DIY Tire Planter

9 Materials
$40
3 Hours
Medium

I really like to burn rubber, so pretty much all the tread on two of my tires was gone - it was time for new tires for my little red SUV. We ended up replacing all four tires, and we tossed the two really bad ones, but for some reason decided to hang onto the two that weren't that bad. The hubs and I were cleaning out the garage the other day and saw the two tires stashed in the corner. My husband was ready to take these two beauts to the dump, when I had a vision - a vision that became a reality this past weekend. I used an old tire, an old rim and some left over plywood to make this one of a kind garden planter. Let me share with you how I did it! I started of by giving the outer edges of the rim a fresh coat of black paint. I used just regular flat black spray paint for this. I didn't worry about doing the inside or bottom because this part is not seen.

I started of by giving the outer edges of the rim a fresh coat of black paint. I used just regular flat black spray paint for this. I didn’t worry about doing the inside or bottom because this part is not seen.

I needed to put a bottom on the tire to hold dirt, so this is where the plywood came into play. I set my tire on top of my piece of plywood and I traced around the inside with a permanent marker. I angled the marker in a little bit to get under the edge. I also traced around the outside as well. When I took my tire off the plywood, this is what I had.

I then used my jigsaw to cut around only the outer marks. I only marked the inside so I knew where to place my rim (you will see this in the later steps).

I placed the rim on top of the plywood, making sure the bolt holes (I think that's what they are called) are closest to the plywood.

Then, taking a marker and sliding it through the bolt holes in the middle, I made some markings.

I used a half inch spade bit to drill holes where I made my marks.

I also drilled some additional drain holes for when I will be watering my flowers or plants.

I used 3" bolt with a nut and washer on each end to attach my rim to my piece of plywood. I used washers on each side for extra durability.

After I had it all bolted together, I spray painted the plywood black to match the rim.

I then put the tire on my work table, and then put my rim/plywood base upside down on top of it. Using screws, I drilled right through the plywood to attach my base to my tire.

Next, I got out some contact cement and got some clothesline rope. I purchased clothesline rope because it is by far the cheapest, and I had to use three of these 150' packages to cover the tire.

To cover the tire I needed an extra set of hands so I enlisted the help of my mother. I would brush on the contact cement and she would follow me around with the rope.

This was the longest part of the project. It took us about 45 minutes - an hour to do this. I don't have many pictures cause we had to work really quickly. It was a very hot day and the contact cement was setting really fast. This was good in a way because we could wrap really fast rather than waiting for the rope to stick... so I wasn't complaining!

I gave the top of the tire a little coat of white paint just to pull the whole look together.

I still have one more tire, so I am gonna make another one this weekend. I may try and paint the rope a different color and see what happens!

Let me know what you think about this project! Have you ever done any DIYs with a tire? Share your projects with me!

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Holly Grace
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 4 questions
  • Cathy Conran-Warmels Cathy Conran-Warmels on Aug 11, 2016
    I have tires that I will be making into planters but don't want to take the time for all of the rope. Can anyone tell me if you have to clean the tires before painting and do I need to use a primer before painting. Do I take the tires inside in the winter to stop the paint from cracking with the cold?
  • Michelle Michelle on Sep 18, 2017

    Won't the contact cement disolve when it rains?

  • Edie Burton Edie Burton on May 21, 2020

    Rubber really stinks when it gets hot. Does the paint block the odor?

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  • Clhr Clhr on May 21, 2022

    Twenty years ago my husband and I bought a house that had tire planters on old stumps. The tires had been turned inside out (I don't know HOW they did that one), one edge all around had been saw-toothed and they were painted SILVER! We took them down and threw them in our woods. I think they're still there!

  • Amy Aube Amy Aube on May 28, 2023

    I love the idea of cover the tread with rope then paint! A great way to upgrade my tire planters.😃

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