Asked on Feb 23, 2015

ISO suggestions for what's left of my wagon wheel?!

Cyndy B
by Cyndy B
After a few month's absence at our place in the woods, we headed up last summer to prepare it for our retirement. To our dismay our cool old wagon wheel was destroyed! We suspect termites but whatever, they were quick and sadly, thorough. I'm trying to come up with something cool to do with the metal that's left and am wide open for suggestions. Thanks in advance!
BEFORE I could cry when I see this picture. The wheel was a gift to my DH from a friend who moved away.
I'm thinking something cool to hang in it....maybe?
Hub? Actually thinking it would be fun to fill it with potting soil and plant something that spills. Portulaca? Hens & chicks?
Maybe "wheels" for a stationary wagon?
LOL - I should really probably toss this, how sad/freaky that's all the wood that remains.
  25 answers
  • Lavende Lavende on Feb 24, 2015
    It would be gorgeous as a vertical garden filled with succulents! You could even select the plants and arrange them to evoke the former wagon wheel (which was so lovely!)
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    • Joa1130706 Joa1130706 on Feb 24, 2015
      @Lavende I have seen a picture of this and it is beautiful! Different plants in the different sections.
  • 169756 169756 on Feb 24, 2015
    Let me get my hands on this stuff! The small metal rings I have I just realized can be combined with the 2 steel discarded wheel rotors I saved from the trash and now I'll make a little wagon of sorts for my rock garden. Thanks for helping me put it together with your pics. Your result possibilities are endless. I saved an old hand tiller from the neighbors trash years ago and use it in my shade garden every year. Good luck
    • Cyndy B Cyndy B on Feb 24, 2015
      Haha Kathleen, I know plenty of junk lovers here who would take it off my hands too! Old junk and gardens are so fun together, aren't they?
  • Ruth wallace Ruth wallace on Feb 24, 2015
    I see four rims. Those would make a very neat hanging plant holder. Use heavy duty chain between each ring and to hang with. Lowes has heavy duty tree limb hangers to hold the chains. Measure each rim diameter and find pots to fit rims then plant, hang enjoy.
    • Cyndy B Cyndy B on Feb 24, 2015
      Thanks Ruth! I'm leaning towards a little garden wagon filled with plants and these as the "wheels". One more item for the "honey do" list! ;)
  • 169756 169756 on Feb 24, 2015
    Definitely. Hauling stuff (treasures) home and getting past my hubby is the other challenge :) He just has no vision! :)
  • Linda Clawson Wright Linda Clawson Wright on Feb 24, 2015
    Save the wood parts let it become part of a shadow box or wreath. Make sure no insects are left by soaking in dog shampoo
  • Cindi Cindi on Feb 24, 2015
    That would make an amazing oversized clock, the amount of spindles are perfect for one
    • Cyndy B Cyndy B on Feb 24, 2015
      Thanks Cindi, it would be an awesome clock huh? Unfortunately we're very limited on wall space....but fortunately, we already made an oversized pallet clock for our photo wall!
  • Elizabeth Miller Elizabeth Miller on Feb 24, 2015
    Well the metal left is still cool....you could hang a welcome sign in the circle, or hang a potted plant in it.
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    • Cyndy B Cyndy B on Feb 26, 2015
      Good idea Becky, thanks!! I looked online but only saw small plastic cauldrons, most of which were Halloween decorations. I zoned out on this - weird, because DIY is usually my mode. Guess I got in my own way. ;) I'm ready to reclaim this bad boy! Well, whenever spring decides to come back, that is!
  • Mcgypsy9 Mcgypsy9 on Feb 24, 2015
    I would take that large ring of metal and have a mirror put in it and display it either on a porch or in your home...it is gorgeous!
    • Cyndy B Cyndy B on Feb 24, 2015
      Ooooh, very cool idea! Alas, we have no room. I'm definitely gonna need to repurpose it in the garden or outdoors somehow.
  • Wanda Mulley Wanda Mulley on Feb 24, 2015
    I'd make a coffee table with the pieces.
