What can I do with an old bird cage?

Put Antique Bird Cages to Use With 11 Creative Upcycle Ideas Make a Bird Cage Light Fixture. TheLuminousDecor / Etsy.com. ... Make an Indoor Fairy Garden From a Bird Cage. ... Collect Cards in Vintage Style. ... Protect Pets From Toxic Plants. ... Make an Antique Bird Cage Wall Shelf. ... Use an Antique Bird Cage Stand for a Focal Point. Apr 24, 2023

Is it safe to put plants in a bird cage?

Some bird-safe options include the Mother fern, Ming fern, Maidenhair fern, Bottle bush fern, Bird's nest fern, and Lace fern . The Squirrel's Foot fern, Sword fern, and Boston fern are also fine.

How do you make an artificial succulent planter?

Step 1: Cut your foam to fit your vessel and hot glue into place. The foam needs to fit securely, but it doesn't have to be perfectly cut. ... Step 2: Cover the foam with preserved moss. ... Step 3: Place your largest faux succulents. ... Step 4: Fill in the empty spaces with smaller succulents. Jul 2, 2020

How do you plant a succulent garden in the ground?

When planting succulents in the garden, dig a hole the size of the root ball and drop the succulent in . “Then walk away from the plant! Don't backfill or tuck the soil back in around the roots,” Jesch stresses.

Can you leave a bird cage outside?

They definitely need shade. Birds will die from heat more quickly than from cold. If it's really hot outside you should not put the birds outside . It's too hot for them, and too much of a temperature change from inside to outside.

What can you put under a bird cage?

Rubber Flooring Rolls 1/4 Inch 4x10 Ft Colors work really well under birdcages. They are designed to endure heavy weight and exercise equipment, so they most certainly can handle anything a birdcage will throw at your subfloor.

What do you put on the bottom of a bird cage?

The bottom of the cage should be lined with disposable paper such as newspaper or paper towels that can be thrown away every day. Newsprint is now free of lead, so it is non-toxic to birds, even if they chew on it.

How to Make a Birdcage Flower Planter — Empress of Dirt (2024)

Published on July 19, 2021Last updated October 3, 2021 ♛ By Melissa J. Will

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Birdcage planters are a favorite with creative gardeners. These tips share ideas for setting up a new or upcycled birdcage as a planter for succulents or annuals.

For more, see8 Bold and Colorful Flower Pot Ideas.

How to Make a Birdcage Flower Planter — Empress of Dirt (1)

Tips for Making a Birdcage Planter

How to Make a Birdcage Flower Planter — Empress of Dirt (2)

1Get a Birdcage

The first step is to find a birdcage, of course. This is my own hierarchy for sourcing used items:

Thrifty Shopping Tips

Ways to find cheap or free items for crafts, repurposing, & upcycling:

Local

How to Make a Birdcage Flower Planter — Empress of Dirt (3)

Check Your Own Stuff
Got stuff in storage? Shop your own home first.
Family & Friends
Let people know what you’re needing. Make it clear whether you are willing to pay for items.
Online Ads & Groups
Don’t just watch the ads but place your own stating what you’re looking for.
- Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Kijiji, Community Groups
- Buy, Sell, Barter, Trade Groups
- Garden Club and Horticultural Society plant sales
Auction Sales | In-person or online
Yard Sales
Thrift Shops & ReStores (used goods including building materials)
Retail Stores
Use free phone apps like Reebee and Flipp to easily check sale flyers and price watch.
There are countless other save-when-you-shop-through-us apps and incentive programs as well.
Off-season or end-of-season sales are always worth checking as well.

Online / Mail Order

Depending on the deal, it may be worthwhile to pay the shipping.

Etsy | Still a good source for one-of-a-kind items.
Ebay | The original online auction.
Amazon | Always check local prices against what you find here.

White Birdcage | Amazon

Birdcages | Etsy

Buying Tips

Be sure tocheck the sizeof the cage. Many of them look large in the photo but are actually quite small.
Confirm that the birdcage iswell madeand can endure life outdoors.
Make sure there isa way to get the plants in. Some decorative birdcages don’t actually have an opening or door, making it difficult to add plants unless you have hands the size of a mouse.

Make it Your Own

Want to change the color or add rust protection? Use an exterior, all-purpose spray paint.
Cage wires too close together? Get a good pair of snippers (I love bolt cutters—it is amazing how easily they cut bolts and wire) and remove sections of wire as desired.

Related:Container Gardening Ideas
Plant lists, project ideas, creative planters

2Add Coir or Burlap Liner

There are several options depending on the look you want. No matter what you choose, you want to form some sort of planting area that holds soil about 3-5 inches deep.

Coir Liner Basket | Amazon

Use a coir liner and put container potting soil inside.
Use a piece of good quality burlap and form a planting area. Once the soil is added, the burlap stays in place.
Use chicken wire and moss.
Use a container that fits the base of the birdcage.
Use various flower pots that fit within the cage.

3Add Container Potting Mix

For container plants, always use soilless container mix intended for the specific plants.

Succulentsand cacti do best with alighter container mix.
Flowering annualsprefer a regular container mix.

Want to combine them?

Keep the plants in plastic pots with their preferred container mix and sit the pots in the cage. Conceal them with coir liner or burlap or show them off.

4Add Plants

Birdcage planters look fabulous with trailing plants spilling out of the cage.

Choose your plants based on the light conditions where you will hang it (sun, part sun, shade).

If you can’t find the plants you want in pots, you can always buy a ready-made hanging basket and transplant everything to the birdcage.

Look fortrailing succulents orflowering annualsincluding:

Alternantheras |Alternantheraspp.
Bacopas |Suteraspp.
Creeping Jenny |Lysimachia nummularia*
*is considered invasive in some areas of North America.
Fuchsia |Fuchsia
Donkey tail or burro’s tail | Sedum morganianum
(Euphorbia myrsinites or creeping spurge is the poisonous look-a-like).
Geranium |Geranium
Ivy
Lobelia |Campanulaceae
Nasturtium |Tropaeoleumspp.
Petunia |Petunia
Sweet potato vine |Ipomoea batatas

5Birdcage Planter Care

Like any plant containers or hanging baskets, you need to keep on top of watering so they never dry out.

You can find helpful tips for keeping container plants happy here.

Also, keep your plant tags for specific instructions on feeding (fertilizing) and deadheading (removing old blooms to encourage new ones).

Ebook

How to Make a Birdcage Flower Planter — Empress of Dirt (5)

25 Garden Art Projects & Ideas

by Melissa J. Will

Birdcage Planter Ideas

How to Make a Birdcage Flower Planter — Empress of Dirt (6)

1 Black birdcage with succulents | Empress of Dirt

This one was created by Susan St. Louis who shared it on a tour of her garden.See the entire creative garden container gallery here.

2 White birdcage with succulents | Garden Therapy

Stephanie of Garden Therapy shares how she plantedthis new, decorative birdcage with succulents.

3 Green birdcage with bird on top | Our Fairfield Home & Garden

Barb addeda bird’s nest plus moss and ivy for a low-maintenance option.

4 Modern birdcage with flowering annuals | House of Hawthornes

You can often find these newer birdcages at thrift shops and yard sales.Pam planted hers with flowering annuals.

Plant a birdcage! Free a bird!

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

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How to Make a Birdcage Flower Planter — Empress of Dirt (7)

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