Repurposed Stave and Door Knocker Flower Pot Holder

How to make a unique repurposed stave and door knocker flower pot holder for outdoors. Today is our Int'l Bloggers Club challenge and the theme this month is Iron. Sometimes it takes being challenged to force you to see items you have on hand through a creative lens.



This particular challenge had me stumped until I remembered that I had a cast iron door knocker in a box somewhere in the workshop. Also buried in that box I found an old stave and the gears in the ole noggin started turning. I wondered how I could marry the two items into something interesting for our backyard.



Turning a repurposed stave and wrought iron door knocker into a one-of-a-kind hanging flower pot holder.

Unique DIY Outdoor Flower Pot Holder

Had it not been for our challenge this month, I would have never thought to pair an upcycled door knocker with a repurposed stave.



Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.
~Edward de Bono

A unique barrel stave outdoor wall planter idea using a repurposed stave and wrought iron door knocker for a one-of-a-kind hanging flower planter.

If you haven't heard of the International Bloggers Club, we are a group of bloggers from South Africa, Australia, the Netherlands, the USA, and Canada who come together on the third Monday of every month to share a DIY project with a common theme.



Our previous challenge was silk or linen where I made a No-Sew Tailored Bed Skirt For Adjustable Beds. You'll find our talented group's iron projects at the bottom of the post. Please be sure to check them out before you go.



I've had the fleur-de-lis cast iron door knocker for so long that I don't remember when or where I got it. I'm a sucker for anything French so it's no surprise that I bought it without having a purpose in mind.



A fleur-de-lis wrought iron door knocker to repurpose into a unique one-of-a-kind outdoor wall planter.

To complete this project I needed something to use for a flower pot and found just what I needed at the dollar store.



A unique repurposed stave and door knocker outdoor hanging flower pot supplies.

What You'll Need To Make It

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from any qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!


Supply List

Wood Stave
Cast Iron Door Knocker
Small Metal Flower Pot
Whitewash Glaze (Dixie Belle Paint) 
Hurricane Gray (Dixie Belle Paint)
Metallic Silver Paint
Pewter Gray (FAT Paint)
Copper Primer Paint (Modern Masters)
Blackened Bronze Metallic Surfaces (Sophisticated Finishes)
Wicker White Multi-Surface Craft Paint (Folk Art)
D-Ring Picture Hanger



A unique outdoor wall planter idea using a repurposed stave and wrought iron door knocker.

How To Repurpose A Stave and Door Knocker Into A Flower Pot Holder

Now that we've covered the three main items used to make the repurposed flower pot holder hanging on our backyard gate, let's get started with the instructions on how to make it.



A unique repurposed stave and iron door knocker outdoor wall planter idea.

Step 1 - Whitewashed Stave

This step is completely optional. While I love the natural wood on the oak stave, the iron door knocker looked lost against the dark wood. To create a contrast, I gave the stave a whitewashed patina with paint.



First, I sanded the stave to remove the glossy finish. Then I brushed the stave with a whitewash glaze, letting it rest deep into the grain of the wood. After a few minutes, I removed the excess glaze with a lint-free rag. In the photo below you can see the end result on the bottom.



A wood stave whitewashed with glaze to repurpose into a unique outdoor wall planter.

Step 2 - Small Metal Hanging Flower Pot

The plan was to set a small flower pot inside the metal ring of the door knocker. But the problem with that plan was when flowers were planted inside, they covered the ornate detail of the door knocker.



Onto plan B, using a flower pot that could hang from the ring of the door knocker instead.



A unique repurposed door knocker outdoor wall planter idea.

Step 3 - How To Age A Metal Flower Pot

This step is completely optional. I decided the turquoise metal flower pot looked too shiny and new. So I gave it a timeworn galvanized patina that matched the rustic charm of the whitewashed stave and cast iron door knocker. But I still wanted some of the pretty turquoise color to peek through from underneath.



Pictured below are the products I used to give the metal flower pot a timeworn galvanized patina.



A unique barrel stave outdoor wall planter idea using a repurposed stave and wrought iron door knocker for a one-of-a-kind hanging flower planter.

Big difference, right? Pictured below is a close-up of the $1.50 dollar store metal flower pot before the galvanized paint treatment.



A unique barrel stave outdoor wall planter idea using a repurposed stave and wrought iron door knocker for a one-of-a-kind hanging flower planter.

To achieve the faux-aged galvanized patina on the metal flower pot, we'll be using layers of paint, starting with a dark gray.



Turning the metal hanging flower pot on the repurposed stave and door knocker outdoor wall planter with paint.

