You know you’re a rare sort when you see your neighbor has set out trash that contains old wood and metal and your pulse quickens. haha. At the time, I was headed down the street as my daughter was driving to get hours in for her license. I gasped and called my husband to go grab them. He replied, “they’re broken?” I just gave a tsk…and said, “anddddd???” With that in mind, how about I show you the vision I had for this upcycled whiskey barrel planter?

Truth be told, there were two of these set out. This one wasn’t in as great of shape as the other. However, the other looked fair enough that I could plant my oregano in it. Also, I don’t know about you, but I think there’s nothing better than fresh greens and herbs straight from your own yard.

Today is Trash to Treasure Tuesday where my blogger friends and I share our latest builds, makeovers, and finds to inspire you. You’ll see their posts in a bit. Meanwhile, the second planter wasn’t looking so hot. I could mess with it and plant it too, but I truly wanted to upcycle those staves and rings into something more. Challenge accepted.

DIY TIME

First, for the second upcycled barrel, I’m finishing it off. Then, with a good whack of my hammer, I bust out the rotting bottom and it falls apart easily.

Does this look like trash? Maybe to some, but to me it’s #trashure. Not only does it have beautiful wood with patina, but also those rusty rings…yessss….

After I sorted through that pile, here’s how I have separated the pieces. However, at this point I have an idea of what I want to do but am playing with design and how to bring it to fruition. In my noggin’ I want to create as many totes as I can. Do you see it?

ASSEMBLY

First, I begin grabbing a few pieces of scrap wood left over from my garden shed remodel. Then, I measure the staves in length, and also height to how high I want the tote to be. I use my circular saw and my Rip-Cut Jig to cut them down.

After that, to shorten them I use my miter saw. While I could have easily done the cutting on my table saw, I wanted to show you that you don’t need huge power tools to get the job done. I cut one for the bottom, and two shorter pieces the same width as the bottom for the sides.

Then, I used my drill to pre-drill holes and attach the saves to my scrap wood box. Now it’s time to make a handle for my upcycled whiskey barrel tote. I used a metal cutting blade on my jig saw to cut the barrel rings in half.

Last, to attach the cut rings to the tote, I use my drill and self-drilling metal screws. At any rate, it’s fairly simple and straightforward.

ONE MORE THING

Finally, before I show you my completed totes, there’s one more ring I need to make use of. I could just build another tote, but I had a few narrow staves left over and want to use them in a different form. First, I trace the inside of the barrel ring onto a piece of scrap plywood. Then, I set my jig saw at a 15° angle so that it makes a slight taper inward to match the angle of the ring.

Here is my cut inserted into the ring for a test run. Next, I need to add a bit of character.

After that, I set up my circular saw to do a shallow cut across the circle to make a planking effect. Isn’t that fun?

THE REVEAL

Finally, all my projects are complete and I’m ready to share my creations. Here’s my barrel ring art in finished form.

It’s definitely rustic and full of patina. I’m smitten with weathered wood and rusted steel. You can’t recreate that for anything, though you can come close.

TOTE LOVE

Last, but not least, here are my four upcycled whiskey barrel totes. Two of them are larger size and are perfect for most any spot inside or out. I’ve tucked a bit of firewood in and have it on my family room fireplace.

If you look closely, you can see how I flipped each stave to give it a woven effect. Additionally, while the tote can be used for wood, it can also serve as a centerpiece, or even a planter in different form.

In addition, here is a medium size one used for gathering a few of my sunflowers from my garden. Aren’t they the happiest things? It looks like they are smiling all the time.

I hope have fun seeing what I create with my trash. haha. Likewise, if you’d like to own one of my totes, you can find them available in my online store.

SHARE

Also, pin and share my upcycled whiskey barrel fun. Inspire others to take what is “trash” and turn it into something more.

Up next, to keep with the barrel theme this week, I’ll be giving my rain barrel a much-needed update. With that in mind, come see the new look in my next post HERE.

Before you go, be sure to sign up for my newsletter. Last but not least, it’s time to head below for more Trash Treasure fun!

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Furthermore, take a peek at what my blogger friends have created for you today.

1. Artsy Chicks Rule
2. Confessions of a Serial Do It Yourselfer
3. Salvaged Inspirations
4. Girl in the Garage

Also, more DIY fun like my upcycled whiskey barrel planters: