Transform Your Old Pans Into A Hanging Garden

There are many ways to dispose of old pots and pans correctly. But before you haul off your tired, old frying pans to a landfill, we have a cool way to repurpose them into quirky new homes for your favorite houseplants. All it takes is an old pan, a hot glue gun, coir rope, acrylic paint, and a belief that you can turn something old into something new (and very charming).

Start by grabbing a medium-sized pan. It won't really matter what type as we're mostly just using the shape here. With the cooking side facing you and the handle pointing upward, glue two plastic plant pots inside on the surface you cook on, toward the bottom. Once they're stuck firmly in place, take some coir rope (which you'll find at any garden center), and then simply glue as you wrap the rope around the pan horizontally in a big spiral. Don't rush this — you want to keep the lines neat and tight so that there's a cohesive wrapping pattern moving from the bottom of the pan until the top of the pots (about half way up the pan). You can also choose other materials, such as ribbon or burlap, as the wrap to customize the look.

Then, you can either leave the rest of the pan plain or paint it with acrylic paint in whatever colors you desire. You can go pastel for a soft and dreamy vibe or neon to make a statement. You can even paint on some polka dots or stripes for a quirky touch. If you have ever wondered what to do with all your unused and discarded cookware, check out more amazing ways to repurpose pots and pans in your home and garden, and never throw a pan into the trash again.

Once the paint and the glue have dried, it's time for the fun to start. Fill the pots with gorgeous hanging plants like pothos, or make it a cute little herb garden by filling it with trailing rosemary or thyme. The key is just to choose something that won't mind living in a shallow pot. Or, simply use faux plants so you don't have to worry about upkeep.

Thanks to the built-in handle of the pan, it's already pretty set up to be displayed on a wall — you just need to use a strong hook or wall screw as it will need to hold the weight of your plants. You can also loop a piece of rope through the hole in the handle to hang it from. You could hang it in the kitchen near a sunny window since it's a cute new spin on a trusted kitchen staple. Or you could group a few together outside on a patio for a hanging vertical garden. Or if you live in a small space, this could also be a fun take on using hanging plants as a door alternative if you grow a vining plant in the pan holder. No matter how you use it, giving your old utensils a second chance at life — especially when it's as cute as this little hanging pan trick — is always the real winner.