We like to keep our outdoor space as unique as possible, which is why we have repurposed a lot of different items and turned them into planters. We have an old, rusty wheelbarrow that is overflowing with colorful plants, and there are even a few tires scattered about the yard that are just perfect as a raised planter. We painted the tires with bright colors that have long since faded into the rubber, which is a neat effect in itself. We stopped short at the idea of using an old toilet as a planter, but one of our neighbors has one and I have to admit it is delightful in an idiosyncratic sort of way.
The use of a tire as a planter is not a new idea. My husband and I, however, came up with a new way to use the tires that our friends and family keep giving to us, and we feel it is a pretty interesting idea. Instead of just dropping the tires on the ground and filling them with soil and plants, we decided to make the tires into little grass-covered stools. We often like to sit in the grass, and this would be a nice way to re-create that feeling on an actual stool.
First we made some very simple legs and attached them to a circular wooden platform that we mounted to the tire. The platform had a few small holes drilled into it to allow moisture to leave the stool, and we covered the platform itself with some plastic to protect the wood from water damage. We did not, obviously, want to see anyone take a tumble after sitting on our beautifully inviting grass stools.
With the legs and platform attached to the stool, all that was left for us to do was to add the soil and put in some grass plugs. It did not take long before the stool was entirely covered with grass and it is now one of our favorite seats. We have since made a few more, and they are all quite lovely. The materials for this project are fairly cheap, and even if you don’t have people gifting you used tires like we do, it is fairly easy to find used and worn-out tires for less than $10 if you know where to look. So there you go, another Kimra Bettasso trick for turning tires into something useful and unique.
