Upcycled Wooden Shoe into Planter Wind Chime
How to create a planter wind chime from a wooden shoe
I’m always on the lookout for unusual things for upcycling projects, especially garden projects. John and I went to a community yard sale a couple of weekends ago, and ‘wooden’ you know it, I found something super fun.
This $2 super-sized pair of Dutch wooden shoes was just waiting for me to find them. And when I say they’re super-sized I actually mean super-duper-sized. I’m talking size 28 1/2! Who on earth has feet that large?
Anyway, because of their size I saw the immediate future for one of them. The other will be put aside while I continue to ponder what its destiny will be.
This is not my first upcycled wooden shoe project. I used a pair of wooden shoes as craft room storage a few years ago. They were too small to be used for the project I’m doing today, but I kept it in the back of my mind for the day when I found the perfect candidates.
And the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
I’m joining a bunch of creative bloggers for the Do It Over Designers blog hop. This is my first time joining in, and I can’t wait to see what everyone has created. The theme for this blog hop was anything wooden. I’m sharing my project with you first, and you can find links to all the talented creators at the end of this post. Be sure to visit and check out all the fabulousness. I’m sure you’ll be inspired!
Upcycled wooden shoe into planter wind chime
To give you an idea of the size of these babies, here I am holding them. One of these shoes will make a perfect planter but, of course, I couldn’t stop there.
If you’ve been around here a while you know how much I love to make wind chimes. So I couldn’t resist taking this project that one step further.
Supplies needed for this project
- large wooden shoe/clog
- 3 silver plate tablespoons, flattened and drilled
- chains of some sort for hanging
- 5 metal snap clips
- 5 half inch metal split rings
- 2 – 1/2″ eye hooks
- 3 – 1/4″ eye hooks
- 1 large key ring
- sharpie
- drill and drill bits
- little piece of cocoa fiber
- potting soil and plants
To create my wind chime, I’m using 3 silver plate tablespoons. I drilled holes into their ends, and flattened them as well. I find that flattened spoons sound better, but that’s just a personal choice. You can find instructions on how to flatten and drill spoons in this spoon bookmark tutorial. Or you can use measuring spoons that come with holes already.
Creating a wind chime from a wooden shoe
The first thing I did was put in the eye hooks to hang my upcycled wooden shoe. I just sort of winged it, drilled in my small pilot holes, and screwed in my 1/2″ eye hooks. Then I clipped on a couple of metal snap hooks.
I added chains, 2 split rings, and attached them to the top brass ring.
This pair of wooden shoes had a lot of what we in the upcycling/repurposing world call character, so I chose to go with a rustic look with already rusty chains. The shoe and the plants are going to be the stars of this project, and the wind chimes will be their lower key accompaniment.
I drilled a few pilot holes for the 1/4″ eye hooks, and a bunch of drainage holes so water can escape from the inside of the shoe.
I added the snap clips, the chains, split rings, and finally the silver plate tablespoons. Because, as I mentioned earlier, I’m going for the rustic look I didn’t polish the spoons.
Creating Planter from Wooden Shoe
To make sure soil doesn’t leak out of my upcycled wooden shoe planter when water drains, I grabbed a small piece of cocoa fiber from another planter.
And I stuffed it down into the toe of the wooden shoe.
Then I added some potting soil, and the finishing touch is of course the plants. I used a small red verbena, 2 white alyssum, and a creeping jenny.
For a fun and unexpected touch I tucked in one of my repurposed candle snuffer bellflowers, that I shared recently.
Against a fence or on a post is the perfect placement for this upcycled wooden shoe planter wind chime, because you really don’t want to see the back of the shoe.
This was a fun project, and I know I’m going to enjoy the beauty of the planter and the lovely sound of the wind chime for the whole summer season.
I hope this project has inspired you, and now for more inspiration be sure to check out the other Do It Over Designers listed below.
Exquisitely Unremarkable
Little Vintage Cottage
Modern on Monticello
Pandora’s Box
Purple Hues & Me
Southern Sunflowers
Unique Creations by Anita
Sum of Their Stories
Tea and Forget-Me-Nots
The Apple Street Cottage
Birdz of a Feather
Color Me Thrifty – that’s me!
