See how easy it is to take roadside trash and recycle it into a beautiful birdcage planter. A great addition to any garden.
Today I'm showing you how I recycled an old birdcage into a pretty garden planter/ornament.
My daughter found this on the side of the road set out for the trash collector while she was driving.
She actually found two cages. The other one was more rectangular. She cleaned it up to use as a traveling home for her pet ferret, Quigley.
How nice of her to think of me for the other cage.
Preparing Old Birdcage into a Garden Planter
There really wasn't much to do.
First I sanded off the rust with a piece of heavy sandpaper.
Next, I spray painted the entire cage with a nice indoor/outdoor gray.
Then I added a little blue, green and aqua here and there just for fun.
I had the perfect empty spot to fill in the garden where one of my perennials died over the winter.
Inside I planted two thunbergias aka black eyed Susan vines. The one on the left is called Arizona Glow and the other Lemon Star.
This vine is a rapid grower. I only wish it wasn't an annual. It's such a pretty flowering vine and in addition to this orange and yellow comes in white and pinkish shades.
After a couple of weeks, the vines are already starting to fill up the cage.
It's an easy way to add a fun little bit of decoration for the garden.
Also, I love that I was able to recycle this piece of trash into something useful and pretty.
I'll probably bring it in before winter hits. Maybe I can use it for some Christmas decor.
P.S. I really like the look of birdcages as planters. See a much smaller version in this Birdcage Succulent Planter. On a related note, you might enjoy making this Leaf Embossed Fountain/Bird Bath for the garden. You can find it and many more inspiring creative ideas on my DIY/Projects Page.
MrsSW
Great idea, Patti. Your garden is so pretty.
I love Black-eyed Susan vine, ours is the yellow - so bright and cheerful. We planted BES vine a few years ago and Steve's pulling it up like a weed now as ours reseeds prolifically.
Sheila
Patti Estep
Thank you Sheila. I do love black-eyed susan vine, but it has never reseeded for me. You are so lucky. Maybe if I mulch the area in the fall....
Carole West
What a cute idea, I love this. Back in the 90's we use to take them and decorate with dried or silk flowers and added little mushroom birds. Was fun... This got me thinking wouldn't it be neat to turn one into a birdhouse? Thinking you could use moss and mabe add light wood shingles on the roof. I may have to be on the look out now for an old birdcage.
Patti Estep
Carole that's a great idea. It's pretty big but maybe you could get a group of purple martins to make a home there. They are supposed to be good for eating insects.