  • Anna Marie Anna Marie on Feb 24, 2015
    I would make a display table or side table and add glass to fit the top. Use the middle steel and add a decorative wood base to it. Use 1 Tbsp of dark brown milk paint, and 1 cup of water. It will look brand new. They seal it with hemp oil and it will be shiny. Spray paint the iron with black or brown rustoleum paint if you want the new look. Or just clean it up and made it all look natural. Great piece of history
  • Neva Overy-Morgart Neva Overy-Morgart on Feb 24, 2015
    How about turning it into a glass top pestled garden table.
  • 9530106 9530106 on Feb 24, 2015
    We had one in the flowerbed when I was growing up that did the same thing. Sadly, mom and stepdad got rid of the pieces, unbeknownst to me!
  • Cyndy B Cyndy B on Feb 24, 2015
    Thanks everyone, some great suggestions! I should have been clear about out need to use it outside. We have no room inside for something that big....too bad, cause there have been some great ideas!
  • Ilona Elliott Ilona Elliott on Feb 24, 2015
    In Eastern Oregon where old wagon wheels abound, they used the large ones for pot hangers--drill three holes in it evenly spaced, hang with chain, and drill more holes for S hooks to hang pots on. My husband made a cool one with some iron he bent into scrolls incorporated. I would take the smaller ones and drill a hole in them then screw them to a fence or shed to hold pots with plants. Can you believe when we moved my hubby threw out the pot hanger. It was large and didn't fit our new house, but I was going to hang it outside and hang canning jars with copper wire to it and use it to hold candles in our gazebo--like a candlabra, which is another idea for it!
    • Cyndy B Cyndy B on Feb 24, 2015
      Oh dear he threw it out?! Ouch! Would dearly love this if I had the room!
  • Judith Judith on Feb 24, 2015
    Look at the pins for wine barrel rings on Pintrest. I have a few pinned. My fav is the one made into a water feature.
  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Feb 24, 2015
    How shocking! Termites and carpenter ants are so destructive. If you suspect termites are the culprits, did you get your buildings checked?
  • Liliana Wells Liliana Wells on Feb 25, 2015
    I wonder if you could train morning glories to go around it.
  • Shelley Shelley on Feb 25, 2015
    What about a tiered flower garden? Fill the big ring, and then add the smaller rings by size (if rings aren't the same size), or if rings are the same size, then stagger the small rings. Fill each ring with dirt and plant flowers. Like a wedding cake that gets smaller with each layer.
  • Vero Nishka Vero Nishka on Feb 26, 2015
    You can hang it on the wall outside and put somes flowers hang to it it would be like a frame for flowers or a sort of wreath
  • Becky Wood Becky Wood on Feb 26, 2015
    Make a lg windchime hanging the inner rings from the lg ring. Plant flowers etc around it all. Use the lg cyclinder beside it with more flowers or plants in it. The piece of wood that is left could be treated with a water resistant product and either added to your little "garden" as more decoration or it could be hung on the outside wall (or inside) as part of another decor collage.
  • Linda Fraser Linda Fraser on Feb 26, 2015
    Big country wind chime. You could look in the thrift stores for different metal items like forks, spoons, small metal plates, etc anything that would make noise. I would use fishing line to hang them from the ring think. Since it's big I would run some fishing line across it also so you can attach stuff so they can knock against eachother. I would paint the ring thing white and anything I hang I would paint different colors. I would use restoleum because it's for metal and outdoors. You could also leave it rustic.
  • Pammy Pammy on Mar 01, 2015
    So sad for you, I love wagon wheels and that one was a beauty! Don't you want to rebuild it? Might not be but so hard, you have a picture and a remnant to go by... enjoy your retirement
  • MaryStLouis MaryStLouis on Mar 06, 2015
    You could mount it upright in your garden and train a delicate vine to wrap around the metal as it grows. A clematis would look beautiful this way.
  • Cyndy B Cyndy B on Sep 30, 2015
    Hi Bryce - a friend gave the wheel to my husband several years ago when he moved away. That's part of why we were so shocked and saddened by its destruction.
  • Cyndy B Cyndy B on Sep 30, 2015
    To other commenters - I'm confused why I didn't get notifications about them and yet received today's. I wish to send my belated but sincere thanks to you all! I found a cool old "cauldron" type pot that I filled with sweet potato vines and placed in front of the wheel. They wound up and around and are still trailing and climbing all over! Here's a view of the small amount of wheel visible right now LOL. I don't think this is our final use but it made us smile this summer! :)