- 1). Contact local wineries or distilleries in your area and ask what they do with their old, used barrels. Ask specifically whether the winery is willing to sell you a few half-wine barrels so that you can turn them into garden planters.
- 2). Change the appearance of the wine barrel before filling it with soil and plants. Sand the outside of the barrel and paint it with a wood stain to darken or add depth and color to the barrel. Let the stain dry completely, about 12 hours.
- 3). Purchase a stencil, if desired, to paint letters, or a pattern or multiple patterns onto the sides of your barrel to add character and charm. Spray paint the stencil onto the wood with dark brown or black paint. Let the paint dry completely for four hours.
- 4). Seal the barrel with a clear, waterproof wood sealant. Paint the sealant onto the barrel in a well-ventilated area. Let the sealant dry completely for 12 hours.
- 5). Use a power drill and wood drill bit to drill four 1/4-inch holes into the bottom of the barrel to aid with drainage.
- 6). Move the barrel to the spot where you want to set it such as at the end of your driveway, on your porch or patio or in your garden. Set the barrel on top of two, short two-by-four pieces of wood cut to the diameter of the bottom of the barrel. Raise off the ground slightly with the two-by-four pieces of wood so that good drainage from the barrel is ensured.
- 7). Cut a piece of plastic weed blocker material and fit it into the inside the barrel. Use a staple gun or hammer and small nails to attach the weed blocker to the inside of the barrel about two inches from the top edge. Poke holes into the weed blocker with a pair of scissors or garden shears in the spots where you drilled holes into the barrel so that water can drain out of the bottom of the barrel.
- 8). Line the bottom of the barrel with one to two inches of small rocks to aid in drainage. Fill the barrel with soil up to the weed blocker edge. Plant flowers and plants in the barrel as desired.
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