Repurpose An Old Magazine Rack And Turn It Into A Gorgeous Planter

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There are all sorts of household items that can be repurposed in your garden, from single-use plastic bottles to outdated pieces of furniture. Magazine racks from bygone eras often make good planters following a few upgrades. After all, they're designed to hold things and tend to be constructed from strong, long-lasting materials. If you don't have a magazine rack gathering dust at home, inexpensive ones may be available at local yard sales and thrift stores. In addition to saving some of the money you would have spent on a new planter, you're keeping valuable materials out of landfills when you upcycle an old magazine rack in this way.

If you're shopping for a secondhand magazine rack, look for a model made of materials that can handle outdoor conditions. Choose a metal rack for maximum durability, or find a wooden one and coat it with a product that protects it from rain and ultraviolet rays. A selection of weatherproof paints such as those in the DecoArt 24-color acrylic Patio Paint set gives you lots of customization options. 

Whether you're craving a rainbow-striped planter or want your creation to match your home's trim, this type of paint can give you the look you want while resisting fading and water damage. Also pick up a sheet of biodegradable coconut coir, the type that's used for lining hanging baskets and window boxes, like the Sinimaka coco fiber roll. Make sure it's the right dimensions to cover the parts of the rack that previously held magazines. Not sure of the exact measurements? Go for an oversized roll, because if it's too big, you can always cut it down to size. 

To reinvent your old magazine rack as a planter, start by applying any paint or sealant you've chosen to shield its materials from the elements. Then, line the parts designed to hold magazines with coconut coir sheets. If the rack has extraneous bars that are getting in the way when you try to add the coconut coir, consider removing them. This will make soil and plants easier to insert, too. Next, select what plants to add to your container — you can try growing bee balm in your planter to make it the centerpiece of a hummingbird-friendly container garden, or install drought-tolerant fan flowers if forgetting to water your plants is an issue. Once you've made your selections and everything's in place, just water the plants and find a home for the planter.

You may need to make some modifications to this DIY to make it work for your magazine rack. For instance, if it isn't very deep, you may be better off using coconut coir that's molded into a basket shape, like the Erock 2-pack of coco fiber troughs, so it can hold more soil and plants. Or, line the rack with grow bags, which is also a smart choice if you'd like your new planter to retain a bit more moisture, as water evaporates quickly from the soil in coconut coir liners. Burlap grow bags made of natural materials and lined with plastic are one of the best options if water loss is a concern. The trick is finding bags that fit your magazine rack. The Zplontya 10-pack of jute burlap grow bags might be a good starting point since its bags are 14 inches wide, roughly the same as lots of magazine racks.