Done With All Your Skiing Gear? Upcycle It Into Functional Yard Decor

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When you're an avid skier, it's torture to wait for the warm months to turn into the cold months so you can hit the slopes. And while bespoke garden decor made from your old skis and ski boots won't exactly replace the whole rush-of-adrenaline skiing experience, it does give you an opportunity to show off your love of the sport between ski seasons in a way that's natural and fun. This isn't just any garden decor, mind you, but a thematic way to display some of your small plants in a unique way. This ski planter is one of many ways you can make your home look like a ski lodge or cabin.

The ski-themed planter pots will need some adjustments before they're ready for the big reveal. While you can leave the ski items as-is, you may want to paint and decorate them for a customized look, such as adding cool new ski-themed designs. Speaking of the paint job, gather up some spray paint, brushes, and stencils to customize the display. Most skis are made from layers of wood, with materials like carbon, Kevlar, or fiberglass rounding out the composition. As such, if you'd like to paint the exterior of the skis, choose a suitable option like Krylon indoor/outdoor paint in the color of your choice. Otherwise, if they're vintage wooden skis, you may want to leave them plain to let their character show. The boots will also require a paint job.

Since you'll be putting plants inside the boots and in the toes of the bindings, you'll need some small plants. Succulents, or even herbs, are the right size for this project. Planting mix, gardening gloves, and a gardening trowel will be necessary to get the planting done. You may also need a drill.

To prepare the boots for planting, remove the liners and clean out the boots. Then, you can spray paint the boots in your choice of colors. Once the paint dries, drill a few holes in the bottom of them so that the water will drain when you water your plants. As for the skis, you'll need to clean off the grime and pop off the bindings if you'd like to paint them. If you're artistically inclined, painting your skis, even if they're just going into your patio herb garden, is a creative way to express who you are as a ski fan.

You can use a variety of artistic materials to decorate the skis, but paint pens and acrylic are often easy to use. Additionally, if you're planning an elaborate design, consider drawing it out on paper first to work out the fine details. Once that's done, transfer the drawing onto the skis with carbon paper, unless you're good at free-hand drawing.

As for the plants that'll go inside the ski boots and the toe clips on the skis, you'll need to water them every couple of days if you decide on herbs. Your ski-themed garden display should be positioned where the plants will get a lot of sunlight. You can prop the skis up on a patio, or display them in a garden with other plants growing at the base. Leaning old ski poles against the display adds to the theme.