2 Liter Upside-Down Tomato Planters

I love spring!  I love planting seeds or seedlings, and watching the little shoots come up with my kids in the sun.  And of course, eating the fresh veggies and fruit. 

I had always wondered about those inverted tomato planters that are sold on t.v., if they really worked well or had any benefit of growing healthier plants, but I didn't want to shell out the money to try one, not being sure of the result.  So I did a little research online and found that you can easily make your own planters by recycling 2-liter bottles, chopticks, and a chain or twine.  How cool is that?  Here's the link I found to make the planters: Upside-down Planters (Thanks, cheapvegetablegardener.com!).

Once you make the planter, it's simple to get the seedlings into it.  Small, 4-inch pot or smaller seedlings work best for this project.  Gently wrap a paper towel snugly around the leaves, and use tape to secure.  

Thread it through starting from the bottom of the planter, through the nozzle, and carefully pull the paper-towel wrapped plant through.  

 

Unwrap the paper towel, and hang the planter up using a chopstick and twine or chain.  

Water generously, and wait for your yummy tomato harvest! (I'm using grape and cherry tomato seedlings from my local nursery. Each 4-inch plant was only $.98.)    

Now, the verdict is still out as to whether these are better at producing fruit than right-side-up plants, but it's fun to hang them around our small yard.  They're at about eye-level so it reminds me to water them, and as an added bonus, our veggie-loving dog cannot reach them!  Let me know if you try it and how your harvest goes...

Wall Trim with Pegs

 This was my first woodworking project, inspired by a book from the library on children's rooms. I painted the bottom 2/3 of the girls' room celery green, and then built an around-the-room wall trim with pegs and a shelf.  I borrowed a compound miter saw from a friend to trim the moulding to size, using 45 degree angles at the wall corners.  I attached it to the walls by drilling pilot holes and countersink holes into the moulding, then screwing it into the wall studs.  For the pegs, I decided where I wanted to place them and marked the spots with a tape measure and carpenter's level.  Then I drilled holes just the size for the pegs to fit into, and glued them in place with Liquid Nails.  Then I added the shelf, basically a lightweight 1x3" or 1x4" strip of lumber that I attached to the top edge of the moulding with a layer of Liquid Nails and screws.  Finally, I filled in the screw holes with wood putty, sanded everything down, and painted it white.

 The ledge goes all the way around the room, but I only have the pegs on this long wall (top photo) above a desk and dresser, and on one short wall just as you enter the room (shown at right).  The girls love having a place to hang their photos, purses, scarves, or sports ribbons.  And I love the way it helps keep down the clutter while giving them space to store and display their treasures.

Ok, it's time to start a blog of my home projects. Mostly it's so I have a record of home repairs and building projects I've tackled. I know others' blogs have helped me so much in finding inspiration and how-to advice, so maybe my posts will inspire or help someone else! I'll try to include photos, my experience, and any tips along with each project post. Have fun and thanks for visiting!