How to Make a Chicken Feeder Planter - Trash to Treasure

For a school project, my class was required to make a usable item out of something we could repurpose, and after searching for ideas online, I stumbled into this art contest and decided to share my project. Using an old chicken feeder, which I found in a scrap pile on the other side of my property, I was able to put together a chicken feeder-planter with plants and a fancy decal.

- An old chicken feeder

- Rustoleum hammered paint (silver colored)

- Steel wool

- Lacquer thinner

- Sticker decal

- Wire (for hanging the decoration)

- Potting soil

- Decorative grass/moss

- Flower assortment (

- Rubber gloves

- Face mask

- Watering can

- Cloth rag

For this project, I used a chicken feeder which I pulled out of a scrap pile on my family's property. If you are interested in replicating this project, you can either find one yourself or order one on eBay.

Once you've received your chicken feeder, it is most likely going to be covered in rust and possibly dirt. Since I couldn't paint over it in this kind of condition, I used steel wool to scrub off the rust and dirt on both the surface and the inside of the feeder. After doing this, I rinsed off the feeder with a watering can to clean off any remaining rust or grime. Before moving on to the next step, let the feeder dry in the sun for about one hour.

Once the feeder has dried out, you can start applying the lacquer thinner to both the inside and outside of the planter. You must wear a mask and gloves while performing this step, as the lacquer thinner could cause serious health problems if breathed in. Now, take a rag and spray the liquid onto it. Use the rag to slather the feeder in the liquid, and be sure to get the inside as well. Once you've done this, let the lacquer thinner dry before you start to paint.

The moment you deem the thinner dry enough, take out your Rustoleum spray paint. I used a silver-colored paint called "Rustoleum hammered," but feel free to use any color paint you wish. Spray the spray paint on the outside of the feeder and along the inside as well. Between coats, allow the paint to dry for about five to ten minutes. I used three layers of paint on my feeder.

The next step is to apply the decal (sticker) onto the front of the planter. This step is pretty straightforward, and all you have to do is peel the sticker away from its waxy paper and place it onto the planter. Be sure to smooth out any crinkles before pressing it onto the planter and make sure the sticker is centered so the flowers won't get in its way.

For this next step, you are going to want a nice assortment of flowers; about three to five different kinds. Before planting, fill each open section of the planter with enough soil to nearly reach the top, keeping about two millimeters of distance between the top of the soil and the top of the hole. The holes are located at the top and bottom of the planter, where the bottom juts out to allow chickens to eat seed out of it. These are the holes you must fill with dirt.

Next, take your flowers and plants and gently place them into the holes. You will also want to add fake grass or moss around the bases of the flowers to make the scene look nicer. The small gap was intended for the grass to ensure it wouldn't slip out in this step. Once you've finished placing the moss and flowers in the holes, feel free to include small rocks or fake bugs to spruce up your scene. Otherwise, move on to the next step.

Congratulations! You have assembled your planter! Now, all that's left is setting it up. For this, I used a wire I cut from a fence to hang it up, but you can purchase a wire at your local hardware store if you don't want to scavenge around for one. When hanging your artwork, find a flat area on your wall, drill a screw into the proper area, and carefully fixate the object on the wall. The planter will be heavy, so avoid areas on your wall where someone could get injured.