We all know that our world is one full of pollution — but did you know that discarded car tires actually pose a serious litter problem? Not only do a staggering amount of used tires end up in our oceans damaging our aquatic life, but many tires actually end up burned because their owners don’t know what else to do with them. Needless to say, this is not only bad for our Earth but also bad for us human occupants as the fumes that are given off are very bad for our health.
However, tires are a part of modern life. Even if you do not own a vehicle yourself (and kudos to you if this is the case — that’s one of the most eco-friendly actions that you can take for our planet), you have to rely on transportation of some kind at some point. This means that, at least in an indirect way, you rely on tires. While we may not be able to eliminate our reliance on tires completely, we can at least change the way that we go about disposing of tires. One of the best ways to do this is by reusing and recycling them.
One of the best ways to reuse an old tire is by turning it into a planter for your yard! In this article, we will focus on the best tire planters that you can make, whether you have old tires laying around your yard waiting for use, or you are planning on sourcing used tires from around your neighborhood. Let’s hop in.
Gorgeous Textured Planter
We begin this list with a beautiful tire planter that you will not even be able to believe is made from a tire. Leave it to the folks over at Addicted 2 DIY to show how you can make something truly trendy from something that is, well, not. This particular DIY project will involve more materials than just a tire, but you can see how a tire is the main component of the project.
Tire Tree Planter
Who says that flowers and crops are the only things that you can plant in your recycled tire planters? We know for a fact that you can also plant small trees. See for yourself over at Felder Rushing. There are definitely some considerations that you will need to have, like making sure that a tree’s roots comfortable fit inside the circumference of the tire. But even with these restraints, there are many different kinds of trees that you can still fit inside.
Hanging Plant in Tire
Do you remember those classic tire swings at the park? Well, now you can allow your plants to have this same swingin’ kind of fun by putting them in a swinging tire swing planter as seen here at Birds and Blooms. Tires can be heavy, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t simple ways to hang them up in your backyard. These are sure to be conversation starters.
Wooden Tire Garden
Even if you do not like the appearance of a tire swing planter, it doesn’t mean that you can’t use them in your backyard at all. Take inspiration instead from this raised bed garden at Instructables. It is actually made from recycled tires, but you can’t actually tell because of the way that it is covered up by a wooden facade. This might be the best option for you if you have some used tires at your disposal but do not like the appearance of the tires (and if it’s the texture that you don’t like, not even painting the tire will help).
Frog Tire Garden
Here’s one for the kids (or the kids at heart)! This adorable tutorial shows you how you can use your old tires to make the shape of a fun animal (in this case a frog). It’s actually pretty easy to do—all you will need is some paint and at least three or four tires. Seems like a small price to pay for something that will add so much whimsy and joy to your garden. You can fill the frog with plants, of course.
Stacked Tire Planter
This stacked tire planter is classic, and exactly what we think about when we think about tire planters in the first place. It is not practical if you only have a small number of tires to make use of, but it is definitely a viable idea to keep in your back pocket if you are looking for ideas of how you can make beautiful backyard tire planters. Check it out here.
Inside Out Tire Planter
We would never have thought of turning a tire inside out, so we are happy that we came across this tutorial at BHG.com that does exactly that. Did you know that tires are actually smooth on their reverse side? It turns out that they are, and they look great in gardens!
Wall Hanger Tire Garden
Here is another hanging tire swing planter, and this is designed to hang off the wall. You can get the look from DIY Show Off — it is perfect for anyone with a pergola or other overhanging that provides an opportunity to hang a plant.
Hanging Tire Gardens Part 2
We have yet another hanging tire planter to show you! This one from Diva of DIY uses multiple tire planters that look more like an art installation than a simple garden. We are big fans!
Rainbow Tire Wall
Speaking of art installations, how would you feel about having your very own rainbow tire wall in your backyard? That is exactly what is offered here with this DIY solution from Kwik Fit. It is actually pretty easy to do — all you need is to just spray paint tires in a variety of colors and then place plants inside. You don’t even need to place plants in soil. Instead, you can just keep them inside of their pots and place them inside the tire.
Tire Parrot
Here is another fun animal shape that you can make out of recycled tires. This one is for any bird lovers out there because it is in the shape of a parrot! You can learn how to make it over at the aptly named We Heart Parrots. This one is a bit more complex, as it involves cutting the tire, but we promise that the end result is beautiful and worth it!
Bird Bath From Tires
This is not a planter as much as it is a garden accessory, but you could always use it as a planter if you preferred! In any case, this adorable birdbath is made completely from tires. Your neighborhood birds are sure to thank you.
Tire Tea Cup Planters
Here is one that looks like something straight out of Disney Land! It’s hard to beautiful that these colorful teacups were originally made from tire scraps, but it’s true that they were. We love the polka dot and floral designs, but you could really have your own way with any of them and decorate them to your heart’s desire.
Metallic Tire Planter
We love this idea of using metallic paint to brighten up a tire planter! This tutorial here shows you how you can cut a tire in order to make it look nothing like a recycled tire. You can then use vibrant colorful paint and even metallic hues to make the tires look almost store-bought. It’s much cheaper than buying manufactured giant flower pots.
After reading this article we hope that you will never look at used tires again! Who would have thought that they looked so great in the garden? It’s time to do your part and keep one more tire from the landfill.
Leave a Reply