Post by Contributing Writer, Holly
I found this black, cast-iron tea kettle in a second-hand store. There are so many neat ways to repurpose tea kettles. They can become birdhouses, fountains, wind chimes, or planters, just to name a few.
I decided to repurpose this one into a tea kettle planter. I have a philodendron in it.
Here’s what you’ll need for this little DIY project:
- Tea kettle,
- Potting soil,
- Organic fertilizer,
- Plant,
- Scissors,
- Water, and
- “Tea” spoon.
Depending on what the tea kettle is made of, you might be able to drill a few drainage holes in the bottom, and set the kettle on a plate. Be careful though. The kettle might crack from being drilled.
Tea Kettle
Any tea kettle will work for this. If you don’t have a tea kettle, try your local Goodwill store or garage sales. You could even use a neat looking lemonade pitcher.
Potting Soil and Organic Fertilizer
Since my plant is being kept indoors, I chose to use potting soil. You can purchase potting soil at any home and garden store. If you live in a warm climate, where your planter can be kept outdoors, you can use the soil in your garden. (The point of all this is to use bug-free dirt for indoor plants.) 
Mix a small amount of composted organic matter into the soil to give the plant some needed nutrients. I have some worm castings ready to harvest, so I’ll be using that for my plant.
Plant and Scissors
If your plant is purchased from the store (as opposed to one dug up from your yard), and in a small container too long, there’s a good chance the poor thing has a densely packed, tangled mess of roots. Take your fingers and loosen the roots. If there are a LOT of roots, go ahead and shorten the length of the roots, using the scissors.
Make a hole in the dirt, and place the plant in the hole. Arrange the roots so they spread out from the plant in all directions. Cover the roots with dirt, and gently pack the soil.
Water
Give the plant a good drink of water.
“Tea” Spoon
To give the tea kettle planter a special finishing touch, I added a teaspoon.
What are some other ways a tea kettle can be repurposed?
Holly is a wife to her loving husband, John, and a “mother” of 3 canine “children.” She loves sharing her faith, gardening, and fascination and appreciation of animals (birds, bats, butterflies, and the cute furry ones too) over at Your Gardening Friend.
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I can’t imagine putting dirt in that lovely cast iron tea kettle! I would love to see that beauty on my stovetop.
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Katie Reply:
October 1st, 2012 at 10:04 am
@rachel, I thought the same thing but I love the idea! I’ve been looking for new ideas for planters, thanks Holly!
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Holly Reply:
October 1st, 2012 at 4:20 pm
Thanks, Katie! I love creative (sometimes even weird – like putting dirt in a cast iron tea kettle
) ways to repurpose things.
You need to see my reply to Rachel.
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Holly Reply:
October 1st, 2012 at 4:17 pm
Oops! I should have included a photo of the inside of the tea kettle. It’s all rusty.
It’s in no condition to be used for something to drink. LOL … Without knowing that, I bet I sounded like some crazy lady. (She has a perfectly good – possibly even antique – rustic, Little House on the Prairie cast iron tea kettle, and she [naturally] fills it with dirt!?) 
Of course, I am still crazy enough I might have made this even if it wasn’t rusty. But, hey, dirt will rinse out.
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The “tea kettle” isn’t a that at all. It is a humidifier for a wood stove that is why it was rusty. You can buy them new at Amish and Mennonite stores that stock cast iron pans and such. I think the one I have is made by Lodge.
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