Take a look at this chair planter. Jane and I completed this project for a total cost of ZERO.
Hard to believe, isn't it? Here's how we did it.
At our weekly trek to the auction, this old chair was left behind after the auctioneer and buyers had gone down the line. I spotted it sitting all by itself. Walked up and asked loudly if this chair belonged to anyone. I got no response, so I picked up the chair, and put it in my truck. Cost? $0
Jane asked me to remove the rotten bottom. She already had a vision of the finished product. Cost of Leo's labor? $0
I had some chicken wire left over from an earlier project. Jane asked me to attach it to the bottom of the chair to support a flower basket. Cost of chicken wire? $0
By the way, don't mess with me when I have a gun in my hand, especially a staple gun!
After I got the chicken wire stapled in, it was Jane's turn to do her magic. She came back from my workshop with some paint that she had won in a giveaway a few months ago. It was some Annie Sloan's Barcelona Orange chalk paint. Cost of paint? $0
Jane wanted to go to the nursery to buy a coco basket liner and some flowers, but I found an old basket that was just taking up space in my shop. Cost of basket? $0
And instead of buying new flowers from the nursery, I suggested that the marigolds between the tomato plants were the perfect match for that orange paint. So she dug up a few of them and found some other plants that needed repotting, and before she knew it, she had the basket filled. Cost of plants ? $0
Once the chair planter was complete, Jane started moving it around to find the perfect place for it. Near the scarecrow? I don't think so.
On the back deck was the perfect spot.
Jane kept looking at the chair and felt that it needed a little embellishing. So she removed these old, faded flowers from a metal sign, spray painted them, and put them on. Cost of her creative consultation? $0
See? You really can do a project that's totally free.
Doesn't everybody love FREE?
SharonFromMichigan
Found you from BNTP. What a great idea for an old chair. I have two old chairs in my basement that are not sturdy enough for an adult to sit on. You've given me a wonderful idea - turn them into planters! Love your website and store. I will "visit" again.
katie
What a great project! I love the color of the chair. I would have never thought to make the top of the chair into a makeshift flower pot! Love it! I can't wait to meet both of you at Haven in just a few weeks. My husband, Jon *also known as Mr. Woodsy, will be attending the conference as well!
Patti
What an absolutely lovely planter! I'm envisioning it in every style of chair and type of flower, simply gorgeous! We'd love to have you link it to WIW and share you great idea with us.
Hugs,
Patti
Ellen
Wow, it's just beautiful!!! Your creativity is awesome. Now I want a chair, have an extra?
LibbyO
I found this site via Ladies Home Journal. Loved the chair. I had one for years that was similar and it finally fell apart. I need to find another one to redo.
Michele
Love the cheery chair planter, the contents and the cost. But the imagination that came up with the concept is worth a mint!
[email protected]
LOVE it!!! Looks fantastic and you can't beat the price.
Alana
Your chair is so pretty and it looks perfect sitting there on the deck.
Sandy
Wow! I love the color of that chair. Haven't tried the Annie Sloan paint and had no idea in came in a shade of orange. Free projects are the best! All it costs us is time. Beautiful transformation. You two are one heck of a team!
Brandy
What a great idea. Your planter looks very beautiful.
Jennifer
Super cute Jane!! My Daddy made mine for me. I will cherish mine forever! I love your new blog look! I'm so behind on blogging. I keep sayin, One day I will catch up!
Jenn
Anita
Very adorable, great way to repurpose!!
Kelly
Love you r free project....The color of the chair is so cool! What a cute addition to your porch! Love it!
Mary Alice Patterson
Free is good. Your chair planter is so pretty as well.
Mary Alice
Mary
Adorable chair planter~ even better since it was FREE! Love the metal flowers sprouting on the back 🙂
Ginger
Leo, I looooooove free. Your chair turned out great. Love the orange paint and the metal flowers as well as the real one. Thanks for the tutorial with the chicken wire.
Funny thing, a few years ago, I had an old chair to use for a similar project. I put it just outside the back door of the garage. Too bad, it was near the service yard gate. I went back to get it in the afternoon. The garbage man had come and taken my chair. Guess I should have had the orange paint!!
xoxoGinger
Janette@The 2 Seasons
Ahhhh. So, the secret is chicken wire. I often wondered how everything stayed put in those bottomless chairs turned planters. It is really cute!!!
Diane
Priceless!
