Why not repurpose and upgrade an old wheelbarrow? I'll show you how to turn an old wheelbarrow into a flower bed.
The fact that our environment is suffering due to the high content of all kinds of waste that cannot be decomposed or only with difficulty is nothing new for many. Therefore, many people try to use less packaging material, avoid plastic or generally reduce their waste significantly by shopping more sensibly. But upcycling also plays an important role in protecting the environment: because something new is to be created from something old. For example, a kind of flower pot is made from old boots, a breeding place for seedlings from old plastic cups and much more. I will now explain what you can do with an old wheelbarrow and what upcycling actually means and defines.
Upcycling - what is that anyway?
Upcycling, in contrast to recycling, means that old items are upgraded and reused elsewhere. While recycling is about reusing certain things to add value to them. This usually results in inferior products than at the beginning. With upcycling, on the other hand, something new is created from the old with greater added value for the environment and users. However, both variants have in common that things are used several times and therefore do not immediately end up in the garbage, which in turn avoids more garbage and protects the environment.
Sense and purpose of upcycling
Upcycling can be used to animate one's own environment to think and imitate, so that many more people use fewer resources and pollute the environment. But your own wallet can also be spared by upcycling: because many things that you actually have to buy can be easily replaced with old ones using this method. The savings can then be put aside for important things, such as a nice time with loved ones - or for a bicycle, with which even more resources can be saved because you use it instead of a car or local and long-distance public transport.
Advantages
✔ you have to dispose of less waste
✔ you develop a more conscious way of life in terms of environmental protection in order toLeaving the world a better place for the offspring
✔ People are made aware of the topic
✔ You get new things from old things that can be used in a variety of ways
✔ Even decorations are left out Finished from old
✔ you get something unique that cannot be bought in this way
✔ your wallet is very easy on, so that you can save better for your own wishes or important things
Cons
✘ Upcycling can involve some effort
✘ suitable ideas must first be developed before the added value can be generated through further uses and the conversion can begin
What things are suitable for upcycling?
Basically, with a little imagination, skill, desire and whim, you can make something new out of everything that offers added value and is easy on the environment as well as on your wallet. Old lunch boxes and plastic elements that you no longer want to use are suitable, for example, for raising seedlings until they are big enough for your own flower pot. The seeds for these can be purchased from purchased fruit and vegetables, so that you can continue to use both purchases sensibly and after a while and with some success you might even be able to harvest your own vegetables or fruit. For example, old paving stones that are no longer needed can be used to build a bed border in the garden. Even a wheelbarrow can easily become an added-value product and, for example, offer a lot of space for a mini-bed for herbs or the like.
Upcycle a wheelbarrow as a bed
Your wheelbarrow has stopped working because of a damaged tire and it is more difficult or expensive to replace it than to buy a new wheelbarrow? Or the old wheelbarrow is completely bent and dented so that it no longer carries loads well when driven? In these cases, the thought of upcycling comes up for many people and is often immediately discarded because they don't know what can or should become of the wheelbarrow.
Upcycle wheelbarrow - advantages
- Wheelbarrows made of metal are very robust and durable, so their loading area can be used for a very long time
- most wheelbarrows are weatherproof
- with the right planting or some decoration, wheelbarrows look decorative
- Wheelbarrows offer a lot of space to use
- The awkward throwing away is avoided with upcycling, otherwise you would have to go to the recycling center
- Wheelbarrows can be upcycled in many ways
Upcycling Wheelbarrow Ideas
There are many ways to add value to an old wheelbarrow and save money, but also resources.
1. Wheelbarrow as a sandpit
You can not only make a small bed out of it, but also a small sandbox for children, for example. If you dig the lower part of the wheelbarrow a bit into the ground so that the upper edge appears almost level with the ground, the loading area can be filled with sand. The nice thing for children is that they can dig deep and can do a lot with the small sandy area. Alternatively, the wheelbarrow for older children can also be turned into a transportable sandbox that can be played on while standing. If the children want to cool off in summer, they can of course play with water instead of sand.
2. Wheelbarrow as spreaderIt is also a very good idea to convert an old wheelbarrow into a spreader, as long as the tires are still intact. Because a crooked loading area or dents do not matter when spreading. If you drill holes evenly in the old truck bed, you can fill in seeds such as lawn seeds or vegetable seeds to be planted, which then fall evenly to the ground when you move the wheelbarrow.
3. Wheelbarrow as scarifier
If you attach small metal hooks to its front underside, you can use it - slightly angled - as a scarifier for the lawn when driving. For upcycling, the possibilities with a wheelbarrow that is no longer in use seem endless.
How to make a bed out of an old wheelbarrow
Step 1 - Clean wheelbarrow
Creating a bed out of an old wheelbarrow is not a difficult task. Basically, the first step should be to ensure that the loading area is well cleaned and rinse it with hot water to kill any bacteria. Otherwise these later plantings could literally "nip in the bud". So seedlings could be damaged, so that the planting does not show any real success or soon dies.
Step 2 - Prepare wheelbarrow bottom
Then drill small holes in the loading area to ensure that water can drain off and that no waterlogging forms. Most plants and seedlings do not tolerate these very well. A thin layer of gravel as a topping is ideal to avoid too much moisture and alsoeasy to aerate, making mold less likely to grow on the plant roots.
Step 3 - Plant the wheelbarrow
Once you have chosen your plants - by the way, they should match each other in terms of needs - you can bring a suitable substrate into the loading area of the wheelbarrow, for example breeding or plant soil. Depending on whether you want to plant young plants or bring in seeds for a herb bed, for example, the different planting processes now begin. For seeds, you make small holes in the soil with your finger, into which the seeds are then filled at regular intervals. The whole thing is covered with a little soil and watered. Of course, young plants depend on their needs, but in general they can be planted next to each other in the soil, filled with more soil and watered as well.
Our tip:
The wheelbarrow can be used particularly well as a herb garden because its loading area is completely sufficient for several different types of herbs and you can place them nearby as you wish can be set up in the kitchen so that you only have to reach out of the window when cooking, for example. Whether with rosemary, thyme, parsley or basil - fresh herbs round off every dish and can also be used at the next barbecue party.