It would be greatly appreciated if you would pin this project to your favorite Pinterest board, and also share it with your friends.
Thanks so much for reading and until next time,
keep on keepin’ on!
XOX
Ok, I was hooked from the first photo!! First, what a truly unique (and super fun) find. Second, the size, whoa!! SO many possibilites. Your creative DIY is a stunner. Fabulous for summer, with its bright colors and your ingenious upcycling idea. How perfect!!
Thanks very much Kim! It’s always fun to create planters from unusual things.
Wow, when you said these were massive, you weren’t kidding! So clever to have it do double duty as a wind chime and planter. It looks absolutely gorgeous in your garden Tuula and I can’t wait to see what you do with the other one. By the way, love what you did in your craft room too; it’s a great idea for extra storage.
Thanks Sara! I was so lucky to find these huge shoes. You just never know what you’ll find out in the wild world of thrifting.
This is very clever! I imagine the sound of the spoons is very soothing! Happy Memorial Day weekend!
Thanks Patti! The sound of the chimes definitely adds that little extra something.
I absolutely love this project, Tuula. From the wooden shoe to the silverplate and flowers, it’s just perfect. I’m off to see more about that candle snuffer flower – what a fabulous idea! Thanks for joining us on this hop!
Thanks very much Ann! This hop was such fun, and I’m so happy to be a part of it.
Wow, those are some BIG shoes! I love what you’ve done, so creative!
Tania
Thanks very much Tania! It was a super fun project.
What an amazing idea to turn one of the wooden shoes into a planter, Tuula! This is so creative and unique! And it’s quite lovely, too! Looks perfect in your garden! It’s so cool! Welcome to the “Do It Over Designers” group! Glad you joined us!
Thanks Gail! It’s always fun to find new ways to use things. I’m so glad to be a part of such a creative group.
This is so charming! Love that it’s functional and decorative. Great idea.
Thanks Rachel! I love to try to make things both practical and pretty.
What fun! And like you say, bursting with “character”, I love it!
You said the shoes were big but it wasn’t until you showed them in relation to your hand that I realised you really weren’t joking 😀
Thanks Julie! I’ve never seen shoes that big in my life. It made the planter idea easy peasy.
I am beyond Impressed with this upcycle. What a great cheap find and super unique upcycle. Well done!
Thanks Anita! It’s always fun to repurpose unusual things in unusual ways.
This idea inspired me! I have two wooden clog shoes in my stash!
I’m so happy my project has inspired you!
This is so unique. Love it with the flowers in it. So pretty.
Thanks Debra!
Oh, Tuula! You’re getting me inspired again!! I’m only a few months shy of getting my own apartment and my mind is buzzing with your ideas! Keep ’em coming!!
Thanks Dona! How awesome for you to be getting your own place.
Wow, who knew that wooden shoes and old spoons could be upcycled into such a pretty and unique planter. Such a wonderfully creative idea.
Thanks very much Pat!
This is such a unique idea and a great conversation piece in your yard. I love seeing someone take something so simple and turn it into something so wonderful looking. Great job on this challenge.
Thanks Donna! It was a fun challenge.
What an awesome and clever idea for repurposing that ginormous shoe! I’m so glad I popped over to your craft room shoe post. I have some colorful dutch shoes I can now hang on a wall in my craft room like you did. Thanks for that idea!
Thanks Allyson! I do love using unusual things for storage. It just makes it more fun.
I’m so excited to see you are in the talented Do It Over Designers group, and what an intro to the group with this clever upcycle! You had big shoes to fill (sorry, couldn’t resist) and oh did you do that fabulously with one of your signature garden chimes creations. Love this!
Thanks so much Marie! I’m very excited to be a part of this group. This first hop was so much fun!
This is adorable! Perfect for summer and fall plants! I just need to find a wooden shoe! 🙂
Thanks so much MaryEllen!
Tuula,
You have really inspired me to look at items we normally discard as ART in process! Sometimes we just need a little inspiration.
Thank you so very much!
Thanks very much Deborah! I’m so glad my project has inspired you.