Iron Door Knocker Barrel Stave Flower Pot Holder
Sometimes it takes being challenged to see something through a different lens. It's time for another International Bloggers Club challenge and this month the theme is Iron. This one had me stumped for days until I remembered something deep in my stash that I've never found a use for. I married it with another item that has been collecting dust in the workshop and we now have a unique wrought iron door knocker barrel stave flower pot holder (whew, say that five times fast). I have it hanging on the gate in our yard and couldn't be happier with the results.
I've had the Fleur De Lis wrought iron door knocker in a box for so long that I don't remember when or where I got it. I'm a sucker for anything with French flair so it's no surprise that I bought it. But the door knocker didn't suit the style of the exterior of our home so it was never used for it's intended purpose. One never to get rid of ornamental ironworks, I knew someday I'd find a purpose for it.
I'm so glad that someday has finally arrived, thanks to our iron challenge this month.
If you're new here and haven't heard of the International Bloggers Club, we are a group of friends from around the globe who come together every month to share a themed DIY project. You'll find links to my friend's iron inspired projects at the bottom of this post.
We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the USA, and here in Canada. I'm from a hamlet east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We are situated in the Canadian Prairies and just a 4-5 hour drive from the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
For our silk or linen challenge, I shared my No Sew Tailored Bed Skirt For Adjustable Beds. The month prior for our leather challenge, I shared How To Beautify A Footstool With Embossed Leather.
This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. At no cost to you, we receive a small commission if you make a purchase.
It's been at least a couple of years since Mr. Frugalista brought home the wine or whiskey barrel staves pictured below. The intention was to turn them into a stool or plant stand but that never happened and instead, they've been collecting dust in the workshop.
Wondering how I could marry the ornamental iron door knocker and the oak barrel staves, inspiration finally struck. But first I needed a metal flower pot.
The plan was to find a flower pot to fit inside the metal bob or ring of the door knocker. The problem was when flowers were inserted inside the flower pot, the ornate details of the door knocker were hidden. On to plan B.
I found the turquoise metal flower pot with fence hanger hook (pictured above) at the dollar store. The hanger was perfect to bend around the door knocker ring so the flower pot would hang lower. But the pretty blue flower pot was too shiny and new for the rustic charm I was going for. So I got busy with layers of paint and aged it.
You can see how nicely the iron door knocker, wine barrel staves, and metal flower pot work together to make an iron door knocker barrel stave flower pot holder.
...and I love how it looks hanging on our back gate.
Next, I brushed the staves with a whitewash glaze, brushing both across and up and down each section to get the glaze deep into the wood grain. I let it sit for a couple of minutes before wiping the excess with a lint-free rag.
You can see the process in the photo below between the natural wood staves and the whitewashed staves. See how the glaze nestled into the grain of the wood?
While I loved the pretty turquoise color of the metal flower pot, it didn't have the rustic charm I wanted for my flower pot fence hanger.
My intention was to paint a faux galvanized metal finish on the flower pot so it would match the galvanized iron hoops on the barrel staves. I wanted some of the pretty turquoise color to peek through the painted layers. I started by painting dark gray chalk paint in random brush strokes with a chip brush.
I used the products below to achieve the aged galvanized patina on the flower pot.
A big difference between the flower pot before and after, right?
I applied the remaining layers of paint with a chip brush and dabbed with a lint-free rag to remove some of the paint.
Layer One - Hurricane Gray chalk paint (Dixie Belle)
Layer Two - Metallic Silver paint (Modern Masters)
Layer Three - Pewter Gray chalk paint (FAT)
Layer Four - Copper Primer, Metallic Copper paint, and Green Patina (Modern Masters)
Layer Five - Blackened Bronze Metallic Surfaces (Sophisticated Finishes)
Layer Six - Wicker White Multi-Surface craft paint (Folk Art)
Next, I bent the fence hanger on the flower pot over the door knocker ring. I attached a D-ring picture hanger hook onto the back of the barrel staves and it was ready to hang with pretty pink petunias.
I'm not going to lie, part of me wonders if I should have left the metal flower pot untouched. The juxtaposition between the rustic door knocker and whitewashed staves with a pop of turquoise might have been quite pretty. What would have been your preference?
I'd love to hear in the comment section below or if you have any questions about this project, press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!
Repurposed 5-Panel Door Flower Planter
Wrought Iron Plant Stand Makeover
Vintage Wrought Iron Nesting Tables
Repurposed Hurricane Candle Holder To DIY Bistro Dining Set
I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.
Please join me by clicking the links below to visit my friend's iron inspired projects.
Wrought Iron Barrel Stave Flower Pot Holder
I've had the Fleur De Lis wrought iron door knocker in a box for so long that I don't remember when or where I got it. I'm a sucker for anything with French flair so it's no surprise that I bought it. But the door knocker didn't suit the style of the exterior of our home so it was never used for it's intended purpose. One never to get rid of ornamental ironworks, I knew someday I'd find a purpose for it.
Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. ~Edward de Bono
I'm so glad that someday has finally arrived, thanks to our iron challenge this month.
If you're new here and haven't heard of the International Bloggers Club, we are a group of friends from around the globe who come together every month to share a themed DIY project. You'll find links to my friend's iron inspired projects at the bottom of this post.
