Don't Throw Away Extra Paint Stir Sticks, Use Them For A Cute Garden Planter

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If you've just finished up a big painting project and have plenty of leftover paint stir sticks, you can repurpose them to make a fun addition to your garden. In a video from Country Lily DIY Decor, the host, Barbara, details how to best reuse those stir sticks while reducing waste to make a new space for plants in your garden. This design is not just a cute hack: It can be easily customizable to fit your garden's or patio's needs and aesthetic. You could even coordinate it with an old wine box transformed into an eye-catching outdoor planter.

The primary material needed for your repurposed garden planter will be paint stir sticks. If you want to buy new paint sticks, grab a multi-stick pack with sticks large enough for the planter you want to build in your garden. You can purchase them in a variety of lengths, so measure the space in your garden and plan the size of your planter before you buy. You'll also want to purchase garden stakes like the 25-pack of 3-foot wooden garden stakes from Greene's Fence Store. Alternatively, you can repurpose other wood you have laying about. And don't forget wood glue. For tools, you will need a staple gun and  a saw (a circular saw works best), however you can also use a hammer and nails. If this project sparks your interest and you're looking for other fun ways to repurpose different household ideas for your garden, you also try to DIY a unique planter with the help of an old lampshade or create a chic firepit planter on a budget.

As mentioned before, this hack is fully customizable to suit your needs. You can choose your own size, but in the Country Lily DIY Decor video, Barbara cuts the garden stakes into four 7-inch pieces for height and four 9.5-inch for the base. This will be the frame of the box Lay out a "U" shape with two 7 inch pieces on either side of a 9.5 inch piece. Apply glue between the pieces and either staple or hammer a nail through to fasten the pieces in place. Do this twice.

Measure the width of the "U" shape and cut pieces of the repurposed paint stir sticks to size. If you are following Barbara's measurements, the pieces of paint stir sticks should be 11 inches long (she uses 5-gallon stir sticks), and you will need eight pieces. Apply wood glue to the stakes, place the paint stir sticks across the stakes, then hammer or staple them in place. Attach the last two 9.5 inch pieces with glue and staples (or nails) to the inside corners of the U shapes, completing your frame. Cut eight more paint stir sticks to 11.5 inches and fasten them as you did with the previous set of paint stir sticks.

Once your planter is built, you can customize it to your own desire. You can paint it, decorate it, or even build another to fill your whole garden with cute new planters. You can even repurpose what's left of your paint stir sticks further to decorate your garden, using the scraps to make seed labels (you can paint those too!) for your plants.