How To Reuse A Rusty Firepit & Kettle For An Adorable Garden Feature

If you're looking to create the perfect backyard oasis for less, then you should consider repurposing rusted items instead of throwing them out. Namely, an old firepit and kettle. These two items might seem worthy of a curb alert but, rest assured, you can easily turn these rusty objects into a whimsical backyard planter. You just need to flex your creativity muscles a little bit, and TikToker @ggthegardengirl has a tutorial you have to check out. In addition to an old kettle and firepit, you need three pipes to complete this DIY project — old materials work best, keeping with the theme of upcycled goods. Although metal pipes work best, anything that's sturdy should be fine to use, including old tree branches. Just make sure they're not too thick; you're looking for something that's ideally a 1/2 inch wide so you can suspend an S hook from it. This is what you'll hang your kettle from. 

The goal is to use your old firepit as a planter, with the metal rods assembled to form an archway over it. The secret in connecting these metal pipes is zip ties, although you can also use twine if that's all you have. Just make sure they're securely in place. You'll then want to hang your old tea kettle from the center of your metal arch, using an S hook. If you don't have any, you can purchase them on Amazon for $7 or use a zip tie or twine for this as well. 

Once you have your planter and metal arch, fill your firepit with potting soil (not to be confused with garden soil) and plant yellow and orange marigolds. You can either purchase them at your local garden center or start from seeds — it's your choice. Just follow the directions for planting marigold seeds so your flowers grow. If you'd rather purchase a tray of flowers already in bloom, Lowe's sells a multicolor French Marigold 12-Pack with yellow and orange flowers for $14, keeping this adorable DIY project affordable. 

The reason you want to use orange and yellow marigolds is to create the illusion of flames, your tea kettle "boiling" above your firepit. If you want to add even more color to your flower pot, consider adding pops of red. A great plant to add is red zinnias, as it's a wonderful companion plant for marigolds. It's also excellent to have during a drought or hot summer, so keep this in mind, depending on your climate. 

If you have all the materials for this project, you can get away with spending very little. But if you don't have an old firepit or kettle, consider visiting garage sales and antique stores. You can also look to see what items your neighbors no longer need and put out on bulk trash day. If you have a local message board in your neighborhood, you can try posting to see if anyone has any of these items.