Kathy
Jane and Leo,
I just love what you did with the chair! Beautiful. I have an old green rocker that belonged to my parents. I wouldn't remove the bottom because it's wood slats, but this makes me want to decorate it with plants and bring it to the front porch. I just keep adding projects to my list! It's so much fun though! Right now I'm working on the bottom half of a hoosier cabinet my mother had. The top was given to a neighbor years ago, no idea why. But I have a plan for the lower half I'll be sharing soon.
Have a great week !
jo lynn
i have some old wood chairs that i am going to cut circles out of the seats to be able to drop in a flower pot .........
Kirby Carespodi
We did exactly (almost) the same thing with a chair we picked up at the side of the road! Great minds think alike.
Linda A. Young
Leo, You are so sweet to work along- side of your creative wife with her clever decorating projects! She has great ideas for making your home beautiful, and not spending a fortune!
The chair is very pretty and cheery!
Have a great week and a happy Memorial Day!
Linda@ Grandmalay's Daydreams
Cindy @ Applestone Cottage
That is totally charming and well done...what a great job!
Cathy@My1929Charmer
Stopping by from SH. Love using chairs in the garden, great way to repurpose. I so love the orange color, and didn't know Annie sloan had orange? Love the chair where you placed it, great garden vignette.
Melanie
Love the color of that chair! That is awesome!! The price was right on it too, love doing a project for free!!!
Keeping it Cozy
Fun and cheerful! And there is nothing better than a free project, especially when it ends up looking as fabulous as this!
Kelly @ Eclectically Vintage
Leo - you are officially my new favorite blog hubby! Gotta love a man that actually encourages bringing more "stuff" into the house! And then you turn around and redo the "stuff"!
The orange is the perfect color - love everything about this little chair!
Kelly
D
How adorable. and you DID find the perfect spot for it. Love it.
D
Helen
Jane and Leo, My goodness, y'all get into more fun over there in SC. I'm loving that chair and the colors your used to decorate it are perfect. I've got to hit the junk stores soon. Y'all have given me an idea! Thanks for always sharing all the details. Love it!
Helen
Barbara F.
You two received my vote (I may have to come up with an actual award) for "My Idols in Blogland". Great great job, reusing and repurposing, and I am sure that chair just knew it had to wait and be picked up by you. You turned it into a work of art. And I love the color, it is my favorite! xoxo (I doubled the love today :o)
Katherine
Great project, and free is the best kind!! I love the bright orange color and the marigolds are perfect too! Beautiful!
Katherine
Shirley@Housepitality Designs
Jane.... gorgeous project for free?...Amazing!....it is perfect there next to your plant stand...the colors are perfect together...sure does scream that summer is almost upon us!!...Great job..you two are so very creative!
Faye
The chair looks so great, and the color is wonderful.
I love the look of your back deck.
Could I just borrow your husband to build one for me??:)
Carlene @ Oganized Clutter
Your chair is so cute. I love it with the green fence shelves. Great vignette!
Linda@Coastal Charm
Hey y'all,
This FREE chair looks outstanding! Happy to hear that the ASCP that you won at my blog, came in handy for this project. Really like how you painted those flowers and added them to it.
Blessings,
Linda
Melanie
Fabulous!!! Goes to show everything is perfect in a Clemson orange chair!
Susan in SC
What a beautiful chair - looks like Clemson orange to me....just thought I would kid you about that! Great job you two!!! Yet another inspirational planter!!!
Missy
Well, a free project if we have a Leo to do the construction!
Ann
Free is always good Leo! The two of you make a really good team. Love how it turned out.
leo
Dolly, you should stop by sometime. We were sprigging centipede grass yesterday. And it was free, too!
Dolly Sarrio
I sure love it! Jane and Leo are two of the busiest people I know. I happen to be lucky enough to go by the crossroads often and when I do I see those two working like crazy. I promise Jane, not stalking you but when we went by yesterday to hit the interstate you two were working so hard and your place is absolutely gorgeous.....
Dolly
debbie
Jane you do know this is going missing tonight!OMG, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it, how cute and fun! Great colors too. Enjoy your weekend.
leo
Well, there's always a next time!
JoAnn
YES.. absolutely LOVE FREE projects, well FREE anything 🙂 Great job on the chair, and like you chose orange for the color - ti POPs out, and really like the metal embellishments. My only problem is I don't have a spare free chair to disassemble for a project like this - to the flea market I go. Great Job!
JoAnn
sweetpepperrose.blogspot.com
CAS
That is some perfect "0$" project -- love that color! I'm just kicking myself, because we had 2 such chairs a while back with the ruche (did I spell that right?) seats that were falling apart. We got rid of them because we didn't have the time the redo those seats. Argh, now I know what we could have done with them....lol! Live & learn, I guess.
CAS