The first layer of paint on the metal flower pot is the color hurricane gray, brushed with random brush strokes with an inexpensive chip brush. You can see in the photo above that I didn't completely paint over the turquoise color. Allow the paint to dry before moving on to the next color.



The second layer of paint is metallic silver and is also applied with a chip brush in much the same way. BUT while the paint is wet, randomly dab a scrunched lint-free rag to remove some of the paint so you can see the two previous colors underneath.



Once the previous paint layer is dry, repeat the previous step with the next layers of paint as outlined below.

Paint Layer Three - Pewter Gray Chalk Style Paint
Paint Layer Four - Copper Primer Paint
Paint Layer Five - Blackened Bronze Metallic Surfaces
Paint Layer Six - Wicker White Multi-Surface Craft Paint



If you'd prefer just a galvanized patina without the timeworn paint layer look, I share that technique with this rustic garden tool holder.



Step 4 - Assembling Repurposed Outdoor Flower Pot Holder

Assembling the repurposed outdoor flower pot holder was quick and easy. First, attach the repurposed iron door knocker to the repurposed stave with 3/4-inch wood screws. To cover the screw heads, dab some blackened bronze and copper primer paint with an art brush to match the wrought iron.



Next, bend the hanger on the metal flower pot over the ring of the door knocker. Attach a D-ring picture hanger on the back of the stave. Last but not least, plant pretty flowers like my pink petunias in the hanging flower pot for a pop of color.



A unique repurposed stave outdoor wall planter idea.

Here's another outdoor wall planter idea made with repurposed materials that you might like except this one is a solar-lighted address planter.



Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by this one-of-a-kind repurposed stave and door knocker outdoor wall planter idea.



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A unique repurposed iron door knocker hanging flower pot for outdoors.

If you enjoyed this repurposed stave and door knocker hanging flower pot holder, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your favorite board on Pinterest.




A unique barrel stave outdoor wall planter idea using a repurposed stave and wrought iron door knocker for a one-of-a-kind hanging flower planter. #outdoorwallplanter #diywallplanter #repurposedbarrelstave #repurposeddoorknocker


I invite you to click on the links below to visit our talented group members' iron projects. If you don't have time today, you can bookmark the page by pressing the pink heart icon on the right to come back later.


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Comments

  1. Everything totally came together on this one Marie. When I saw the photo of your wrought iron door knocker barrel stave flower pot holder I was taken aback with how big it actually is. Wow. Stunning mix and match of a whole bunch of different things. P.S. I tried to say it 5 times but the "door knocker barrel stave" bit tripped me up :D

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    1. LOL, I can't even say it one time without tripping up 🤣 She IS a big flower pot hanger but then so is our gate so the scale worked out perfectly. I love looking out my kitchen window and seeing it hanging there all pretty with the pop of fuscia blooms.

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  2. Your flower pot door knocker is truly adorable! It's so creative and unique and I bet all of your guests are quite surprise and delighted when they see it!

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    1. Thank you so much, Gail! I'm so glad to FINALLY have put the door knocker to good use.

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  3. This is gorgeous Marie, and I love how you placed it like a wreath on your gate. Your yard has to be the most amazing spot, so much creativity. Of course your pot makeover looks perfect, your work always is.

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    1. Thank you Leanna, our yard has been a work in progress for 20 years. We've always got some project on the go out there. It is our little oasis from May - September. I'm quite pleased with how the flower pot holder dresses up our back gate, just what it needed. Glad you like it 😊

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  4. I couldn't agree with you more about a challenge, Marie! They sure get your brain working and are so much fun! You sure did nailed this challenge! Such a beautiful piece of garden art!

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    1. Thank you very much, Sam! It was a little unnerving before coming up with the idea and then so much fun to bring my idea to fruition.

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  5. What a perfect mix of items! This is just gorgeous!

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    1. Thank you so much, Kaycee! I love how it dresses up our gate.

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  6. This is such a unique idea, Marie! We just moved to central Oregon and got 4 feet of snow this past winter. I'm still trying to figure out what to plant flower wise in this new colder climate. Maybe something like this would work with annuals :)

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    1. I know all about living in a cold climate with lots of snow and nine months of winter. You'll be surprised at what can grow in a cold climate. I'm always amazed when my hydrangeas, tea roses, and lavender come up every Spring. But it's nice to have some annuals always blooming in flower pots too, like this one.

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  7. I like more the flower pot now, Marie. It looks aged as the wood and being out there on snow for nine months is what it would end up looking anyway. Your door knocker seems to be made just for this project, everything looks so nice on your door

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    1. Thank you so much Pili, I'm pleased with how it turned out. I think you're right about it aging over time. The more I look at the flower pot, the more I like the aged look. The turquoise would have stuck out like a sore thumb.

