Use An Old Musical Instrument To Make A One Of A Kind Planter With Vintage Charm

If you're trying to find a new, unique planter for your garden, sometimes building your own out of an unexpected material is the best route, such as turning an old Bundt pan into a gorgeous pedestal planter. When broken down, a planter is essentially a container that may or may not have a few holes for drainage, so the DIY options are pretty endless. For instance, an old, damaged acoustic guitar can be transformed into a planter in several different ways. These instruments are pretty common across thrift stores and online marketplaces, and you may even have an old guitar collecting dust in your attic. Acoustic guitars feature a hollow body that's easy to fill with foliage, so it doesn't take much to complete this project.

When choosing a guitar to transform, make sure you're not about to accidentally fill an expensive antique with dirt. You may want to research the guitar's brand and serial number to see if it's valuable — certain models can go for thousands of dollars, even if they look beaten up. Fortunately for gardeners, there are plenty of cheap guitars out there, but to be safe, try to choose an instrument that isn't branded and is in poor condition, which could mean surface damage or a broken headstock.

Once you've picked out a suitably rustic-looking guitar, the easiest way to turn it into a planter is to first remove the strings by loosening them at the tuning pegs and then carefully cutting them with wire cutters. Then you can place either a small nursery planter or even just a plastic cup full of potting mix into the soundhole and hang the guitar on the wall for an instant vertical planter.

If you want a bit more greenery, you could add more holes to the face of the guitar using a drill with a hole saw bit and then add plants to each of those new sections. Or, to get the most space out of your musical planter, you can completely remove the front of the guitar. Acoustic guitars are generally made primarily of wood, so you can cut away sections of the body using a jigsaw (a tool that can unlock a world of DIY possibilities), but you should take care not to remove the side walls. To keep the aesthetic of the guitar, you could even carefully cut away sections of the front while leaving the soundhole and pickguard intact. You can also drill drainage holes in the backside of the guitar depending on if your plants will need it.

The side and back of the guitar will provide plenty of structure to act as a planter, so once the front has been cut away all that's left is to add a sealant so any moisture won't seep into the wood. From there, you're free to fill it with potting mix and plants. The final product will be eye-catching no matter how it's displayed; along with hanging it on the wall, you could simply let it sit on its back or set it up on a guitar stand to really complement the vibe. This project will look cool regardless of your own musical ability, but it's also a great addition to turn a bland room into a music lover's escape.