Vintage Humidifier Refurbed

by Kelly is Addressing The Occasion

1 Material

$25

2 Hours

Easy

A very old "humidifier" becomes a new home.
This is a vintage humidifier - what would be filled with water, and hung over the cast iron radiators in old homes. I found this in the basement where I live, and had to ask my housemate (who had lived here with his parents many years ago), just what it was.
I knew, though, what it was going to be next, and did nothing more than clean it up, plant wild flowers, and hang it under the CBA (my kids' initials - they're everywhere) window on the side of the garage.

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The Before - After the Disaster

I'm not a big planner, and often run on impulse, so I didn't take a Before photo (yet). I brought the piece up from the basement, and immediately took it outside to attack the years of funk with the hose on the "pulverize" setting.

Originally, the piece had two holes, top middle, that a wire was slipped through to hang over a radiator. Years of wet and humid use had corroded the back hole, but the hanging wire can still slip through the front.

Once clean, I chose to leave it untouched, and planted away.

Drainage - Finally!

For all of the funk and corrosion this old piece had, it drained not a drip after its first flower-filled journey to the backyard. The flowers literally drowned, prompting my grabbing a flat head screwdriver and a hammer to attack the original seam at the bottom of the humidifier. I whacked, then pried, unfortunately ruining its chances to humidify next Winter. Then again, there's always caulk!

A Hopeful Take Two

Fresh potting soil, and a combo of Portulaca, and that little yellow flower in the middle that I can't remember the name of, were planted. For esthetic reasons (at least for me), I didn't dead-center the yellow plant - left to right, I planted two Portulaca, one yellow, one Portulaca.