Get your wire snips and gloves ready, and dive into one of these fun, unique projects utilizing a favorite of the DIY crowd: hardware cloth!
Hardware cloth, although a bit unwieldy (and more than a little bit stabby if you're not careful), is a versatile, useful material that can be used for so much more than landscaping projects. Last week, we talked about the simple little basket Karen made out of hardware cloth, and it made me think about the roll of the stuff I have sitting in my utility room; what could I do with it? Here are ten ideas:
1. Make a framed piece of living art with some wood scraps, hardware cloth, and some soil and succulents; here's a great tutorial on Better Homes & Gardens.
2. Vilma Farrell from Lampada uses all sorts of recycled paper plus hardware cloth to make some really unique, beautiful lampshades; via All Things Paper.
3. Instead of glass in an open cabinet, try this rustic eclectic look, courtesy of Tal Goldstein on Houzz.
4. Use hardware cloth to fill in the bottom of a concrete block to create a modular planter for your porch or patio. This planter is part of the cinder block planter bar from Kristen, seen on Design*Sponge.
5. Sherry and John from Young House Love made a wire-and-clothespin chandelier for their laundry room, and I gave the idea a spin last summer in my workroom.
6. Deanna from It's Just Me used hardware cloth to make these vintage locker baskets.
7. Make flower arranging a snap with a wire frog built into the lid; Amy at Four Corners Design shows you how!
8. Use hardware cloth like Kate from Centsational Girl did to fill in the back of a potting bench, and instantly have lots of vertical space to hang tools.
9. Adina from My Simple Country Life made a lovely hanging flower vase with a rustic feel using an old frame and hardware cloth.
10. Grab an old frame and a staple gun, and make your own pretty jewelry holder; Julie Ann has a simple tutorial.
(Images: lead, Sarah Dobbins. 1. Vilma Farrell, 2. Better Homes & Gardens, 3. Tal Goldstein on Houzz, 4. Kristen from the hunted interior, 5. Sarah Dobbins, 6. Deanna from It's Just Me, 7. Amy at Four Corners Design, 8. Kate from Centsational Girl, 9. Adina from My Simple Country Life, 10. Julie Ann Art.)
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I'm the most incompetent DIYer on the planet, but even I might be able to manage a couple of these. Great post!
FYI: I inherited a book by a Thalassa Crusoe (sp?) who had been to gardening what Julia Child was to cooking on PBS in the 60s, and she had directions for doing this, along with great suggestions on how set up houseplants to survive while you travel. I should go dig that out and see what else she's got we could try!
That mason jar vase idea is brilliant, I will be using it.
That green kitchen with the cut-out cabinet doors goes to the top of the list of projects for "my next residence." Stunning color and design.
The last hardware cloth I bought was magnetic. I cut it to fit an empty picture frame (glass removed), with scrapbook paper behind. It makes an interesting magnet board. Less college dorm looking than a painted cookie sheet. I made it for my mom and her style is sort of traditional meets antique country. Worked out well.
thanks so much for featuring my mason jar project - appreciate the support!
I like the hardware cloth in the frames as a mat, with a picture in the middle.
Love this!