed up yet ;-)

Alecia @ ChickenScratch NY

Sunday 10th of June 2012

How cute would a whole line of too-small boots be?!

Christina at I Gotta Create!

Saturday 9th of June 2012

These are so cute! Great way to repurpose them! Looks like yore having a great time in the photos too. Thanks so much for linking up at I Gotta Create! <3 Christina

The House at Bluebird Lane

Saturday 9th of June 2012

Fabulous idea! Your planter boots turned out so cute! I have a pair of leaky muck boots that I was going to get rid of, but now will plant flowers instead. Thanks for the inspiration. So happy to be now following! :-)

Danee

Saturday 9th of June 2012

My dad died 5 years ago. When we arrived at the funeral home we noticed a very unique flower arrangement. His best friend had a boot from my dad's army days- In the last 60's when he was drafted for the Vietnam War-it was all beat up but has my dad's name on it. John had the florist plant flowers in it. John was worried about how we would "take" seeing it but it really was such an awesome and heartwarming gesture.

Maggie

Tuesday 12th of June 2012

that is a beautiful!!