We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the USA, and here in Canada. I'm from a hamlet east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We are situated in the Canadian Prairies and just a 4-5 hour drive from the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
For our silk or linen challenge, I shared my No Sew Tailored Bed Skirt For Adjustable Beds. The month prior for our leather challenge, I shared How To Beautify A Footstool With Embossed Leather.
This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. At no cost to you, we receive a small commission if you make a purchase.
It's been at least a couple of years since Mr. Frugalista brought home the wine or whiskey barrel staves pictured below. The intention was to turn them into a stool or plant stand but that never happened and instead, they've been collecting dust in the workshop.
Wondering how I could marry the ornamental iron door knocker and the oak barrel staves, inspiration finally struck. But first I needed a metal flower pot.
The plan was to find a flower pot to fit inside the metal bob or ring of the door knocker. The problem was when flowers were inserted inside the flower pot, the ornate details of the door knocker were hidden. On to plan B.
I found the turquoise metal flower pot with fence hanger hook (pictured above) at the dollar store. The hanger was perfect to bend around the door knocker ring so the flower pot would hang lower. But the pretty blue flower pot was too shiny and new for the rustic charm I was going for. So I got busy with layers of paint and aged it.
You can see how nicely the iron door knocker, wine barrel staves, and metal flower pot work together to make an iron door knocker barrel stave flower pot holder.
...and I love how it looks hanging on our back gate.
Here's how I did it...
Glazed oak wine barrel staves
While I love the natural wood on the oak staves, the wrought iron door knocker looked lost against the dark wood. The option was either paint the door knocker or the barrel staves and I chose the later. First I sanded the wood staves to remove the glossy finish.Next, I brushed the staves with a whitewash glaze, brushing both across and up and down each section to get the glaze deep into the wood grain. I let it sit for a couple of minutes before wiping the excess with a lint-free rag.
You can see the process in the photo below between the natural wood staves and the whitewashed staves. See how the glaze nestled into the grain of the wood?
How to age dollar store metal flower pots
While I loved the pretty turquoise color of the metal flower pot, it didn't have the rustic charm I wanted for my flower pot fence hanger.My intention was to paint a faux galvanized metal finish on the flower pot so it would match the galvanized iron hoops on the barrel staves. I wanted some of the pretty turquoise color to peek through the painted layers. I started by painting dark gray chalk paint in random brush strokes with a chip brush.
I used the products below to achieve the aged galvanized patina on the flower pot.
A big difference between the flower pot before and after, right?
I applied the remaining layers of paint with a chip brush and dabbed with a lint-free rag to remove some of the paint.
Layer One - Hurricane Gray chalk paint (Dixie Belle)
Layer Two - Metallic Silver paint (Modern Masters)
Layer Three - Pewter Gray chalk paint (FAT)
Layer Four - Copper Primer, Metallic Copper paint, and Green Patina (Modern Masters)
Layer Five - Blackened Bronze Metallic Surfaces (Sophisticated Finishes)
Layer Six - Wicker White Multi-Surface craft paint (Folk Art)
Assembling the flower pot holder
Assembling it was super quick and easy. First I attached the door knocker to the barrel staves with 3/4-inch wood screws. I dabbed some blackened bronze and copper primer paint onto the screw heads with an art brush to match the wrought iron.Next, I bent the fence hanger on the flower pot over the door knocker ring. I attached a D-ring picture hanger hook onto the back of the barrel staves and it was ready to hang with pretty pink petunias.
I'm not going to lie, part of me wonders if I should have left the metal flower pot untouched. The juxtaposition between the rustic door knocker and whitewashed staves with a pop of turquoise might have been quite pretty. What would have been your preference?
I'd love to hear in the comment section below or if you have any questions about this project, press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!
Other Wrought Iron OR Planter Inspiration
Rustic Garden Tool Holder With PlanterRepurposed 5-Panel Door Flower Planter
Wrought Iron Plant Stand Makeover
Vintage Wrought Iron Nesting Tables
Repurposed Hurricane Candle Holder To DIY Bistro Dining Set
Please join me by clicking the links below to visit my friend's iron inspired projects.
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
ReplyDeleteLOL, 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.
DeleteYour 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!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Gail! I'm so glad to FINALLY have put the door knocker to good use.
DeleteThis 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.
ReplyDeleteThank 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 😊
DeleteI 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!
ReplyDeleteThank 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.
DeleteWhat a perfect mix of items! This is just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Kaycee! I love how it dresses up our gate.
DeleteThis 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 :)
ReplyDeleteI 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.
DeleteI 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
ReplyDeleteThank 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.
DeleteFantastic! It is so clever.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Debra!
DeleteLOVE, 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!!
ReplyDeleteThank 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.
DeleteI 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!!!
ReplyDeleteThank 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.
DeleteDon'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!
ReplyDeleteLOL, 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.
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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!
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!
DeleteI 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!!
ReplyDeleteThank 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!
DeletePersonally, 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!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathy, I totally agree after sitting on it for a few days.
DeleteLooks perfect Marie. Happy Weekend
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Kris
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!
DeleteThank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared.
ReplyDeleteWhat 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!
ReplyDeleteThank 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!
DeleteHi 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!
ReplyDeleteThank 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!
DeleteI'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!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Michelle, I'm glad you like my flower pot holder idea!
DeleteOh 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
ReplyDeleteYay, 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!
DeleteI love how this all came together. The cut barrel and knocker mesh perfectly for your gate decor.
ReplyDeleteThank 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!
Delete