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  8. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS! While the original pot was cute, you were right to think that it was too, "too" for what you wanted to achieve. Good job!!

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    1. Thank you so much Ceyla! You know, the more I look at the aged flower pot, the more I realize I made the right choice. I think the bright shiny turquoise would look out of place. We've had nothing but rain this week and it's holding up well out there on my gate.

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  9. I love how you brought it altogether. Painting the bucket and the wine stave was a good call, it looks like it was made that way to begin with. Great job!!!

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    1. Thank you so much, Chery, you made my day when you said it looks like it was always that way! That definitely was my intention so I'm glad you feel I hit the mark.

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  10. Don't you dare touch that "aged" pot - it is perfect!!! It is my favorite part of this project an I love the entire thing!! It looks fantastic on your gate - what an imagination you have!

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    1. LOL, promise I won't be touching it, Carol! The more I look at the aged flower pot the more I like it's rustic charm. I can see it hanging on the gate from the kitchen window and it makes me smile. Can't wait for the petunias to fill out and trail down the wine staves.

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  11. I LOVE this, Marie! I think aging the pot was the right thing to do. I liked the turquoise of the pot, too, but I think it would have clashed with the vintage vibe of the barrel staves and the hanger. Just too modern-looking for the rest of the piece.

    I have some old barrel staves in my garage that were painted a medium green color. Before the barrel fell apart I used it in my yard to sit a plant on and loved it. So when it came apart I just couldn't stand to throw the pieces away. I don't know if I have the metal bands that held the staves together, though. I would love to use it to make a plant holder similar to yours. I'm thinking maybe I could hold the staves together with some old leather belts instead of the original metal bands. Then I'd have to find some sort of hook or door knocker to hold the flower pot. I'm getting excited already just thinking about using those old barrel staves! I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the great idea and the tutorial! You are the Queen of Creativity, Marie!

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    1. I'm so excited that my flower pot holder inspired you to do something with your old wine staves, Naomi! Leather belts would be cool to replace the metal band. You probably can find some metal strapping at the home improvement store that would work too. Send me pictures when you're done, I'd love to see it!

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  12. I love your flower pot holder, it's perfect and the pot looks like it's been hanging there for a while!! Lovely repurpose of a door knocker Marie!!

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    1. Thank you, Katrin! I would not have my unique flower pot holder if it wasn't for our challenge, so thank you my friend 🤗 So glad to FINALLY put the door knocker and wine staves to goo use!

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  13. Personally, I think that if you left the planter its original color the "newness" of the appearance would have been jarring. It looks perfect exactly the way you did it!

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    1. Thank you Kathy, I totally agree after sitting on it for a few days.

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  14. Looks perfect Marie. Happy Weekend
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. Thank you Kris, I've been enjoying my new gate decor from my kitchen window all week as it poured rain outside. We finally have sun this morning so hopefully those petunias can now grow!

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  15. What a bang-up job, Marie! I love the patina look you gave the flower pot. I think it all words well together, and you can still see some of the turquoise (which obviously give that faux patina). I having a hard time visualizing what you did with the d-ring. Can you expound on that? So glad we got to see this at Tuesday Turn About!

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    1. Thank you so much, Julie, I'm glad you like it! As for how I hung it on the gate, I attached a D-ring style picture hanger hook to the top center of the back of the wine staves and hung it on the gate with a nail. Easy peasy!

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  16. Hi Marie! This turned out beautifully, as always. I love seeing your creativity in the garden. So appreciate you joining us each week at Tuesday Turn About!

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    1. Thank you very much, Crissy! I appreciate you hosting the TTA party for us bloggers to share our creativity. See you Tuesday and have a great weekend!

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  17. I'm so impressed with your flower pot holder project Marie. You really know how to take an idea to the next level! Thanks so much for sharing on Tuesday Turn About!

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    1. Thank you so much Michelle, I'm glad you like my flower pot holder idea!

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  18. Oh em gee! I thought that little pot was real galvanized metal. OK. You win the prize for best faux metal. Pinning to my Faux Metal board.....of course. Beautiful piece. Great job! Susie from Chelsea Project

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    1. Yay, then I successfully accomplished my goal! Thank you so much, sweet friend for the pin and your kind words...and the visit 😊 Hope you had a nice 4th of July!

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  19. I love how this all came together. The cut barrel and knocker mesh perfectly for your gate decor.

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    1. Thank you so much Erlene! I love how the large size of the barrel staves adds that punch we needed on our back fence. Now that we have some sun, the petunias are filling out nicely too!

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  20. I'm featuring you when the next To Grandma's house we go link party starts - Thanks for sharing with us, happy summer!

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    1. Happy Summer to you Tarahlynn and thank you so much for the feature! xo

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